Student from Indiana State will start an internship with NASA

Terre Haute, Indiana – Ahsan Khan, a computer science major at Indiana State University, has a number of titles and accomplishments, but his internship with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) stands out as one of the most noteworthy.

as a software developer first Khan will start a one-year remote internship at the Katherine Johnson IV & V Facility in September. Khan will contribute to the project’s development, evaluation, and modification of the program as well as the communication software for the Orion spacecraft.

Khan had been applying for this opportunity for years until he got a call in April after applying again in June.

“The job market is very competitive in the computer science field. After I applied, I wasn’t expecting an interview, and I was focusing on other internships because I wanted to keep my options open. One day I received a call from these four people from HR that wanted to interview me; I was nervous because I wasn’t expecting it, and I thought maybe I have a chance,” Khan said.

Khan said that he thinks his technical expertise, responses to behavioral questions, work at ISU, and people skills helped him land the job with NASA.

In addition to his NASA internship, Khan is a member of Pi Kappa Alpha, a student assistant in the president and provost’s office, and a former senator for the student government association.

“It’s been a dream of mine for a long time to be with NASA. It went from ‘maybe one day’ to ‘now it’s here.’ I want to make NASA believe in my expertise and abilities. Young Ahsan could never have envisioned this,” Khan laughed. “I knew I’d always reach somewhere; I never knew it would be NASA. I’m excited for this journey to start.”

Khan also discussed his boyhood passion with space, citing in particular his interest in the moon landing and the 2014 movie Interstellar. Khan has had the chance to put his computer abilities to use and improve them while still pursuing his interest in technology at Indiana State University. These abilities enabled him to launch Tech Tide Solutions, a company that specializes in web development and design for regional businesses.