NASA, LOFTID
At Airborne Systems
Airborne Systems
Mechanical Design Engineer
At Airborne Systems I worked on three major programs, NASA's CPAS program, NASA'S LOFTID program and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions. I gained a variety of experiences in testing, electro-mechanical design, textile design, complex assembly drawings, configuration management and pneumatics.
NASA - LOFTID Program
LOFTID stand for, Low Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator. I had several responsibilities on this program including making the entire drawing package for the system, designing the assembly fixtures and working with NASA's chief engineer to implement the inflation lines. The fixture had to be strong enough to withstand the technicians walking on it but be light enough in case it had to moved around the shop. I used FEA and basic hand calculations to ensure the structure was strong enough.
Electronics Enclosure + Award from NASA
Every year the new engineers design a parachute. They compete with one another to see who can land the payload the safest. I designed the enclosure for the GPS, accelerometer and altimeter. I went through many iterations of the design as I continued to make the footprint smaller and lighter.
For a similar effort, I was awarded a Special Recognition Award from NASA. Their team was in the midst of packing a parachute with a test date the following week. One of the components came in out of spec and it would have taken 3+ weeks to receive a new part. I quickly thought to 3D print a replacement but we weren't sure if the material would be strong enough. So I tested various infill densities of ABS plastic and confirmed that the material was strong enough. Within 2 days I had fully functional part and kept the project on schedule.
Pneumatic Systems
I was pulled onto the Kratos project as the engineer to design the manifold and bladders for their vehicle. I worked closely with the Kratos team leads as well as our technicians to develop the systems shown below. I used GD&T to locate critical features within the manifold ensuring the firing pin was properly aligned with the gas tank gasket.
