Can you imagine machining a part for the International Space Station? Students enrolled in the Computer Numeric Control (CNC) Production Specialist program at Lake Technical College will be able to put that statement on their resumes when they graduate.
Lake Technical College and NASA have signed an agreement so our students will be able to machine parts for the Single Stowage Lockers that help improve the lives of the crews on board the International Space Station. The NASA engineers at the Kennedy Space Center will provide the design drawings, engineer consultations, and raw materials. Our students will utilize the skills they learn at Lake Tech to model, program, and machine the parts. These parts will go through an inspection, in conjunction with one of our local manufacturing business partners, to ensure the parts meet the strict NASA quality requirements. As part of the students’ learning process, they will review the results of the inspections and in turn improve their own skills even more.
Instructors Chris McMahon and Mike Nixon are very excited to be able to collaborate with NASA so that their students will have a rich authentic learning experience while working on the high level of standards required by NASA. Executive Director, Dr. Diane Culpepper, said, “We are so fortunate to have this opportunity for our students as they prepare for careers in the manufacturing and machining industries.”
Lake Technical College appreciates NASA for providing this opportunity, which allows our students to get hands on experience vital to their success in their future careers. At Lake Tech we pride ourselves on holding success as a tradition, and giving our students the opportunity to learn a career in a year.
If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Robertson, Christine at 352-589-2250 Ext. 1835 or email at Robertsonc1@lake.k12.fl.us.