Seven CU Boulder students selected for esteemed NASA internship program

On Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, CU Boulder announced the NASA internship selections. Seven CU students were chosen for the renowned government agency’s pathways program where the students will intern and choose what launch path they want to pursue, based on their interests and which space research center they choose to intern at.

The internship consists of three stints at the research facility of student’s choice, one session in the summer and two separate sessions during different semesters. 

According to Aaditya Pore, one of the students selected, there are multiple operations to choose from, ranging from working behind the scenes on rocket launches to coordinating missions to Mars or the Moon. 

Pore, a sophomore studying aerospace engineering at CU Boulder, says that this internship is a “dream” for him and has selected the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

“I’ve been set on aerospace since I was pretty much five years old. Everything about space captivated me, it’s been a dream of mine to work for NASA and just being able to fulfill that alone is extremely amazing,” he said. 

While these internships are a dream come true for those selected, it’s a real moonshot in the dark to apply given that under five percent of applicants are chosen each year out of around 25,000 applications. 

“I wasn’t anticipating being able to join a program that is so prestigious and essentially setting me up for my entire career,” he said. Pore has good reason to be excited, given that most pathway internships also lead to a job offer at NASA after graduation. 

“I’ve really enjoyed the last two weeks being able to see all the new things that are happening and the science behind what has really interested me for a long time.”