NASA interns analyze propellant gauging for a lunar mission

NASA said high school interns worked on a method for measuring propellant mass in microgravity during summer 2026. The NASA STEM Enhancement in Earth Science Internship Program at the University of Texas Center for Space Research placed students on small, mission-focused research teams.

The SEES Mission Architecture Tool for Research, Integration, and eXploration team developed models that predict when Modal Propellant Gauging can take reliable readings during the IM-3 mission. The approach uses the acoustic response of propellant tanks to estimate the mass of fuel inside a tank.

The team also reconstructed the flight path of the IM-2 spacecraft from publicly available mission data. It identified engine burns and estimated the change in velocity associated with each burn. The analysis showed that Modal Propellant Gauging can take reliable readings during Lunar Orbit Insertion and Powered Descent, and in some cases during Descent Orbit Insertion.

The students identified candidate IM-3 launch opportunities for 2027 and produced a landing analysis for the Reiner Gamma site. Their analysis mapped the distribution of possible landing sites near the target. The team briefed the Intuitive Machines propulsion group on its methods and results.

The students presented their research at the SEES Annual Symposium and the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium Annual Conference. The team was also scheduled to present at the American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting in San Francisco in December 2026. NASA said the students contributed analysis relevant to propellant management for an active lunar mission.

NASA said the SEES program gives 11th and 12th grade students direct experience with aerospace data, tools and analytical methods. The MATRIX team applied NASA and commercial mission data to the IM-3 mission. The program is supported by a NASA cooperative agreement and is part of the NASA Science Activation Program portfolio.