I am Christopher Tonnies, and I am attending the University of Alabama, working to earn my bachelor’s in Aerospace Engineering, minor in mathematics, and Master’s in Business Administration. This year, I was an a.i. solutions propulsion intern on the Expendable Launch Integrated Support (ELVIS) 3 contract for NASA’s Launch Services Program (LSP). I wanted to see what a future career opportunity could be like with a.i. solutions or Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The team was great! Everyone in LSP welcomed me and discussed the projects I worked on or shared more about what they did. My internship was made easier with my two great mentors, and the work environment at LSP was relaxed and comfortable.

My daily tasks included supporting LSP for future missions of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket by preparing scripts/code for use on launch day. I achieved this by updating past Falcon code to fit requirements for the Falcon Heavy vehicle and performing validation and verification testing. I also had opportunities to sit on console for launch, engage in talks, and embark on tours with other employees around KSC.