Student Satellite Balloon Payload Summer Internship 2010-2011

Paid Summer Internship Opportunity
No Experience Necessary

Purpose: The Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium (WSGC) is looking for up to four to six full-time students from any Affiliate Institution, majoring in a science or engineering discipline, to join the science payload team of our high-altitude balloon project, Elijah. Interested students need not have experience, a pre-formed team or an initial idea for a payload project, only the desire to work with other students to conceive of and carry out a payload project. The WSGC will form the team and provide the launch personnel and vehicle, as well as a mentor.

Awards: Each intern will receive a $4000 award, paid in increments.  In addition, lodging will be supplied at the MSOE dorm for students who do not live in the area. All funding subject to availability.

Work period: Approximately 15 May 2010 to 15 August 2010, with some data analysis to be performed through 15 December 2010. Start time is flexible, based on the end of spring term for each institution.

Location: Meetings of the team will take place in Milwaukee or occasionally Green Bay, Wisconsin. Students must be able to provide their own transportation.

Program description: As part of the Student Satellite Initiative, the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium (WSGC) runs the Elijah High-Altitude Balloon project, which provides opportunities for students to fly their science experiments in a near-space environment. For this part of the Elijah Project, selected students will form a collaborative team of science and engineering specialists, whose task will be to design and build a payload to be launched from a high-altitude balloon that will ascend up to 100,000 feet or more before bursting. Students will be expected to define an important science question or set of questions that might be addressed by a high-altitude balloon flight, and then with the assistance of mentors, design and build a science-driven payload. Students will design and build the science experiments to fly in this environment, assist the Elijah Launch Team in the launch of their satellite; track and chase the balloon as it traverses, retrieve the payload upon landing, and analyze the resulting data. Payload Team members will also be responsible for presenting their results at the annual Wisconsin Space Conference, to be held August 19 & 20, 2010.

Requirements: This internship opportunity is open to U.S. citizens enrolled at the sophomore, junior or senior level at any Affiliate Member institution of the WSGC, majoring in any science, math, technology, or engineering discipline. Students must be enrolled through December of 2010. Preference will be given to applicants with a minimum 2.5 GPA, and those who can demonstrate a strong interest in the success of the project. Motivation and teamwork are more important than experience, with self-motivation and ability to complete work with minimal supervision being absolutely critical.

Application Form
Additional Requirements

Application Deadline: 8 March 2010
Award Announcements: 30 March 2010

Interviews will be scheduled individually; every effort will be made to schedule interviews at the applicant's home campus.

Need more information? Contact our program office:

Program Office
Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
Green Bay, WI 54311
920-465-2108
wsgc@uwgb.edu