I am Sam Dumoulin, and I attend Purdue University, studying mechanical engineering. I have been a summer intern with a.i. solutions for the past two years and have experienced a great work environment in this field. My goal was to learn more about the space industry and its operations. I want to apply the knowledge I am learning in school to real applications and discover subject areas to focus on during my studies that relate to this work environment. The tasks can feel overwhelming at times, but that is part of the fun of working here.

During my internship, I supported the fluid dynamics team on the Expendable Launch Integrated Support (ELVIS) 3 contract for NASA’s Launch Services Program (LSP).

My internship consisted of writing code, running a simulation, looking at the output, and fixing the code as needed. I wrote a program to read in a data file describing the flow field of the plume leaving a Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster; modify the field to different locations, sizes, and shapes; and then output in a format that another program can read. That other program was a Monty Carlo-based flow field solver that takes the input file and runs a simulation of the particles in the flow field, showing how the field develops and interacts with nearby bodies. In this case, I used the program to simulate the RCS thrusters on a Centaur Upper Stage Booster as it undergoes its Contamination and Collision Avoidance Maneuver (CCAM), a maneuver to orient the booster for reentry. The goal was to determine if the thrusters substantially impacted the space vehicle during its maneuver.