Pathfinder Fellowship Program finalists Alicja Urbańska, Nina Mamcarz and Przemysław Kaczorowski are spending ten weeks this summer conducting research at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. Organised by the Polish Space Professionals Association (PSPA) and Rafał Brzoska Foundation, the programme gives students and young professionals the opportunity to gain hands-on research experience in JPL’s international environment. The initiative was conceived by Julia Stankiewicz, a Rafał Brzoska Foundation alumna and engineer at the European Space Agency, who previously gained research experience at JPL herself.
The finalists are contributing to three projects spanning different areas of contemporary space exploration – from research into environments that may support life beyond Earth, through technologies for future lunar and Martian landings, to systems supporting further exploration of the Red Planet.
Exploring the ocean beneath Europa’s icy surface
Alicja Urbańska is conducting research at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where she works with the Astrobiology Group and the Origins and Habitability Laboratory. Her project is linked to the Europa Clipper mission, which is studying Jupiter’s icy moon Europa. Beneath its surface lies an ocean considered one of the most promising places to search for life beyond Earth.
Urbańska is developing a computational model to predict the electrical conductivity of this ocean. The model is intended to support the interpretation of mission data and help scientists better understand the conditions beneath Europa’s icy surface.
She studies Natural Sciences and Computational Sciences at Minerva University. As part of the university’s global education model, she has so far studied in San Francisco and Tokyo and, after completing her stay at JPL, will continue her studies in Buenos Aires.
In her future scientific career, she hopes to investigate fundamental questions in biology, including the origins of life and the beginnings of metabolism. She is particularly interested in the use of modelling, simulation, computational methods and machine learning in scientific research.
Technologies for future landings on the Moon and Mars
Nina Mamcarz, a Rafał Brzoska Foundation scholar, is conducting her research stay at NASA JPL’s Advanced Large Precision Structures Laboratory. She supports the design and integration of optical positioning systems used to validate LiDAR technologies for future landings on the Moon and Mars.
Mamcarz’s interest in space began in childhood. After graduating from high school, she studied Aerospace Engineering at TU Delft in the Netherlands, while also developing expertise in measurement engineering at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.
Participation in the Pathfinder Fellowship enables her to combine academic knowledge with practical experience gained while working on technologies developed for future space missions. Her stay at JPL also serves as preparation for the next stage of her education - a master’s degree in Space Systems at ETH Zürich in Switzerland, which she will begin in September.
Power systems for drones exploring Mars
Przemysław Kaczorowski is contributing to the development of the Skyfall mission. During his stay at JPL, he is developing electrical power systems for drones designed to map subsurface water ice on Mars and identify potential landing sites for future crewed missions.
Kaczorowski studies at AGH University of Krakow. His interests focus on designing electronic devices and systems capable of operating in demanding environments, including space. At university, he is also involved in the development of student-led space missions.
He has also gained experience in developing data transmission infrastructure for particle detectors operating at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN near Geneva. He is now applying his knowledge of electronics, space systems and advanced research instrumentation to solutions intended for Mars exploration.
Beyond the laboratory: Aerospace Summer Games 2026
A stay at JPL also offers the opportunity to experience the broader US space sector beyond everyday research work. Alicja Urbańska and Nina Mamcarz represented NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the Aerospace Summer Games 2026 in Los Angeles.
The annual event brought together more than 10,000 participants representing 70 US companies and institutions from the aerospace sector. Teams competed in events including basketball, relay races and tug-of-war.
The Summer Games are about more than sporting competition. They create a space for exchanging experience, meeting people working across different areas of the industry and building relationships between teams involved in the development of technologies and future space missions.
For the two researchers, the event was an opportunity to see the JPL community from a broader perspective and to connect with representatives of numerous organisations from the US aerospace sector.
Pathfinder Fellowship: turning personal experience into opportunities for others
The idea for Pathfinder Fellowship grew out of Julia Stankiewicz’s own experience as a Rafał Brzoska Foundation alumna. After completing her research stay at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, she saw first-hand the value of access to an international research environment – as well as the barriers that need to be overcome to make use of such an opportunity.
