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NASA Johnson Space Center intern Malvika Bhardwaj is developing analysis tools for the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle while receiving mentorship from GN&C engineer Daniel Cohen. NASA’s account describes how Cohen’s weekly teaching and team introductions have supported her technical learning and view of collaborative work; it does not report a new program or policy.
NASA has highlighted how Johnson Space Center engineer Daniel Cohen mentors intern Malvika Bhardwaj, a Rice University student contributing to work on the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle, the spacecraft planned to guide the International Space Station from orbit at the end of its operational life. Bhardwaj is developing tools to analyze thruster firings and running simulations of the vehicle’s control system, while Cohen sets aside time each week to teach interns and bring them into team discussions.
Bhardwaj studies computational and applied mathematics at Rice and interns with Johnson’s Guidance, Navigation and Control (GN&C) team. The team studies how spacecraft determine their position and maneuver. NASA says Bhardwaj is building analysis tools for thruster firings on the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle and using simulations to test the vehicle’s control system and identify conditions in which it could fail. The agency’s account does not publish technical results from that work.
Cohen is a GN&C engineer and Rice alumnus with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. After NASA internships in flight operations, docking dynamics, propulsion systems and GN&C analysis, he joined Johnson as a full-time engineer in August 2024. His current work includes simulations and models for U.S. Deorbit Vehicle studies, analysis of control algorithms and GN&C performance, and reviews of SpaceX’s design at multiple stages of its life cycle.
NASA also says Cohen analyzes settings for the Orion spacecraft’s docking camera, whose positioning measurements may help inform navigation during future Artemis rendezvous activities. Alongside his project work, he spends a couple of hours each week teaching interns subjects such as orbital mechanics and control systems. Bhardwaj says he introduced her to colleagues and included her in meetings, giving her a closer view of how teams exchange ideas and coordinate work.
Mentorship Alongside Mission Work
The account offers a specific example of how NASA internships combine hands-on project work with guidance from working engineers. Bhardwaj’s assignment connects her mathematics studies to spacecraft control and the planned end-of-life disposal of the station, while Cohen’s teaching gives her a chance to learn technical concepts and see how they are applied within a team.
That experience matters to students weighing whether to pursue space-sector careers: the work described is not limited to engineering tasks in isolation. Bhardwaj says collaboration, communication and understanding how an individual’s work fits into a larger project are part of what she has learned. She also worked alongside interns in outreach, social media and digital design, which broadened her view of the kinds of roles involved in NASA work.
The report is a profile of one mentor-intern relationship, not an evaluation of NASA’s internship program or evidence that a particular mentoring approach produces measurable career outcomes. Its value is in showing how one intern’s technical assignment and access to a mentor fit together during her time at Johnson.
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From Internship to Johnson Engineer
Cohen’s path gives context to his role as a mentor. NASA says he began as a flight operations intern in 2020, then completed internships in docking dynamics, propulsion systems and GN&C analysis before becoming a full-time Johnson engineer in August 2024. His experience as a former intern is part of the account, though NASA does not say it was the reason he took on mentoring.
The Office of STEM Engagement supports NASA internships in which students contribute to agency projects while developing technical skills and gaining practical experience, according to the agency. In this case, Bhardwaj’s work sits within a larger effort concerning the International Space Station’s eventual deorbit. NASA’s report frames the internship as both a technical assignment and an introduction to the collaboration involved in spaceflight work.
What the Profile Does Not Establish
NASA’s report does not provide the year of publication in the supplied material, beyond saying it was published in honor of National Mentoring Day on Oct. 27. It also does not specify how long Bhardwaj’s internship lasts, whether she will continue working on the project, or what technical findings her analysis tools and simulations have produced.
The account describes Cohen’s mentoring practices and Bhardwaj’s reflections, but offers no broader data on internship participation, mentoring outcomes or later career paths. It does not claim that the tools are complete, that they have been adopted for vehicle operations, or that the simulations establish the vehicle’s operational performance. Those details remain outside the report.
The Work Ahead for Bhardwaj
NASA’s account gives no timetable for Bhardwaj’s next project milestone or for publication of results from her analysis. The work described is focused on developing tools to examine thruster firings and testing the vehicle’s control system through simulations. Any future updates would need to clarify how the tools are used in the vehicle’s design and review process.
For now, the agency presents the internship as continuing technical learning supported by regular mentorship. Bhardwaj’s advice to prospective applicants is to apply even if they do not feel fully prepared, because, as she said, much of the learning happens on the job. NASA has not announced a new internship policy or a change to its mentoring program in this report.
Key Questions
What is Malvika Bhardwaj working on at NASA?
She is developing analysis tools for thruster firings on the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle and using computer simulations to test its control system and identify possible failure conditions. NASA has not reported results from the work.
Who is mentoring Bhardwaj?
Daniel Cohen, a Guidance, Navigation and Control engineer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, mentors her. NASA says he teaches interns topics including orbital mechanics and control systems and brings Bhardwaj into team conversations.
What is the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle for?
It is the vehicle NASA plans to use to safely deorbit the International Space Station at the end of its operational life. The report describes Bhardwaj’s analysis work as related to the vehicle, but does not provide a schedule or technical results.
Did NASA announce a new internship program?
No. The NASA item is a profile of an intern and her mentor, published for National Mentoring Day. It does not announce a new program or a change to NASA internship policy.
Source: primary
