The Overview — Pioneering
Fueling the next generation of aerospace engineers
Pioneering
The process of venturing into uncharted territory to further innovation, embodying the relentless pursuit of progress.
Good to have all of you pioneers back for our second edition of The Overview! We’ve got a great set of resources for you this week:
🚀 Tagg’s insight into the sound of rockets. Can you guess which, the SLS or Saturn V, was louder?
🎓 Isaac talks about getting into the US aerospace industry as a foreign national.
🗞️ Starship Flight 3 delivers stunning views, NASA asks for trains on the moon, and JPL gets an incentive to be more like new-space?
💼 Three big fall internships that have just opened for applications!
🚀 Featured Technology
SLS vs. Saturn V: Which was Louder?
A rocket’s acoustic energy is so intense that it can damage the rocket itself, harm its payload, and impact the surrounding environment and community. For super-heavy moon rockets like the Apollo-era Saturn V or modern-day SLS, this is an especially big problem. In this article, we look at research that compares the noise from these two legendary rockets to determine which rocket produced more sound power and why rocket acoustics is becoming an increasingly important field.
A couple of important takeaways from this article:
The rocket with more liftoff thrust isn’t always louder.
Noise from SLS at 5 km from the launch site was 40 million times louder than a bowl of Rice Krispies®.
Governments, commercial companies, and academic institutions are increasingly interested in understanding and mitigating the effects of launch noise.
Read the full article for all of Tagg’s insights and to see the surprising data on Saturn V. vs. SLS.
🗞️ Aerospace News
Starship Flight 3 More Successful than Ever, Stunning Views of Hypersonic Entry
SpaceX continues to make steady progress with their Starship flight tests. The booster went unstable right before its landing burn, but Starship itself made it into orbit (actually a little less than orbit to test re-entry)! SpaceX got a bunch of cameras on Starship this time and, thanks to Starlink, we got some incredible views of re-entry. It’s almost like you can see the expansion fans and oblique shocks in the plasma.
Not all of the mission’s tests were conducted. SpaceX aborted the in-orbit Raptor engine re-light. This technology will be crucial for making this a truly reusable rocket, so let’s see how flight 4 goes!
Overall, the replay of the whole launch deserves a rewatch.
DARPA wants trains on the Moon?
DARPA, a section of the Department of Defense known for funding advanced research technology (and their epic Grand Challenges: DARPA Grand Challenge - Wikipedia), released a framework for down-the-line lunar infrastructure. Part of this funding went towards the folks at Northrop Grumman, to explore the idea of lunar railroads.
Northrop is looking into the costs, risks, technological challenges, etc. involved in such a project. It will also be making prototypes and performing analyses on what the full-scale project would look like. More robotics on the moon is always exciting, so good luck to Northrop Grumman on this project! Source.
A Big Grant for JPL and Caltech
JPL and Caltech just received a $100 million grant from Garry Brinson, an asset manager from Chicago. The grant's goal is to establish the Brinson Exploration Hub, allowing JPL/Caltech to take more risks and explore technologies faster than they normally would in a government setting. Brinson and Laurie Leshin, the Director of JPL, both mentioned the methodologies of new-space (fail and try again) as an alternative way of doing things. This grant should give JPL a chance to also try that style of engineering! Source.
👥 Personal Experiences
Can You Work in Aerospace in The United States as a Foreign National?
Working in the United States Aerospace industry as a foreign national comes with financial, bureaucratic, immigration, cultural, and personal challenges. Here’s some of Isaac’s advice on making it work:
Understand US regulations and how they impact foreign nationals (FNs)! FNs should be aware of regulatory regimes designed to safeguard US national security and economic well-being (e.g., ITAR and EAR). These impose additional challenges for employers hiring non-US persons. Be sure to focus on employers that are open to supporting FNs or projects that are not beholden to these regulations.
Consider an advanced degree to get your foot in the door. An academic or research-based pathway can skirt around some of these challenges. Many US-based graduate programs provide direct avenues into the US aerospace industry.
Think deeply about whether the US is right for you. Yes, the US generally has the largest aerospace industry in the world, but specific aerospace technologies might be better explored elsewhere. Focus on where your passions lie and what part of the world will support your aerospace journey best.
Read the full article for more details on entering the US aerospace industry as a FN:
🔗 Links to Resources: Internships
Contrary to popular belief, many internship opportunities are still open for the fall. We highly recommend not just applying online but reaching out to people on teams you’re interested in joining, either on LinkedIn or by email!
SpaceX Fall internships are listed here.
JPL’s year-round internship program can be applied for here.
Planet’s internships are listed here.
💬 Quote of the Week
“We ventured into the air without being sure we could ever get back to the earth.”
— Wilbur Wright
Thanks for reading The Overview—The Pioneering edition. Stay tuned to our newsletter for the latest aerospace news, advice, and technology. Feel free to reach out to us at admin@theoverview.org with feedback, news tips, or requests for topics you want to see in the future!
Stellar vibes,
Tagg, Anshuk, Maggie, Isaac