Recently, our team met up in Huntsville, Alabama for an exciting weekend filled with space and rockets! Our weekend began with a visit to NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), where John Dankanich — the Chief Technologist of MSFC — led us on an extensive behind-the-scenes tour. We got to visit a variety of different facilities and learn about the state-of-the-art technologies that power them! We also heard from several scientists and engineers about the work they perform — which included everything from environmental testing to materials characterization to International Space Station payload operations. The next day, we headed to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, where we got to learn more about MSFC’s pivotal contributions throughout the history of the space program, such as the development of the Saturn rockets and the Space Shuttle. It was wonderful to see the progression of humanity’s accomplishments in space — where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going. Finally, we closed out the weekend with a team meeting — our first ever in-person meeting! We were joined once more by John Dankanich as we discussed and sought advice on our product designs as well as our long-term goals for the project. All in all, it was an incredibly informational and exhilarating weekend! Thank you to Todd Schneider, Patrick L., Brandon Phillips, and Stacey Steele for taking the time to talk with our team about the work you do — we truly appreciate your eagerness to share your work with us. And of course, a big thank you to John Dankanich, who arranged the entire tour of MSFC and took the time to advise us on our project!
