VILLANOVA ENGINEERS SHOOT FOR THE STARS

illanova’s College of Engineering has a long and storied history with the aerospace industry, Vand the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), in particular. First Strides Leading Today’s Flights Fueling the Passion NASA was only a few years old when Following in the footsteps of the Beginning next fall, Villanova’s Villanova Mechanical Engineering College’s first NASA pioneers, dozens College of Engineering will offer a graduate James “Jim” Correale ’44 of Villanova Engineers have interned, new Aerospace minor to introduce moved from Philadelphia to Texas to conducted research and held a variety contemporary topics in aerospace work on the agency’s spacesuits and of positions with the agency. Brian T. engineering to undergraduate life-support equipment. His impressive Smith ’93 EE began his career as a students. “The goal of this minor is career included determining how to flight controller at The Johnson Space to broaden their knowledge in this remove carbon dioxide from the air Center in 1998. In 2005, he was area and to provide them with the that enveloped the astronauts in the selected as one of nine new mission in-depth training necessary to enter tiny Apollo 13 spaceship in 1970. In control flight directors, and by 2008, the specialized aerospace field,” says 1979, he retired having served as chief he was leading his first flight. Smith Mechanical Engineering Associate of the NASA Crew Systems Division. led a variety of missions over the next Professor Ani Ural, PhD, who, as six years for which he earned NASA curriculum chair, helped make the Though he never worked for Correale, medals for leadership, service new program a reality. The minor Tom Sanzone ’68 EE began his and achievement. will consist of 27 credits, including NASA career in that same division. required courses in Elements of Assigned to The Johnson Space Smith’s current mission is the Bigelow Aerodynamics and Aerospace Vehicle Center in Houston, Sanzone worked Aerospace Expandable Module Andy Allen ’77 ME met with intern Design. A variety of electives include for Hamilton Sundstrand (now (BEAM), and he has spent most of Samantha Testa ’16 ME. She recalls, Compressible Fluid Flow, Introduction United Technologies Corp. Aerospace his time working on the module’s “Despite his busy schedule, he found to Finite Elements, Flight Dynamics, time to meet with me; what was Systems) and trained Neil Armstrong deployment, a first for the ISS. Orbital Mechanics, Fiber Composite scheduled as a 30-minute meeting and other Apollo astronauts in the use quickly turned into two hours of Structures and more. of the company’s Portable Life Support astronaut advice and chit chat.” System backpack worn on the moon. Sanzone became engineering manager recognizes this will be no easy feat. for the company’s spacesuit, after In 2015, NASA received a record which he served as general manager of 18,000-plus applications from which the Houston office for 22 years until they will select 14 for the coveted “WORKING retiring in 2011. During his 43-year position. FOR NASA” career, Sanzone was awarded NASA’s by Brian T. Smith ’93 EE, Another student who feels NASA’s Exceptional Public Service medal. NASA lead flight director Today, he is a member of the Villanova pull is John Paul Naughton ’18 ME who has held two summer internships University Alumni Association First, and most importantly, Board of Directors and has been at Ames Research Center. In find something you really instrumental in connecting current December 2015, Naughton connected enjoy doing. Look into and recent Villanova engineers with a family friend who works on NASA field centers to with opportunities in the the research center’s lunar plant aerospace industry. Brian T. Smith ’93 EE in NASA’s project. The need to test a project- learn what they specialize Mission Control Center during the related irrigation system’s feasibility in and decide which Orb-1 Cygnus mission to ISS. In 1977, Villanova’s College of for use on the moon led to Naughton’s areas match most closely Engineering graduated its first future experience on the so-called what you enjoy doing. astronaut, Mechanical Engineering Faces of Tomorrow “Vomit Comet.” Explore opportunities with major Andrew “Andy” Allen. Allen The allure of space exploration both NASA and NASA spent 10 years at NASA, during continues to call to Villanova As part of the Ames team, Naughton contractors. There are students. Samantha Testa ’16 ME is which time he conducted three space took a 2.5-hour parabolic flight on pros and cons to both. pursuing a Villanova master’s degree which he helped test the pump’s flights, logging 900 hours on the Work hard in school, in Mechanical Engineering through effectiveness in the moon’s gravity. space shuttles Atlantis and Columbia. and participate in extra- Allen also served as director of the the College’s E-Learning program, curricular and volunteer International Space Station (ISS) while working full time this summer as activities. NASA attracts Program in Washington, D.C. Today, a Pathways Co-op at Kennedy Space the best and brightest. he is CEO of Aerodyne Industries Center. This is Testa’s third summer LLC, and the project manager for the with NASA; she is an Engineer in Prepare for the competition Test and Operations Support Contract Training with the Structures and by excelling in all you do at at Kennedy Space Center. Mechanisms Design Group in Ground Villanova and be confident Systems Development and Operations. that Villanova has prepared you to stand among the Testa acknowledges the Villanova best in the country. connections that have led her to NASA, “Tom Sanzone has been invaluable to me as a mentor and has helped me make connections in the NASA community.” In addition to the support she has found in Sanzone, John Paul Naughton ’18 ME represents Testa worked closely with Villanova Villanova in weightlessness on the Mechanical Engineering Professor so-called “vomit comet.” Sridhar Santhanam, PhD, as the experimentation lead on a NASA “As the flight reaches its maximum launch pad refractory material project. height and makes its way down, that’s when you experience a brief period After the co-op program, Testa hopes of weightlessness, about 30 seconds,” for a full-time position in structures he explains. Naughton is applying Neil Armstrong and Tom Sanzone and mechanisms, “potentially for another internship at the Ames ’68 EE in 2004. followed by training astronauts at The Research Center in the hopes of Johnson Space Center, and ultimately expanding his experience and skillset. becoming an astronaut myself.” She His goal is to become a Navy pilot.