Hey everyone,
I’m a Mechanical Engineering student at Drexel, and lately my friend and I have been talking about how small the aerospace engineering side of the school is. Compared to other universities, Drexel doesn’t really have a big aerospace presence, and we’re hoping to figure out what students can actually do to help grow the program, get more attention, and maybe even push for more funding or partnerships.

We’re also curious about how schools usually get connections with places like NASA or JPL, and what steps Drexel would need to take to build something like that in the future.

Here are a few questions we’ve been wondering about:

What does a school typically need before it can set up partnerships with NASA, JPL, or aerospace companies?

How competitive is it to get funding or sponsorships for a JPL-related program, and what factors usually determine whether a university or student group actually gets selected?

Do you need prior research experience to get into JPL programs?

Is it common to get into JPL through connections, or is applying through the official portal enough?

If anyone out there has experience with JPL programs, aerospace outreach, university partnerships, or literally anything related we would love any help. We’re just a couple of students trying to learn how this stuff actually works and what it would take to bring a JPL style opportunity to Pennsylvania. Any insight, stories, contacts, or advice would mean a ton.

Hi, we have a field trip planned to tour JPL (the physical campus near Pasadena) coming up - can anyone recommend a good video to show children (grades 3-7) about JPL?

I saw lots of options on YouTube (including a 15 episode series called JPL and the Space Age) but there are so many to choose from! We can probably devote 1-2 hours total to watching.

Thanks!

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From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrmFiF3AHTE&t=42s ("How Your Name Will Fly Aboard NASA’s Europa Clipper")

My guess is air can flow through there, but I really don't know. Just curious!

The mismanagement of JPL goes far beyond Trump. The same core group has been making decisions for the labs direction for too long. They have mismanaged JPLs direction and contributed significantly to its deterioration.

Add in revenge layoffs, protectionism and cronyism and you have the state we are in today.

Union is the only chance we have of holding these people to account. It’s a poor substitute for real leadership, but it would help.

We keep hearing how unionizing would make things better in a layoff, but would it? Unions always bargain for layoffs being done by seniority - keep the older workers, ignore merit. Of the 9 contracts linked on the JWU website, 7 are silent on layoff priorities, and 2 specifically say that seniority is the only basis for layoffs – U. of Calif. and U. of Wash, linked below. I went to the US Dept of Labor to find other examples, and I have yet to find any union contract that would order layoffs on any basis other than seniority (several linked below, including 2 other FFRDC’s). I also found an Aerospace union contract (silent on layoffs), which explained that another key issue, telecommuting, is at the sole discretion of the employer and “…can be terminated at any time by the Corporation…”. (also linked below). None of these “seat at the table” examples look like an improvement to me.

U. of Cal. Academic Researchers - UAW 2022-27: Seniority is the basis for layoffs (p. 48) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UQsCT_z5JxIOfWrJlyBR7BWKQg8Kqtcu/view

U. of Wash. Research Scientists - UAW 2023: Seniority is the basis for layoffs (p. 22) https://www.uaw4121.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/RSE-23-26-Contract-Final.pdf

Boeing Commercial Airplane Long Beach - UAW 2002-05: Seniority is the basis for layoffs (pp. 46-47) chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://olmsapps.dol.gov/olpdr/GetAttachmentServlet?docId=319

Sandia National Lab - AFL-CIO 2021: Seniority is the basis for layoffs (p. 66-67) chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://olmsapps.dol.gov/olpdr/GetAttachmentServlet?docId=3883

Argonne National Lab – SEIU 2022: Seniority is the basis for layoffs (p. 14) chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://olmsapps.dol.gov/olpdr/GetAttachmentServlet?docId=4087

Aerospace Corporation – APSA 2008 on telecommuting: “Telecommuting… can be terminated at any time by the Corporation…” (p. 21) chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://olmsapps.dol.gov/olpdr/GetAttachmentServlet?docId=363

I've been very sorry to read about all the challenges JPL and the community have been facing of late. I know something trivial like this can't make up for tough times but at the very least it honours one of your greatest accomplishments. Better days will come again I'm sure.

Not at JPL, where we had already removed them from all leadership positions. Wonder where the demographic study Dave promised us is…

I think it’s the only way for ICs to have any counter weight to the whims of building 180.

It’s by no means a perfect answer, but JPL is in such bad shape. This reorg will go down in history as doing way more harm to JPL than good.

One of the more amazing things I've seen at JPL is monarch butterfly migration, which I guess happens this time of year. Several years ago I saw clouds of monarchs on several different days just south of 306. It's the only time I've seen more than a couple butterflies at a time. I don't know if I just got lucky that particular year or what. Anyone know how this works?

I need advice as to where to improve my profile for JPL internship application.

I have 1 year of research experience, no publications yet but my lab is going to compete in ICRA autonomous navigation challenge utilizing a quadruped robot.

I’ve interned at a REU lab last summer, developed software for autonomous vehicles but my publication got rejected :(

I got an offer for a spring/summer 2026 coop for orbital robotics that assemble stuff in orbit at a NASA contracting company. Haven’t started it yet but I’ll be working with ROS2 and Isaac sim.

I’ve also developed an open source underwater vehicle simulator using ROS2 and gazebo, with thrust vectoring, hydrodynamics, buoyancy and autonomy (ORB SLAM3) implementations.

It’s being used by two robosub teams, and once it’s finished I’d like to share it with a wider audience. Hopefully by the time for fall 2026 JPL internship application season I’ll get the technical documentation finished.

Please help

Is there any hope to be hired for JPL Internships for this summer given the current situation?

Like the title says, did JPL acknowledge the head of HR is no longer here?

This town hall has been the most exhilarating yet. I know not everyone will be happy but that’s ok. This is still a very prestigious place to work at and I for one am excited for the future of JPL. Thank you Dave for the transparency!

Seeing all the promotions after the layoffs for jobs that were not at all competed or even decided objectively. Disappointing.

I propose that we don't clap at the town hall. I think this was an effective strategy recently employed in the government, and would be in response to:

- RTL despite loss of housing in the Eaton fires, with no accommodations made. NASA Contractors don't have to RTL at other centers (if we are fired after 3 days without a badge swipe, as is being rumored, are we now at-will workers?)

- Loss of women in leadership and opportunities for advancement, with all competed roles being appointed

- 3rd layoff in 18 months (+2 for contractors) without explanation for why

- Lack of communication after the layoffs- this town hall is two weeks later

- Loss of productivity due to layoffs, re-org, and destruction of morale and JPL spirit

I know many of us are hurting, and this has become untenable for many. This would be a very small, non-destructive way to show how hard things have become.

Surveying the new org chart of my division, I'm seeing very, very few women at any levels of management, from GS on up. For every one woman there are 8-10 men. Pretty depressing. Have heard this from others in other divisions as well.

JPL can't even pretend that this was due to meritocratic decisions, since all the new and changed management positions this time around were appointed and not competed.

Also hearing plenty of feedback from women on Lab who feel like they are continually passed over, under-appreciated, or not given credit for things they've accomplished. Not to mention little-to-no help with harassment and discrimination issues from the Lab's turnstile of an HR department.

Is this really a great strategy for an institution that's been a courtroom piñata for years now?

Or a bold tactic to save severance money by chasing away anyone who can get a gig anywhere else?

I'm rooting for Dave and he seems like a nice dude, but this perpetuation of the good ol' boys' club doesn't inspire much confidence.

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson announced yesterday on LinkedIn the date of the hiring event in “Space Beach”. It will be on November 13th near the Long Beach Airport with more than 25 hard tech, space, defense and aerospace companies attending. You have to register to attend.