Student Design Teams

TracSat Design Course

Participating in Purdue’s TracSat Design Course. Part of a 13-student team tasked with designing, manufacturing, and testing two CubeSats capable of laser communications and executing a coordinated docking maneuver. Member of the GN&C team developing the hardware and software for CubeSat controllers. Testing CubeSats on a frictionless 2D test bed by placing them at arbitrary positions and attempting to dock while communicating with each other and a distant ground station.

Purdue Orbital

Mission Design - Design Lead (December 2018 - Present):

Utilizing the European Space Agency tool ASTOS (Analysis, Simulation Trajectory Optimization Software) and creating Simulink API’s to develop a non-linear multi-stage launch trajectory for a 1U CubeSat delivered by Purdue Orbitals experimental rocket-balloon launch system.
ASTOS is dedicated to mission analysis, trajectory optimization, vehicle design and simulation for space scenarios, i.e. launch, re-entry missions, orbit transfers, Earth observation, navigation, coverage and re-entry safety assessments.

Chief Systems Engineer (May 2018 - December 2018):

Managed and taught a team of 18 undergraduates operating as system engineers; responsible for validation and verification tests, requirements management, subsystem integration, and documentation management.
Created technical proposal responsible for acquisition of $20,000 in funding and FAA approval for an initial proof-of-concept launch of a level 2 commercial rocket at 25 km from Purdue Orbitals rocket-balloon launch system.
Acting Safety Officer for manufacturing and testing of commercial rocket, avionics and electrical systems, and rocket orientation/stability/control platform.

Systems Engineer (September 2017 - May 2018):

Developed ConOps, level 1 and 2 system requirements and level 3 subsystem requirements.
Created Failure Mode Effects & Critical Analysis for launch orientation/stability/control platform.
Managed documentation for testing and flight operations plans and communicated with the FAA.

NASA L’SPACE Academy

NASA L’Space Academy is a program designed to develop undergraduate STEM students skills in space mission design and project management. The program groups students all across the world into teams of 10 and tasks each team with developing a PDR (Preliminary Design Review) for a mission scenario within 10 weeks. Additionally, each week lectures are given by engineers, scientists, and project managers from various NASA centers and private space companies to teach everything from technical skills to resume building.
Our teams mission was to design a Probe Lander System to conduct science experiments on the liquid methane ocean of Titan, the Kraken Mare. Our system would be released by an orbiter within Titans orbit and would need to descend through the atmosphere, land safely, conduct science, and transmit the results back to the orbiter.
My role as a Systems & Controls engineer involved researching and designing the systems avionics (both software and hardware), the GN&C (sensors and propulsion), EDL systems, Telecommunications, and systems integration and testing plans. Our team successfully developed, and delivered on time, a 43 page PDR.

High Altitude Balloon Team

Team Lead of the Electronics Division. Lead a team of 4 in developing an Arduino payload to gather altitude, velocity, GPS position, and magnetic field flux data for analysis. Designed, bread-boarded, coded, soldered, and tested the system. System operated successfully for entirety of 6 hour, 120,000 foot flight.
See my High Altitude Balloon GitHub Repository for the Flight Software used!

NASA USLI Rocketry Team

Team Lead of Educational Engagement. Organized and documented education opportunities for youth k-12+. Led STEM learning sessions.
Member of Safety & Risk Analysis team; created FMECA’s, cost and risk analysis, and potential hazard documentation.