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NASA has highlighted how Johnson Space Center engineer Daniel Cohen mentors Rice University intern Malvika Bhardwaj, who is working on analysis tools and simulations for the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle. The NASA feature describes her internship and Cohen’s weekly instruction; it does not announce a new program or a change to the vehicle’s plans.
NASA has profiled how Johnson Space Center engineer Daniel Cohen mentors Rice University student Malvika Bhardwaj, whose internship includes building tools to analyze thruster firings and test control-system simulations for the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle. The agency’s feature, published for National Mentoring Day on Oct. 27, presents the work as both a technical contribution to planning for the International Space Station’s eventual deorbit and an example of how NASA internships give students practical experience with agency projects.
Bhardwaj studies computational and applied mathematics at Rice and interns with Johnson’s Guidance, Navigation & Control team. NASA says the team works on how spacecraft determine their positions and maneuver in orbit. In her internship, Bhardwaj is developing tools to analyze the deorbit vehicle’s thruster firings and using computer simulations to test its control system, including identifying conditions under which the system could fail.
Cohen sets aside a couple of hours each week to teach interns subjects such as orbital mechanics and control systems, NASA reports. He also introduced Bhardwaj to colleagues and included her in meetings and team discussions. She said that support helped her see how work is shared across a project, rather than treated as an individual effort. She described completing analysis tools from scratch as a particularly rewarding part of her internship.
The NASA account says Cohen is involved in simulations and models for studies of the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle, analysis of its control algorithms and navigation performance, and evaluation of SpaceX’s design at multiple life-cycle reviews. His work also includes analyzing settings for the Orion spacecraft’s docking camera, which produces positioning measurements that may inform navigation during future Artemis rendezvous activities.
Intern Work Connects to ISS Disposal
The internship offers a concrete example of students contributing to technical work connected to a major future spaceflight task. NASA plans to use the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle to safely bring the International Space Station out of orbit at the end of its operational life. Bhardwaj’s analysis and simulations are part of work supporting studies of that vehicle; NASA’s feature does not say her tools alone determine the vehicle’s design or its flight readiness.
The story also shows how mentorship can help interns understand the broader purpose of specialized engineering. Bhardwaj said that working with people in outreach, social media and digital design expanded her view of the range of STEM roles at NASA. That matters to prospective applicants because an agency project can involve technical disciplines and collaboration across different kinds of expertise. The report offers an individual example, not data on the outcomes of NASA’s internship program as a whole.
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From Intern to Johnson Engineer
Cohen’s own route to a full-time role at Johnson began with internships. NASA says the Rice alumnus, who has a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, started as a flight operations intern in 2020. He later interned in docking dynamics, propulsion systems and GN&C analysis before joining Johnson as a full-time engineer in August 2024.
The feature situates his mentoring alongside his current engineering responsibilities. Cohen’s work includes evaluating SpaceX’s U.S. Deorbit Vehicle design at multiple life-cycle reviews, according to NASA. The source does not provide the dates or findings of those reviews. It also describes NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement as supporting internships in which students contribute to agency projects while gaining technical skills and hands-on experience.
Bhardwaj asked Cohen whether he had time to continue teaching interns given his workload. NASA reports that he replied, “You decide what’s important.” She took the answer as a reminder that how people allocate time reflects what they value. The account is framed around mentoring rather than a newly announced NASA policy or program.
Project Milestones Remain Unspecified
NASA’s feature does not state when Bhardwaj’s internship ends, how her analysis tools will be incorporated into the vehicle’s engineering process, or whether they have been independently validated. It gives no technical results from her simulations and does not detail the conditions identified as possible control-system failure cases.
The report also does not specify the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle’s current design status, the outcomes of the life-cycle reviews, or a schedule for the vehicle’s development and use. The work described is presented as part of ongoing studies, not as a completed vehicle test or a new operational decision. NASA’s account focuses on one intern and one mentor, so it does not establish how representative their experience is of internships across the agency.
Internship Work Continues Alongside Reviews
NASA says Cohen’s engineering work includes continued modeling, control-system analysis and evaluation of the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle design at life-cycle reviews. Bhardwaj’s described tasks are to develop analysis tools and use simulations to test control-system behavior. The feature does not announce a date for a project milestone, a public release of her tools, or a next step in the internship.
For students considering similar placements, Bhardwaj’s advice is to apply even if they do not feel fully prepared, because much of the learning happens on the job. Further details about the vehicle’s engineering schedule or the internship program’s broader outcomes would need to come from later NASA updates.
Key Questions
What is Malvika Bhardwaj working on at NASA?
NASA says the Rice University intern is developing tools to analyze thruster firings on the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle and using simulations to test its control system and identify conditions under which it could fail.
Who is mentoring Bhardwaj?
Daniel Cohen, a Guidance, Navigation & Control engineer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, mentors Bhardwaj and sets aside a couple of hours each week to teach interns topics including orbital mechanics and control systems.
What is the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle for?
NASA describes it as the vehicle intended to help safely deorbit the International Space Station at the end of its operational life. The feature does not give a development schedule or report a completed test.
Does NASA’s report announce a new internship program?
No. The article is a feature about one mentor and one intern, published for National Mentoring Day. It describes NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement internships but does not announce a new program or policy.
What does NASA say students can learn from the internship?
Bhardwaj said the experience taught her about technical problem-solving, teamwork and the range of roles involved in STEM work. She encouraged students to apply even if they do not feel fully prepared.
Source: nasa.gov
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