NASA Headquarters - SCaN Radio Frequency Spectrum Management Analyst - SIP

The NASA Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Program Office’s Spectrum Policy and Planning (SPP) Division, based at NASA Headquarters in Washington D.C., is responsible for strategically driving NASA’s radio frequency (RF) spectrum-related policy, and responding to regulatory and oversight actions within the context of the broader federal executive branch. This student internship affords an exciting and unique glimpse into how NASA leverages engineering expertise to promote responsible, efficient use and stewardship of the electromagnetic spectrum to secure access to RF spectrum needed to support NASA’s missions. RF spectrum is required by NASA for communications, navigation, remote sensing, and Center operations systems to enable current and future NASA space and terrestrial projects. To learn more about SPP, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/space-operations/space-communications-and-navigation-scan-program/spectrum/ 

The SCaN SPP Division is the delegated authority overseeing the RF spectrum usage by all missions and systems operated throughout NASA. The SPP Division is looking for a student intern to work on tasks related to the three major areas of specialization within spectrum: policy and regulatory actions; operations and management activities; and engineering and compatibility analyses. Tasks will be driven by the support required to meet major U.S., international, and SPP Division initiatives including: the U.S. spectrum priorities identified by, for example, Space Policy Directives and the 2023 National Spectrum Strategy, and others; activities leading up to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 2027 World Radiocommunication Conference; the development of a spectrum management and analysis framework for exploration activities in the lunar region; increased collaboration between NASA and private-sector space ventures; and the SPectrum Education AwaRenesS (SPEARS) initiative (https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/somd/space-communications-navigation-program/spears/).

The intern may be required to support technical and non-technical tasks, such as: operational and administrative activities for the SCaN SPP Division; the development of technical presentations and documents; software coding in MATLAB for modelling and simulation analyses to assess communications link performance or RF interference between systems; and maintenance of the Spectrum Policy and Regulatory Tracking System (SPoRTS) database used for tracking NASA’s analyses and comments on regulatory policies and proceedings. Project Task(s) will be determined based on SPP Division need, maturity of project(s) at the beginning of the internship session, and the intern’s specific knowledge, skills and professional interests. Potential Project Tasks may include the following: 

    • Spaceborne Remote Sensing Research 

    • Lunar Spectrum Management Support 

    • Interoperable Space Communications Framework Development Support 

    • National Spectrum Strategy Spectrum Pipeline Assessments 

    • Spectrum Policy and Regulatory Tracking System (SPoRTS) Support 

    • Spectrum Management Portal (SMP) and Knowledge Base Support 

Computer/Software Skills: 

Proficient with MS Office360, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Teams, and Access; familiarity with mathematical modeling languages such as MATLAB; C#; C++; Visual Studio; Python. 

Technical Skills: 

Solid background in electrical/electronics engineering, science (physics and chemistry), and mathematics (algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus).