BRIDGING SUCCESS   

Nunes, a Washington, D.C., native, arrived at Penn State in 2023 
after earning a scholarship through Penn State’s Millennium Scholars Program (MSP) for high-achieving students in STEM fields.

CAREER LAUNCH        

An internship last summer at the University of Central Florida, located 35 miles from the Kennedy Space Center, propelled his interest in spacecraft dynamics. In the school’s Astrodynamics and Space Robotics Laboratory, he focused on atmospheric reentry—or how controls help a spacecraft safely return to Earth—and “future-proofing” this technology. “As spacecraft become more complex, they’ll need more complex control systems,” he says, adding that he was captivated by Artemis II in April, specifically its splashdown.  

SPECTACULAR SPACE    

Next year, the mechanical engineering major will enroll in a doctoral program in aerospace engineering. “I’m fascinated by the unknown,” he says, “and space is the biggest unknown of them all.”

 

STRONGER TOGETHER       

Due to chronic health issues, Nunes has been prone to missing school; he couldn’t attend the majority of his eighth-grade classes. His academic journey is atypical, but it’s also one of perseverance, and he’s grateful for the support while at Penn State: acdemic advisers, faculty, and peer mentors, along with programs such as Student Disability Resources that have accommodated his needs.

BLUE ORIGIN SUMMER           

Nunes is a recent recipient of the prestigious Patti Grace Smith Fellowship, which connected 23 exceptional students from across the country with top aerospace companies in 2026. As a fellow, he is spending 12 weeks this summer near Seattle as a paid intern for Blue Origin. “I’m going to be surrounded by some of the smartest people in the industry, so I’m really looking forward to the knowledge that I can gain from them,” he says. “Hopefully, I can contribute to a project that can push Blue Origin forward, revolutionizing the aerospace industry and eventually the world at large.”