I spoke to Allison about the changes made here, and they largely include expanding on my backup plan

 

Essential questions:

• What are the different design elements of a plane?
  • Has it changed over time?
    What about jet engines? How did that change the design of planes?
  • How are those designs different from a spacecraft design?
    • Are there any commonalities?
• What is it like to fly those aircraft?

Plan Ideas:

My idea was to pursue an internship (or volunteer) at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space museum. This would have me working right alongside one of the best collections of aircraft in the entire world, while also giving me the unique opportunity to work alongside a space shuttle. Simultaneously, I could look into taking online courses such as 16.88x (which is an online class from MIT focusing on the design of the Space Shuttle), or other similar online courses, which will allow me to gain a greater depth of knowledge in the subject. These studies, partnered with the ability to spend everyday around aircraft, will add a new dimension to my understanding of aerospace engineering, and no doubt prepare me for college level studies on the subject.

 

In the event that interning at the Intrepid is impossible (because of quarantine, or any other reason), I could adapt my plan to instead focus more on the online aspects I discussed above. This would mean taking more online classes on engineering and maybe some on aerospace history. In addition to this, I could spend time interviewing and interacting with engineers both in the LREI community (including alumni) and my own community including friends and family. I could also reach out to the National Guard and Militia Museum of New Jersey (a small local museum located about a mile from my beach house in Bradley Beach) where I could both interview veterans who actually flew, as well as volunteer some time if possible (the museum received major damage from hurricane Sandy that it still has not fully recovered from, and has a massive collection of equipment and vehicles that need to be cleaned/sorted).

 

Feasibility questions:

• How does volunteering or an internship actually work at the Intrepid?
• Have they been able to take new volunteers during the pandemic?
• If in the spring the situation were similar to as it is now, would they still be open (as of right now, the museum is open on Friday through Sunday).
• If the Intrepid is not a viable option, are there other alternative museums, either near me in nyc or near me in Bradley Beach, NJ.