Several Sacramento State mechanical engineering students arebeing considered for a summer program that would allow them to workfor NASA.Under mechanical engineering professor JoseGranda, students are using computer simulation programs that,hopefully, will offer NASA new alternatives in the operation of theInternational Space Station, as well as other aspects of aerospacetechnology. Granda, who worked for NASA's Departmentof Dynamics Guidance and Control, has given his students projectsthat involve the safe docking of the space shuttle with the spacestation which, he said, revolves around Earth every 90 minutes.Granda's students are studying the"modes of vibration" of the space station to ensuresafe docking with the space shuttle.This will be the third consecutive summer thatGranda has worked for NASA. He hopes to take several of hisstudents with him this summer. The Langley Aerospace Research Summer Scholarsprogram is held at the NASA Langley Research Center on the EastCoast. The program is a 10-week course, sponsored by NASA,designed to benefit undergraduate junior, senior and first-yeargraduate students who are pursuing degrees in aeronautical,mechanical and electrical engineering.Students pursing degrees in astrophysics,computer science, chemistry and aerospace-related fields are alsoconsidered by the program. Occasionally, the Langley program willrecruit students from various fields of study such as business,law, graphics, finance and communications."It would be a great opportunity to takethe knowledge we have learned here and apply it to a real-lifesituation," said Ken Chong, a mechanical engineer graduatestudent who is being considered for theprogram.The Langley program was not specific as towhat positions the students would be placed in.One of the simulation programs used by theengineering students, Computer Aided Modeling Program with Graphinginput, was designed by Granda himself. He has spent the last 20years improving the three-dimensional simulation program and hopesthat his work will develop a lasting relationship between NASA andSac State students. The Computer Aided Modeling Program translatesengineering ideas into computer code. This allows the user to entersimulation data and calculations without doing it by hand.Granda's Dynamics of Machinery course isoffering NASA alternatives in "morphing" technology.This technology is intended to allow future planes to flap theirwings like a bird. NASA is studying the flight of birds and insectsto eventually design a plane that can hover or fly at lower ratesof speed like a helicopter. At high speeds, the wings of a morphingplane would sweep back and forth to reduce drag and lower the sonicboom effect.One of the projects Granda worked on while atNASA was the Helios Project. This project was intended to buildplanes that use solar power to fly thousands of feet higher thanany modern aircraft. These planes would be unmanned and piloted byremote control from the ground. Granda said these planes wereespecially designed for "military applications."The Langley program selects approximately 125students every year. Each student is awarded a $4,500 scholarshipfor their summer research. Several of the international projectsthe program's students have worked on in the past include theTropospheric Chemistry Project, Earth Radiation Budget Experiment,Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment, as well as developingseveral of the instruments on the Pathfinder probe currently onMars."I encourage students to set their goalsreal high when pursuing a degree in engineering, aerodynamics orthe other related sciences," Granda said.