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Juniata College Student Advances Solar Sail Innovation in NASA's NPWEE Academy

(Posted December 18, 2024)

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HUNTINGDON, Pa. — Juniata College is proud to announce that Medina Yessenaliyeva ’27 has achieved an extraordinary milestone as part of one of three winning teams in the prestigious NASA Proposal Writing and Evaluation Experience (NPWEE) Academy. 

“Competitions like NASA’s NPWEE are highly challenging because they mimic real-world proposal writing and evaluation processes used in NASA missions,” said James Borgardt, William W. Woolford Professor of Physics and chair of the Physics and Engineering Physics department. “Students are expected to understand complex scientific, engineering, and technical concepts, apply them creatively, and present their ideas persuasively.” 

Three Juniata Physics and Engineering Physics students, Aaditya Bhattacharya ’26, Rohit Raj ’25, and Yessenaliyeva, were selected to participate on teams in this competitive program to teach participants how to identify NASA’s needs and develop innovative solutions. Through NPWEE, approximately 30 to 40 teams, each comprised of six to 10 students from different colleges and universities, are selected to compete. 

“My dream has always been to work as an engineer at NASA,” said Yessenaliyeva, an international student from Kazakhstan. “If I had been told last August that I would study in America and be a part of NASA, I would never have believed it. I’m grateful for this opportunity, and I’m not going to stop there. I’ve already applied for several summer internships with NASA and other engineering companies to improve my experience and be an expert in my field.” 

Yessenaliyeva credits her classmate Raj, who was selected to lead his own team in this most recent NPWEE Academy, with her involvement in the program. During the initial phase, teams brainstorm and submit multiple ideas, one of which is selected as the focus of their team. Proposals undergo a rigorous evaluation, including peer reviews and assessments by NASA reviewers. 

“Our team is proposing a new approach to improve solar sail technology, which is a type of spacecraft propulsion that uses sunlight to push a sail and move a spacecraft through space,” said Yessenaliyeva, explaining that utilizing sails eliminates the need for traditional rockets and heavy fuel loads which impedes options for long-term space missions. 

“Right now, solar sails are not very good at adjusting their direction once they’re in space. Our proposal will make solar sails more flexible and efficient, allowing spacecraft to change direction with greater control and without relying on extra fuel or complex systems.”    

The team’s proposal, “ACS3 Thrust Vector Reorientation Via Servo Motor Actuators” (ACS3 = Advanced Composite Solar Sail System),” was one of three accepted by NASA and awarded a $10,000 grant to further develop their proposed technology with NASA engineers and faculty.    

Borgardt shared that experiential opportunities like NPWEE challenge students to exercise technical knowledge, critical thinking, research skills, communication, teamwork, and project management. He has observed that students like Yessenaliyeva, Bhattacharya, Raj, and other Juniata students distinguish themselves through their innovative thinking, resilience, collaboration, participation in hands-on experiences and programs emphasizing professional development, and passion for making an impact.    

“This experience taught me a lot, including teamwork, thorough research, proposal writing, the opportunity to work hand-in-hand and coordinate with NASA engineers, and most importantly, to make my dream come true,” Yessenaliyeva said. “I felt so much support and faith from my professors and friends at Juniata throughout the entire process, even before I was accepted into the NPWEE program.” 

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.