Aerospace

Northrop Grumman

Tactical Space Systems Engineer (April 2021 - June 2024)

For three years I worked for Northrop Grumman's Tactical Space Systems Division (TSSD) on the System Safety, Reliability, and Launch Integration team under Peter Buchan. In this role I provided Flight Safety, Ground Safety, and Launch Integration support for human spaceflight and space logistics missions, including the following:

Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO): primary habitation module for astronauts on NASA's Gateway (the first lunar space station!)
Cygnus: NG's resupply module for the International Space Station under the Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS-2) contract
Mission Robotic Vehicle / Mission Extension Pod (MRV / MEP): NG's next-generation on-orbit servicing vehicle

As a systems engineer, I learned how to run a mission's system safety program and generate system safety and launch integration deliverables, including Hazard Analysis Reports, Safety Data Packages, Ground Operations Plans, and Range Safety Requirements Tailoring.

SpaceX

Government Mission and Propulsion Liaison Intern (Summer 2018)

Over the summer of 2018, I worked for Propulsion Liaison Emma Salgado and Government Mission Director David Goldstein on both the Propulsion and Government Mission Management teams at Hawthorne, CA. As Propulsion Liaison Intern, I interfaced between SpaceX engineers and Aerospace Corporation representatives to ensure that SpaceX's Block 5 propulsion system for Falcon 9 and Heavy was successfully qualified for EELV and NASA Crew missions. This consisted of negotiating qualification requirements, coordinating testing, and facilitating additional engineering rationale for all major components and valves on the Merlin 1D (Stage 1) and Merlin VacD (Stage 2) engines. I was also in charge of keeping customers updated on all Block 5 engine and stage qualification and acceptance testing at SpaceX's test site in McGregor, TX. To do so, I ran weekly meetings to brief customers on all current testing and oversaw the automation of the transfer of test data from SpaceX internal servers to customers.

On the Government Missions side, I was responsible for obtaining approval from the 45th Space Wing for SpaceX's Space Test Program (STP-2) mission by fulfilling all Range Safety requirements. This was a daunting task for a rideshare mission with over two dozen payloads and the first Falcon Heavy flight after the demo.

Commercial Mission Integration Intern (Summer 2017)

My first SpaceX internship was during the summer of 2017, when I was hired as the Mission Integration Intern in Cape Canaveral, FL, subordinate to Mission Integration Engineer Leonard Talerico and Principal Mission Integrator Kyle Yang. I worked on commercial missions, seeing the launch campaigns for BulgariaSat-1 and Intelsat 35e through from start to finish. This consisted of acting as a customer interface, providing miscellaneous support to the customer and spacecraft manufacturer teams to ensure that payloads were processed and integrated to Falcon 9 in a smooth and timely manner. In so doing, I learned how to operate lift equipment, work in cleanrooms, and make difficult administrative decisions on the fly.

Outside of the launch campaigns, I was tasked with writing and editing an updated version of SpaceX's Cape Canaveral User's Guide, a comprehensive internal document with all mission management protocol for the east coast launch site. This included updating maps and writing procedures for all existing company and customer facilities, as well as creating them for the newly acquired Launch Complex 39A. Finally, I conducted a magnetic survey of the LC-39A satellite processing facility, hangar, and launchpad to ensure that SpaceX's STP-2 mission would adhere to its ICD requirement of magnetic cleanliness when it launched in June 2019.