As inspiring as was my first week, my second week wasn’t any less. In the second week of my internship, I was already familiar with the work and the Austrian Space Forum. I’ve started believing that I’m part of the organization and now I’m confident enough to say that I’m holding the name of OeWF!

Computer screen with data log on it (c) OeWF (Sara Berrada)

As my work for the first week was more physics, math, and engineering oriented, my second week is more computer science, thermal engineering, and organizational skills. The main task I was focused on this week, is the Morocco Mars Mission Analog data of Aouda.X space suit sensors. This task allowed me to learn some new computer science skills such using the Unix terminal, under Ubuntu, and to compile the binary files into excel files using csv format. I was learning a lot, not only terminal commands but also, thermal engineering concepts from the data of the sensors retrieved.

I admit that it was time consuming because of the large number of data but it was very fruitful. Furthermore, I had the chance to learn new concepts and to dig more in physics and thermal engineering to answer the set of questions Dr. Gernot Grömer was giving me every week regarding the Aouda.X space suit functioning. I admit the questions are not general, very specific and technic. For instance, one of the concepts that was new for me is the hysteresis and how it is related primarily to the space suit. Moreover, I had the chance to brainstorm and agree with Dr. Gernot Grömer, president of the Austrian Space Forum, about the World Space Week (WSW) event planning, including promoting the UN WSW from Morocco, and project building between OeWF and my university, Al Akhawayn in Ifrane Morocco, and more specifically with the Astronomy Club of the university. Three years ago I joined the university because of the Astronomy club and now my wish is to make the little sparkle inside of me grow more and see the astronomy club with high performances. Also, I’ve been taking part of the United Nation World Space Week organization by editing some texts, sponsors contact and others. Besides, I’ve taken parts of different daily tasks with the other interns such painting the OPS box with Melissa Achorner.

Sara Berrada (left) & Melissa Achorner at the Spacesuit Lab in Innsbruck
(c) OeWF (Sara Berrada)

To sum up, my journey in the Austrian Space Forum is a unique and gold experience because I believe I’m learning much more than what I give to the organization. I believe that every day of my internship is challenging and unique experience. In addition to that, now I feel myself that I’ve gotten to OeWF blood and I feel that I will carry on the work for this organization with pleasure even after the end of my internship, at least until the end of the United Nation World Space Week in October. Finally, I would like to close this writing by a quote that I believe in “I’ve found that luck is quite predictable. If you want more luck, take more chances. Be more active. Show up more often.”- Brian Tracy.