LOGAN – Boston John, who flew his first plane at 13 years old, is now building unmanned aircraft at Utah State University’s Space Dynamics Lab. In August he will be honored by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. A NASA astronaut will present the award during a ceremony in August.
John, a mechanical engineering major, will become the fourth USU student — and the only student from Utah this year — to receive a scholarship from the Astronaut Foundation.
The original Mercury 7 astronauts established the scholarship foundation to support exceptional university students pursuing degrees in STEM disciplines. Recipients receive a mentor, plus access to a network of aerospace experts and an opportunity to attend the foundation’s Innovators Gala in Houston, Texas.
John is interning this summer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, working on refactoring the trim algorithm for Chopper, a hexacopter drone designed to fly around Mars.