Austin Peay engineering physics student selected for NASA internship to pursue astronaut dreams
(Posted on Monday, May 1, 2023)
Ethan Moss, an engineering physics major at Austin Peay State University, has been selected to join the Pathways Internship Program at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
The program is an intensive cooperative internship that spans three nonconsecutive semesters. Moss will begin his first work tour this fall semester.
Moss has big dreams of becoming an astronaut and plans to apply for NASA’s astronaut program once he completes his master’s degree. He said he is excited to learn and gain valuable experiences during his internship.
“It’s always been a dream to work for NASA,” Moss said. “I can’t imagine everything that we’re going to learn. I’m going to take it with me everywhere and use it in my tool belt.”
‘We just applied for it’
One of Moss’ professors – Dr. Emmabeth Vaughn in the Department of Physics, Engineering and Astronomy – suggested that he apply for any internship that he could.
“My wife and I, we found the Pathways internship, and we just applied for it,” he said.
Moss joined the Army after high school and served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He then became a deputy with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, spending five years of that time on patrol while earning a bachelor’s degree in management and human resources.
During the COVID-19 shutdown, he and his wife discussed a new path – pursuing physics, engineering and his ultimate dream of becoming an astronaut.
He hopes the Pathways program will be a step toward that dream.
“When I get my master’s degree [and then a doctorate], I’m going to apply to the astronaut program,” Moss said. “I want to go eat moon cheese. I want to go to Mars.”
He credited his instructors at Austin Peay for preparing him for the internship – especially Vaughn and math professor Dr. Nell Rayburn.
“Thank God for their patience. That’s all I have to say.”
But Moss’ drive to become an astronaut helps too.
“It’s a promise to myself – to try and keep going, and I want to be a decent example for my kids too,” he said about his two sons, ages 11 and 9.
What is the Pathways program?
The Pathways Internship Program provides undergraduate students with an opportunity to work alongside NASA while being evaluated throughout their work tours. At the end of the program, NASA determines if an intern is fit for an open position within the agency.
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