Booster Structures Intern: SpaceX 2024

As an RE (responsible engineer) on the Booster Structures team designing Starship Booster V3 Aft End, designed first prototype for a dynamic seal to thermally protect the gimbaled TVCs and engines on the next generation of both Booster and Ship, ensuring architecture is viable for many cycles of reusability under extreme thermal loads. I also led, organized and ran the first round of testing on a full version of the prototype, enabling us to gain essential data from myriad types of sensors so as to inform future design iterations. The test set up is to be used for all future variations over the course of the next year. Design, manufacturing and testing were all completed in under 3 weeks.

Successfully created and implemented StarbriX thermal protection testing and data collection assembly onto B12 for static fire and flight 5, executing under extremely tight timelines. My design is to be used for all future V1 clamshell R&D TPS testing across multiple rockets, with many of my assemblies being used simultaneously for various other projects.

Displayed ability to execute rapidly, design creatively, perform hand-calcs, balance and cut strategically cut down conservatism, handle uncertainty, employ FEM, calculate margins, work cooperatively, present effectively (PDR, CDR...), and generally make the right calls to get good engineering done, all while learning a ton.