It Started As A Dream... For one Yankton High School graduate, working in the space industry was just a dream until he recently received an internship offer from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). This past summer, Layne Droppers received the opportunity of a lifetime when he was invited to pursue an internship at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia. “I knew the whole time growing up that I wanted to do something in the space industry,” said Droppers, who majors in Aerospace Engineering at Iowa State University. Droppers’ interest in space began at a young age. He spent a significant amount of his time before school and during the summer reading books about the planets. During middle school and high school, he developed an interest for engineering and joined the Science Olympiad. “It was all very beneficial for me and gave me some good Fried Shimp $15.99* experiences before going off to college,” Droppers said. He applied for his internship at NASA through the organizations One Stop Shopping Initiative website. “I submitted applications for five different opportunities at different sites across the country,” Droppers said. “I ended up interviewing for a couple of them, but ultimately decided on working at Langley Research Center. It helped that I had some previous experiences that helped me get my foot in the door.” Droppers’ internship is focused on mission planning and interplanetary propulsion for future Mars missions. He is working on a computer program for NASA that will help determine optimal takeoff times and fuel ratios for spacecraft traveling to the Red Planet. “It was actually my top choice out of the jobs I applied for,” Droppers said. “I was also interested in one about how to manufacture propellant on Mars, and the other applications dealt with things like Chicken Dinner 4 Pc. $12.99* USDA New York Strip 16 Oz. $19.99* Something For Everyone... ce 1971 Owned Sin Family Snow Crab Legs 2 Lbs. $28.99* *All meals served with potato, salad bar and dessert bar. 2809 Broadway Ave., Yankton, SD • 605-665-9884 • 11:00AM to 9:00PM • Open Sundays at 10:30AM 4vHISVOICEvNOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017