About the role#
This internship at NASA Ames Research Center focuses on the intersection of autonomous robotics, regenerative agriculture, and closed-loop life support systems. You will work on research, simulation, and hardware-software integration for autonomous food forests and automated plant tissue reproduction. The project explores how perennial agroforestry systems and tissue culture can be managed by autonomous ground systems for long-duration space missions and habitat development.
What you'll do#
- Develop and test waypoint navigation, sensor suites, and control architectures for autonomous agricultural robotics.
- Investigate automated propagation techniques for high-utility perennial crops and tissue-culture lines.
- Model food forest growth stages, canopy development, and robotic operations using 3D simulation tools.
- Maintain experiment logs and analyze telemetry data from automated agricultural trials.
- Integrate research findings into technical documentation.
- Participate in team design reviews and collaborate with engineers.
- Prepare visual simulation deliverables and technical poster presentations.
What you'll need#
- Enrollment in an undergraduate or graduate program in Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Plant Biology, Agronomy, Bioengineering, or a related field.
- Interest or project experience in robotics, autonomous navigation, or edge computing.
- Interest or project experience in controlled environment agriculture, plant tissue culture, or hydroponic and aeroponic systems.
- Interest or project experience in 3D modeling, rendering, or simulation pipelines.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to work independently and within a multidisciplinary team.
- Experience with microcontroller programming like ArduPilot, Pixhawk, or Arduino, or CAN-bus communication.
- Familiarity with OpenUSD or NVIDIA Omniverse.
- Exposure to closed ecological life support systems or agricultural automation research.
Location & details#
- Location: Moffett Field, California.
- Term: Summer 2027 (June 7, 2027 to August 13, 2027).
- Modality: On-site.
- Employment: Full-time.
- Citizenship: US Citizen only.
- Compensation: This position is unpaid.
About NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is a government agency founded in 1958. It conducts research and development in aeronautics, space exploration, and science. The organization operates from various locations across the United States, including its headquarters in Washington, DC. With over 53,000 employees, it manages missions involving rockets, spacecraft, and Earth observation.
How to get in at NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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