Nina A
- Research Program Mentor

MEng at Princeton University

Expertise

mechanical/aerospace engineering, materials science, spacecraft, rockets

Bio

I am a Manufacturing Engineer in Northrop Grumman's Future Technical Leaders (FTL) program. In my current role, I lead internal R&D efforts related to additive manufacturing, collaborative automation, and manufacturing simulations. Previously, I was a Mission Assurance lead for a product line of small satellites. My role involved coordinating with all subsystems throughout the program lifecycle, and my team helped make sure things ran smoothly and jumped in when things went wrong. In May 2022, I completed a master's degree in the mechanical and aerospace engineering department at Princeton University. My research, with the Space Physics Lab, focused on thin carbon foils that will be used in sensors on the IMAP mission to study the sun. I have experience with aerospace engineering and materials science, and I aim to use space to help improve lives on Earth. Since high school, I have been involved with STEM outreach and tutoring. In college, this was primarily through space-related workshops and presentations, along with rocket launches. I also mentored several underclassmen and tutored through volunteer organizations. Beyond that, I play percussion in concert bands and enjoy watching sports.

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Would It Survive In Space?

In this project, you will learn about some of the engineering challenges involved with designing spacecraft. Depending on your interests, there are many different directions that you can take this. For example, there is the mechanical aspect, where components and materials have to survive temperature changes and other hazards that impact the surface or structural integrity. There are also electronics, which can involve sensors that help control the spacecraft but are susceptible to radiation damage. It can also be mission-driven, where you focus on what you want the spacecraft to do and determine how it can succeed.

Coding skills

MATLAB, Python, STK, Arduino, Java

Languages I know

intermediate French

Teaching experience

I have tutored and mentored in a range of STEM subjects since high school, including 4 Polygence projects and several Pathfinders and Launchpad students.