Spacecraft Mechanical Engineer

Senior Spacecraft Mechanical Engineer — Orion Orbital Systems

Denver, CO | January 2024 – Present

• Designed and optimized a 6U CubeSat structural chassis using Siemens NX, reducing total structural mass by 16% and saving $24,000 in launch costs per unit while maintaining a structural safety factor of 1.5 under peak launch loads.
• Performed structural finite element analysis (FEA) on 3 primary satellite payload brackets using ANSYS, identifying stress concentrations and modifying geometry to increase the design safety margin by 28% while meeting NASA-STD-5001.
• Managed environmental testing campaigns for 2 flight-ready satellite structures, executing random vibration and thermal vacuum (TVAC) testing that resolved 4 thermal boundary anomalies and cut testing schedules by 18%.
• Collaborated with a cross-functional team of 8 thermal, electrical, and systems engineers to coordinate routing and shielding designs, successfully resolving 15 mechanical packaging conflicts during critical design reviews.

Spacecraft Mechanical Engineer — Astrodyne Propulsion Group

Los Angeles, CA | August 2020 – December 2023

• Modeled and detailed 45+ machined and sheet metal parts for spacecraft propulsion assemblies using SolidWorks, applying geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) per ASME Y14.5 to reduce manufacturing errors by 32%.
• Conducted thermal analysis of orbital thruster mounting plates in Thermal Desktop, designing passive insulation systems that maintained battery and component temperatures within the target -20°C to 60°C operating window.
• Supported assembly, integration, and testing (AIT) operations for a prototype rocket motor casing, resolving 8 critical non-conformance reports (NCRs) and reducing overall manufacturing turnaround time by 15%.
• Liaised with 5 external machine shops and metal vendors to resolve fabrication deviations and expedite prototype parts, saving $12,000 in raw material shipping costs and avoiding 3 weeks of schedule delays.

Mechanical design, 3D CAD modeling, Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Thermal analysis, GD&T (ASME Y14.5), SolidWorks, Siemens NX, ANSYS, Thermal Desktop, MATLAB, Spacecraft environmental testing, Vibration testing, TVAC, NASA-STD-5001, Material selection, Aerospace materials, Manufacturing support

LEO Constellation Deployment (CubeSat-X)

Role: Lead Mechanical Designer

Tools: Siemens NX, ANSYS, Nastran

Designed structural deployment mechanisms for a 3-satellite constellation, achieving a 100% successful on-orbit deployment rate and reducing launch mass by 12 kg.

Deep Space Propulsion Module Design

Role: Thermal & Structural Analyst

Tools: SolidWorks, ANSYS, Thermal Desktop

Performed coupled structural-thermal analysis for a propulsion module structure, maintaining all thruster valve body temperatures within safety limits throughout a simulated 48-hour fire test.

• Certified SolidWorks Professional (CSWP) (2021)
• ANSYS Certified Associate - Structural Analysis (2022)

• Security Clearance: Active Secret Security Clearance
• Languages: English (Native), German (Conversational)
• Availability: 4 weeks notice