{"id":240811,"date":"2025-06-24T02:26:57","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T16:26:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?p=879014"},"modified":"2025-06-24T02:26:57","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T16:26:57","slug":"nasa-intern-took-career-from-car-engines-to-cockpits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=240811","title":{"rendered":"NASA Intern Took Career from Car Engines to Cockpits"},"content":{"rendered":"
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3 min read<\/p>\n

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Some career changes involve small shifts. But for one NASA engineering intern, the leap was much bigger \u2013moving from under the hood of a car to helping air taxis take to the skies.<\/p>\n

Sar\u00e9 Culbertson spent more than a decade in the auto industry and had been working as a service manager in busy auto repair shops. Today, she supports NASA\u2019s Air Mobility Pathfinders<\/a> project as a flight operations engineer intern at NASA\u2019s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, through NASA\u2019s Pathways program<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\u201cNASA has helped me see opportunities I didn\u2019t even know existed<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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\"Sar\u00e9<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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Sar\u00e9 Culbertson<\/p>\n

NASA Intern<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cNASA has helped me see opportunities I didn\u2019t even know existed,\u201d she said. \u201cI realized that being good at something isn\u2019t enough \u2013 you have to be passionate about it too.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a strong foundation in mechanical engineering \u2013 earning a bachelor\u2019s degree from California State University, Long Beach, Antelope Valley Engineering Program \u2013 she graduated magna cum laude and delivered her class\u2019s commencement speech. Culbertson also earned two associate\u2019s degrees, one in engineering and one in fine arts.<\/p>\n

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\"NASA<\/a><\/figure>
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NASA Pathways intern Sar\u00e9 Culbertson, right, works with NASA operations engineer Jack Hayes at NASA\u2019s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Nov. 7, 2024. They are verifying GPS and global navigation satellite system coordinates using Emlid Reach RS2+ receiver equipment, which supports surveying, mapping, and navigation in preparation for future air taxi test flight research.<\/div>\n
NASA\/Genaro Vavuris<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Before making the switch to aeronautics, she worked at car dealerships and independent car repair facilities while in college. She also led quality control efforts to help a manufacturer meet international standards for quality.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never thought land surveying would have anything to do with flying. But it\u2019s a key part of supporting our research with GPS and navigation verification,\u201d Culbertson said. \u201cGPS measures exact positions by analyzing how long signals take to travel from satellites to ground receivers. In aviation testing, it helps improve safety by reducing signal errors and ensuring location data of the aircraft is accurate and reliable.\u201d<\/p>\n

A musician since childhood, Culbertson has also performed in 21 states, playing everything from tuba to trumpet, and even appeared on HBO\u2019s \u201cSilicon Valley\u201d with her tuba. She\u2019s played in ska, punk, and reggae bands and now performs baritone in the Southern Sierra Pops Orchestra.<\/p>\n

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\"Surrounded<\/a><\/figure>
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Sar\u00e9 Culbertson, NASA Pathways intern at NASA\u2019s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, adjusts the Emlid Reach RS2+ receiver equipment that connects with GPS and global navigation satellite systems on Nov. 7, 2024, in preparation for future air taxi test flight research.<\/div>\n
NASA\/Genaro Vavuris<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The NASA Pathways internship, she says, changed everything. Culbertson was recently accepted into the Master of Science in Flight Test Engineering program at the National Test Pilot School, where she will be specializing in fixed wing performance and flying qualities.<\/p>\n

Her advice for anyone starting out?<\/p>\n

\u201cListen more than you talk,\u201d she said. \u201cDon\u2019t get so focused on the next promotion that you forget to be great at the job you have now.\u201d<\/p>\n

During her internship, Culbertson is making meaningful contributions toward NASA\u2019s Urban Air Mobility research. She collects location data for test landing sites as part of the first evaluation of an experimental commercial electric vertical takeoff landing aircraft, a significant milestone in the development of next generation aviation technologies. From fixing cars to helping air taxis become a reality, Sar\u00e9 Culbertson is proof that when passion meets persistence, the sky isn\u2019t the limit \u2013 it\u2019s just the beginning.<\/p>\n

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