Leadership and the testing workforce at White Sands Missile Range eagerly anticipated the presentations by their summer student interns on July 29 at the Professional Development Center auditorium. The interns are from the Test Resource Management Center. This organization plays a crucial role in addressing the needs and providing solutions for the Department of Defense's Test and Evaluation community. TRMC actively supports careers in STEM fields through its well-established internship program, which has been a collaborative effort with the range since 2013, with some participants interning at Holloman Air Force Base.
The internship is hands-on, and the experience culminates with a presentation by each participant, showcasing the skills and knowledge they have acquired during their rotation. In attendance was Col. Andrew Morgan, the Senior Commander of White Sands Missile Range, who shared inspiring words and offered his support to the interns before their presentations.
The first intern to present this year was Rylee Gee, a student from the University of Jamestown who is expected to graduate in May 2026. Her project focused on the Kinetic Debris Analysis Tool, a program that conducts pre-mission risk analysis and safety assessments. The project involved translating the coding languages used by the tool, streamlining the user experience and modernizing its overall functionality.
"It should output two plots, one plot being the debris' contact with the ground, so you can tell when it explodes, where everything is going to land," said Gee. "And also a plot of the possibility of it going out of the safety bounds."
According to Gee, the tool was developed in 2001, making it outdated, and included several unnecessary steps to get the instrument working. She also noted that the process chain was overly complicated. The KDAT also had about four different coding languages, making it difficult for future coders to adjust.
Despite having no coding experience, Gee learned the basics of various computing engineering technologies, including Python, JSON, GTK, PyQt5, and others, to complete her project. She also redesigned the program's Graphical User Interface to make it more user-friendly and debugged it.
Isaac Onto from the University of Rochester presented his research conducted at the High Energy Laser Systems Test Facility, commonly known as HELSTF. During his time at HELSTF, Onto focused on the auto-alignment of the Strategic Long-Range Beam Director, a laser weapon system. His efforts in laser alignment have enabled the system to follow its required optical path accurately.
The internship presentations at White Sands Missile Range not only highlighted the impressive capabilities of the student interns but also underscored the importance of the collaboration between the Test Resource Management Center, White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base.
The innovative projects undertaken by Gee, Onto, and the other students demonstrate how hands-on experiences in STEM fields can lead to meaningful advancements in technology, ultimately contributing to the Department of Defense's mission. The continued support for such internship programs will ensure that the workforce is well-prepared to meet emerging challenges.
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