Caleb Christianson, a JPL intern and NanoEngineering Ph.D. student, takes over the Jacobs School's Instagram for a day

Summer interns from UC San Diego. These students represent multiple majores, including computer science and engineering, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, environmental engineering, nanoengineering, and Earth sciences.

From left to right: Diana Alsindy, Christian Gutierrez, Hannah Munguia, David Ruble, Neil Chandiramani, Nicholas Lopez, Annie Chen, Nolan Fewell, Kyle Mirzakhanian, Rahul Palamuttam, Matt Epperson, Leon Cheung, and Caleb Christianson. 

Nanoengineering Ph.D. student Caleb Christianson took over the Jacobs School Instagram account (@ucsandiegoengineering) yesterday, August 10, to give us a preview of what it's like to be a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory intern designing and robot that can hover above asteroids! In case you missed it, here's a recap:

Good morning! My name is Caleb Christianson and I'm taking over the Jacobs School Instagram account today. I'm a nanoengineering PhD student working with Michael Tolley on bioinspired robotics. This summer I've been working at JPL on designing and simulating a space robot that can hover above asteroids and moons using electrostatic repulsion. Today I'm going to be sharing a behind-the-scenes look at some of the cool stuff that you get to see as a JPL intern. Let me know if you have any questions! #JPLInternTakeover

A photo posted by UC San Diego Engineering (@ucsandiegoengineering) on Aug 10, 2016 at 10:02am PDT

One of the things that surprised me the most is the atmosphere at JPL. Part NASA center and part college (Caltech) campus gives JPL a relaxed, collaborative vibe. There are a couple of Starbucks coffee carts around the lab, including one here on "The Mall". Enjoy a cup of coffee in the shade while discussing space and/or robots with some of the brightest minds in the galaxy. #JPLInternTakeover

A photo posted by UC San Diego Engineering (@ucsandiegoengineering) on Aug 10, 2016 at 10:48am PDT

In the lobby of the administration building is a scale model of the Mars Science Laboratory (aka Curiosity) and "The Pulse". The pulse is a visual display of live communication between JPL and 30+ interplanetary spacecraft through the Deep Space Network. The name of the mission scrolls by first, and then upwards and downwards streams of light shows whether data is being sent or received, respectively. The activity of the lights corresponds to the volume of data transmitted. #JPLInternTakeover

A photo posted by UC San Diego Engineering (@ucsandiegoengineering) on Aug 10, 2016 at 11:20am PDT

#JPLInternTakeover

A video posted by UC San Diego Engineering (@ucsandiegoengineering) on Aug 10, 2016 at 11:20am PDT

UCSD JPL interns represent! #SelfieStyle #JPLInternTakeover

A photo posted by UC San Diego Engineering (@ucsandiegoengineering) on Aug 10, 2016 at 1:41pm PDT

This is the In-situ Instruments Laboratory, where landers and rovers are tested in a simulated Mars environment. Right now a Mars Exploration Rover and InSight are hanging out, ready for testing. #JPLInternTakeover

A photo posted by UC San Diego Engineering (@ucsandiegoengineering) on Aug 10, 2016 at 3:38pm PDT

Adam Steltzner, aka NASA Elvis and chief engineer of Mars2020, giving a seminar on his 25 years at JPL to a standing room only house. #JPLInternTakeover

A photo posted by UC San Diego Engineering (@ucsandiegoengineering) on Aug 10, 2016 at 4:07pm PDT

The Mars Yard, where Mars rovers can be tested outdoors in a simulated Mars environment - drive up simulated Mars sand, roll over fake Mars rocks, etc. As close as you can get to Mars while still on Earth. On the left is the home of MAGGIE, the Curiosity engineering model. In the center (in the sandbox) is Scarecrow, Curiosity's Mars mass equivalent rover. A model of the Mars2020 rover is on the right. #JPLInternTakeover

A photo posted by UC San Diego Engineering (@ucsandiegoengineering) on Aug 10, 2016 at 6:05pm PDT

Leaving you all tonight with a photo from mission control. All of the data from the deep space network comes through this room. Called the "Center of the Universe," it sends and receives data from the 30+ NASA missions. Signing off for today but it's been a blast. If you have any questions, ask in the comments. Have a great night! #JPLInternTakeover

A photo posted by UC San Diego Engineering (@ucsandiegoengineering) on Aug 10, 2016 at 8:03pm PDT

Here is more about the project Caleb worked on this summer, via JPL's newsletter:

Glide, don't land, to study an asteroid

There's intense interest in studying asteroids, but the challenge is getting near them. There isn't enough gravity or atmosphere to allow a spacecraft to touch down without ricocheting off the surface.

But why land when you can glide? JPLer Marco Quadrelli's Electrostatic Glider (E-Glider) was inspired by the idea of dust fountains visible on our moon's surface: when warmed by the sun, these dust particles gain an electrostatic charge. The same principle turns every asteroid or comet's dust into a weak but usable power supply.

Quadrelli's glider would be a low-cost craft attached to foil-like streamers. These streamers would inflate and lift based on the electrostatic energy around them. The glider could then be steered around an asteroid and perform basic science readings on its composition