Science of Space Weather and Forecasting Summer Internship

(Summer NASA internship at Goddard Space Flight Center)

2017 Internship application is closed. Please check this webpage in December 2017 for the summer 2018 internship.

Note that NASA OSSI internships are open to US citizens only.

This paid NASA summer internship is a unique opportunity for freshman and sophomore college students with physics and astronomy backgrounds to gain knowledge and experience in space weather science and forecasting of the solar storms while interning at the Goddard Space Flight Center.

After thorough training in the basics of the science of space weather and in operational forecasting procedures, interns train to analyze and predict space weather events to safeguard NASA assets from the adverse effects of space weather. Interns work as a group under the supervision of professional space weather scientist and forecasters, eventually learning to predict solar storms in real time. The internship fosters interns’ interest and involvement in research related to space weather and their decision-making skills.

Preference will be given to applicants interested in further part-time paid forecasting activities during the following year: summer interns successfully completing the summer internship and certified as entry level space weather forecasters may be eligible for a follow-on paid year-around forecasting internship (8-16 hours per week, including some evening and weekend shifts), with an option to work remotely. After the successful completion of eight months of forecaster duties students may be offered the opportunity to combine space weather operations with space weather/space science research and/or to participate in summer training of future student interns.

Interns are expected to participate in the Space Weather Bootcamp weeks 1 and 2. Internship outcome: Interns will become independent space weather forecasters. They gain knowledge about the solar system and impact of the solar storms on the earth's environment and society. Decision-making skills and knowledge acquired during the program will be beneficial to any future career pursuit.

If interested, interns can further pursue space weather related scientific research.

In 2015, five undergrads from US colleges attended the summer REDI internship, training as certified space weather forecasters