Natasha Schatzman, an aerospace engineer at NASA’s Ames Research Center, shared her work designing a Mars vehicle during a Nov. 15 tutorial in the student center.
Over 20 students attended the event to listen to Schatzman’s research experience in college and NASA. The event was organized by senior Ruhan Periyacheri.
Schatzman graduated with a Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and PhD in aerospace engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Her main points of focus are in rotorcraft vertical flight aerodynamics and aeroacoustics, where she works with aircrafts to lower their noise pollution. Part of Schatzman’s work is also in outreach, working with high school and undergraduate researchers nationwide to develop their projects.
“I work to further develop and advance technologies,” Schatzman said during an interview with The Falcon. “We need to continue this progression by sharing our stories and inspiring others to continue working towards this goal to better the lives for all. This all starts with talking with the public and inspiring young minds.”
One unique aspect of her job that Schatzman pointed out is the interdisciplinary aspect of working with people in different specialties across the country. With the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Schatzman described the opportunities she had to collaborate with other locations including the Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.
“You get to collaborate with other people, and that interdisciplinary interaction allows you to build something and understand the reasoning behind it,” Schatzman said.
Currently, she is working with other scientists to design “Lily,” a planetary vehicle — with the ability to travel both on land and in the air — that can traverse the different terrains of ice on Mars.
“We’re not producing products for profit, but to expand technology, and we prioritize quality done with integrity,” Schatzman said during the presentation. “At NASA, you are part of something bigger than you, and you are progressing tech at the forefront.”
Schatzman also described the types of testing she does at JPL, with full-scale helicopters and a vertical motion simulator to design a Mars helicopter that would function in low pressure simulations. Specifically, her work includes testing the helicopter in a space simulator and processing the data to make sure that it will function correctly in space.
To high school seniors stepping into their next stage of life, Schatzman emphasized the importance of being proactive and involved with opportunities in college, as it had helped her land an internship with NASA.
“[When applying for colleges,] look into undergrad research opportunities with professors. Just by being in the labs, you gain experience by being around graduate students,” Schatzman said during the presentation.
To help engineers gain practical design experience, Schatzman has been developing software that can design a helicopter. She plans to put the software on NASA’s distribution website so it is accessible to high school and undergraduate students.
Senior Julius Zhou, who plans to major in electrical computer engineering, said Schatzman’s presentation opened his eyes to new areas of industry that he did not know about before.
“I think she had a lot of good insight in showing people what actually happens in industry and what NASA specifically has to offer,” Zhou said.
From the presentation, Schatzman hoped to encourage students to feel more confident in entering a STEM field.
“It is my passion to ensure I transfer my enthusiasm for STEM,” Schatzman said during an interview with The Falcon. “I presented some of the great projects I get to work on, but also made sure to be vulnerable so others would not feel intimidated to pursue engineering, and that they too could tackle difficult problems with integrity and enthusiasm.”
