It is fair to say the 24-year-old University of Otago chemistry PhD student was "very, very excited" to be one of six New Zealand tertiary students to be selected to work on Nasa projects in the United States, through a New Zealand Space Scholarship.
"I’ve always dreamed of working at Nasa, but I never saw an actual real path to it until this scholarship came along.
"I’m honoured. It’s a privilege to have this opportunity."
Mr Francis said his PhD research involved looking at the structure of ice particles in the atmosphere of Titan — Saturn’s largest moon.
"The reason we’re interested in that is, if we can understand the structure on the molecular level, we can potentially use the ice particles as an analogue for how the atmosphere of Earth might have formed in the ancient past, and use it as a tool to study how chemistry could have lead to life arriving on Earth."
He will spend three months, starting next month, at Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, where he hopes to continue his research with "much more sophisticated equipment.
"I’ll get to play with some pretty cool toys."
Space Minister Judith Collins said the scholarship was one of the ways the government encouraged the next generation of talented people to pursue careers in space-related fields, helping to ensure the ongoing success of New Zealand’s space industry.
The six will undertake internships at Nasa’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley or at its Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where they will gain hands-on experience in their fields of study and have access to Nasa’s best and most advanced research facilities.
"These internships are the latest example of the strong, collaborative partnership we have with Nasa and the United States, which continues to offer opportunities for space science, technology and co-operation on a global scale.
"The interns themselves are testament to the emerging talent we have in science, technology, engineering and mathematics in New Zealand.
"While the skills, knowledge and connections they bring home will be invaluable for them personally, this will also help to strengthen and grow our science and space sectors, which in turn helps grow our economy."
