College of Engineering & Mines

Updates for students, alumni, supporters and constituents

Aiming for the Stars: Michael Hirsch

Michael Hirsch, a senior UND Mechanical Engineering student, is a Crew and Thermal Systems, Design and Analysis Engineering intern at the Johnson Space Center in Texas.

He is working on multiple projects to help develop the necessary technology used for human spaceflight. One project is a water capture device for the International Space Station that will gather water from a given airflow and collect it using unique air passages that require no power at all, replacing an existing system that uses the station’s energy. He helps order parts, prepare parts and work with technicians to build the experiment before it is sent to the orbital lab.

Also for the International Space Station, Michael is working on a volume measurement project that will determine how full a tank is in microgravity where liquid tends to stick to the inner walls of storage containers. Michael’s job is to develop the test stand, the testing procedures and carry out the experiment in order to prove the measurement can be done.

While each of his projects work toward a specific goal, the technology and methods he is creating can be applied to many different aspects of human spaceflight for our future Artemis missions.