Orbital Launch Vehicle Design and Trajectory Optimization

• Designed new component models for the Ryder orbital launch vehicle to improve mass correlation accuracy and revised conceptual design using multidisciplinary optimization.
• Developed revised delta-V budgets based on optimized explicit ascent guidance profiles to various target orbits.
• Investigated cislunar and deep-space trajectories for new upper stage performance targets.

Airborne Attitude Control System (Propeller-based attitude control)

• Developed motor/propeller sizing tool for yaw control system of a stratospheric balloon launch platform, based on NASA high-altitude propeller performance correlations and adjusted for flight at stratospheric altitudes.
• Sourced and integrated hardware for the propulsion system, including brushless motors, drives, and propellers. Performed environmental qualification testing using TVAC system to verify functionality in flight conditions.
• Designed new LQR controller to handle a wide range of loading cases while remaining performant and stable (Simulink).
• Integrated controller into GNC software stack (C++, ROS 2) and validated pointing performance on the ground.

Thrust Vector Control System for Rocket

• Developed preliminary simulator for designing GNC stack of 3D thrust vector control system for a hybrid rocket engine.
• Implemented basic dynamics, sensor models, estimation filters, and a simple controller (Lyapunov-tuned PID) to characterize the system and inform downstream design decisions.

High Altitude Balloon Flights

• Led a subscale testing campaign using high altitude meteorlogical balloons as a flight platform.
• Designed and source components for the entire flight train, ranging from the balloon to the components for the enclosure of the gondola. Assembled electrical systems inside the gondola, created wire harnesses for the payload.
• Implemented simplified flight software stack using Python and ROS 2, performing data collection, telemetry, RF, and flight management functions. The full avionics stack was tested using representative environmental trials on the ground.
• Successfully launched and recovered the vehicle, gathering valuable test data from the payload. Peak altitude reached was over 20 km. Development of new high altitude balloon platform paves the way for future flights.

Orbit Subsystem

• Led a team of 8 to perform orbit selection and trajectory analysis for a 3U cubesat imaging mission.
• Developed custom 12th order numerical integrator and physics model for propagation of spacecraft orbit (C, Python); 50 to 200x faster than equivalent open-source Python library, validated using AGI STK and NASA GMAT. Custom software allowed for better integration into the rest of our design analysis toolchain.
• Mentored and co-developed projects with team members to perform analysis for imaging opportunities at a variety of candidate science targets on Earth, preliminary link and power budget analysis, and development of nodal thermal models.

ADCS Team

• Worked on development of GNC simulator, EKF, and B-dot controller for detumbling.
• Developed requirements for pointing budget to inform component selection. 

Mission Operations

• Acted as interim lead of 5-person mission operations team to solidify phase-B modes-of-operation into a system architecture.
• Developed MVP demo of telemetry/mission control system.
• Began selection of ground station sites based on data budget and logistical requirements.

Shear Dispersion Macrotransport Model Validation

• Validated theoretical ultra-low Reynolds flow model of suspensions in microfluidic geometries using COMSOL Multiphysics CFD. Tuned a custom solver to get faster and more consistent performance.
• Several points of interest were noted and used to develop experiments for verification in the lab. Outcomes of these experiments will be used to iterate upon the model in the future.

Subretinal Rheological Flow Analysis

• Modelled flow of fluid in sub-retinal cavity in cases of retinal detachment to inform medical procedures for reattachment surgeries.