Engineering

Selected Engineering Projects, 2017-Present

I had the great pleasure of working for 6 year at the San Francisco based satellite startup, Astranis. I had the chance to see it grow from ~15 employees in a cramped apartment, to 300+ employees in a 100,000+ sq ft. manufacturing facility.

Along the way, I helped design, analyze, assemble, and test structural systems, mechanisms, and ground equipment for Astranis' first commercial satellite, Arcturus (pictured right), from the preliminary design phase through a successful launch on a Falcon Heavy in April 2024.

My key areas of expertise are:

System architecture
- Initial sizing and architecture conceptualization
- Collaboration with bus and payload systems, and business strategies
Structural design
- Machined metallic structures
- Composite sandwich panels
- Loads and requirements development
Structural analysis
- Primarily NASTRAN/FEMAP, some Ansys
- Component and complex assembly (spacecraft-level)
- Results and margins post-processing
Assembly and Test
- Have led spacecraft-level vibration test campaigns
- Extensive experience developing and running flight hardware assembly procedures

Astranis Omega: Next Generation Spacecraft Design

After the success of its ESPA Class, MicroGEO Satellite, Astranis is pursuing the development of a radically more capable spacecraft that can achieve roughly 5x the throughput (~50 gbps) of MicroGEO at a similar mass. This performance is achieved via custom solid state power amplifiers, new antennae, and an all electric propulsion system. To accommodate these hardware changes without dramatically increasing spacecraft mass, major architectural decisions involving launch vehicle strategy, structural design, and thermal capability had to be made.

I was the mechanical lead for the bulk of the preliminary design phase and spearheaded many of these architectural changes.

Public sources: https://www.astranis.com/news/introducing-astranis-omega; https://news.satnews.com/2024/04/10/astranis-next-generation-product-omega/; https://www.satellitetoday.com/connectivity/2024/04/10/astranis-introduces-more-powerful-geo-satellite-omega/

Astranis MicroGEO: Vibration Testing a New Spacecraft

I was the lead (analysis and test) of a successful first vibration test campaign on Astranis’ first 350 kg MicroGEO spacecraft.

Public sources: https://www.satellitetoday.com/launch/2022/03/16/astranis-microgeo-satellite-completes-testing-ahead-of-launch/, Astranis Twitter

Astranis MicroGEO: Deployable Reflector Mechanism

I designed, tested, and assembled a high-precision, passively deployable reflector mechanism for Astranis’ first 350 kg MicroGEO spacecraft.

I also developed the process and tools to measure and align this system to a millidegree level of accuracy.

Public sources: Astranis Twitter

Astranis MicroGEO: Machined Primary Structural Panel

I designed, analyzed, tested, and assembled a large, complex, machined aluminum panel for Astranis’ MicroGEO spacecraft. This panel successfully supported the entire mass of Astranis' first MicroGEO spacecraft launch on a Falcon Heavy in April 2023.

Public Sources: Astranis Twitter, SpaceX Youtube

Personal Project: Windsurf Hydrofoil + Board, 2017

Before consumer hydrofoils were readily available, I designed a complete hydrofoil board and foil system, performing hydrodynamic, stability, and structural analysis, CAD/CAM mold design of five individual components, and composite fiber layup design. I fabricated the hydrofoil and board and successfully tested it, hitting speeds in excess of 25 mph.

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