Students Success Stories
Vimal B. Gopal
Major: Computer Engineering
Co-op/Intern Employer :
NASA Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL),
California Institute of Technology
Location: Pasadena, CA
How did you find your co-op position?
It has been a life long dream of mine to work at JPL. There are many amazing projects being worked on including Mars Rovers, Jupiter Moon Orbiters and Submarines and other robotic devices to explore our solar system. I directly contacted the hiring manager that was involved with the project that I was interested in, the Deep Space Network (DSN). The DSN is the communications system that allows Earth to communicate to the various deep spacecraft around the solar system. It is the most powerful wireless communications system in the world.
After contacting JPL, I had a few phone interviews, and I was hired as one of the first co-ops from the University of Maryland !
What were some exciting projects you had the opportunity to work on at your co-op?
I'm not sure even where to begin! There were so many exciting opportunities during my time at JPL. I took weekly trips to the middle of the Mojave Desert to test our software. I was in control of 70 meter dishes and radiated signals at 400 KW to deep spacecraft like the Mars rovers, Cassini Saturn Orbiter and even Voyager. Working with Cassini and MER was incredible. I was essentially responsible for making sure that the software was acting properly during these tracks. One slip and a multi-billion dollar mission would go down the drain. Talking to Voyager, a spacecraft that was launched before I was born and is somewhere passed Pluto, was also incredible. It's definitely a great feeling when you know that the systems you worked on are being used everyday to talk to various spacecraft around the solar system.
Because JPL is part of Caltech, co-ops were able to attend lectures and seminars by several notable researchers and JPL would provide us free food! We took trips around California and even witnessed the launch of SpaceShipOne, the first commercially launched spacecraft. Many of my fellow co-ops took trips internationally, too. One funny story: In order to test proper uplink radiation of command data, we had to send "fake" data out the horn of the dish into space. The data is sent through a translator and received at our downlink receivers to match with what was sent up to see if the transmission was successful. Instead of sending random data, I would send out messages like my name and other humorous messages like, "Greetings aliens!" or "Make Earth your next vacation destination!" It's funny to think that the messages I sent out are still traveling at the speed of light to various locations around the universe.
How did you find housing if your position was out of the DC metro area?
Caltech set me up in a hotel for a week. I used this time to find apartments in the area. It was difficult getting accustomed to the new environment at first, but if I were to do it again, it'd be a piece of cake. It was a great learning experience!
What advice would you give to other engineering students seeking a co-op or internship?
The major concern most students have about doing a co-op is that it will offset their graduation. This is a legitimate concern, and I had the same reservations. However, the experience was incredibly worthwhile and highly rewarding. I wouldn't trade it for anything! The experience you gain, the contacts you make and the fun you have is a nice change of pace from coursework, and it's something you really cannot place a value on. Also, if you're a struggling engineering undergraduate student with a not-so-great GPA, don't be discouraged! I was in your shoes. Take initiative to contact employers and communicate your enthusiasm and motivation to learn.
How has your experience enhanced your academic experience and/or shaped your career goals?
I gained an incredible amount of knowledge in communications systems, microwave wireless transmission and software development. My coursework at UMD prepared me for my experience at JPL. I was able to bring some fresh suggestions and new input to projects that needed them. The co-op position solidified my love for engineering and my passion for digital electronics. When I came back to school, my coursework seemed to be easier, since I had seen many of the theory put into practice at the DSN. At the end of my co-op, I received the NASA Group Achievement Award signed and dated by the NASA administrator himself (at the time Sean O'Keefe), and I also secured a full-time position at JPL after graduation.
