Auburn alumnus and Gadsden State student Steven Martinez, ’11 aerospace engineering, is making headway in the electronics engineering world as the team leader for a NASA experiment. The Zero-G plane team of Gadsden State’s electronics engineering program has been selected to perform tests relating to potable water on longterm space flights. The experiment will monitor and prevent foreign fluid and chemical exposure from entering the astronaut water supply.

“The original experiment is still an ongoing project. As of now, we have developed the prototype and are in the process of developing a flight model to be tested aboard NASA’s Zero-G plane,” said Martinez. “The success of this project has led us to now work on a different experiment that NASA scientists will use with the ‘Advanced Plant Habitat,’ or growing plants in space.”

Before attending Auburn, Martinez completed basic courses at Gadsden State and decided to return after graduating from Auburn to pursue a hands-on electronics engineering technology degree. Martinez credits the experience he gained while at Auburn for developing the skills he uses now in his graduate studies.