Flight hardware design, build, test, Raptor and Merlin engine programs

SpaceX

Custom hardware for extreme environments

Concentric Advisors

• Supported over 12 small research teams with unique project goals designing custom scientific apparatus including high vacuum, ultrahigh pressure, laser heating, cryogenic cooling, precision electrolysis, and explosive gas handling

• Designed, built, and tested extreme pressure systems holding pressures of 500 ksi (35 kbar) and 200 °C with corrosive gas media for days at a time

• Ran nonlinear stress and thermal analysis (Ansys) for failure investigations of ductile and brittle materials

• Produced engineering drawings with GD&T to communicate clearly with external machine shops

• Worked with domestic and international suppliers to procure precision machined superalloys

• Executed rapid iteration of full hardware lifecycle, producing custom working machines within weeks

• Regularly (daily or weekly) tested our custom machines to failure and drove root-cause failure analysis which informed design iterations and drawing updates on a same-day timescale

• Documented engineering resources, best practices, design concepts, and physical phenomenon with internal white papers; disseminating tribal knowledge and knocking down information silos

• Presented engineering updates to senior leadership in an ongoing and AGILE basis

• Designed fluid control hardware for the Raptor and Merlin rocket engine programs, including valves and actuators that operate in extreme environments.

• Led full lifecycle development of Raptor engine hardware, from concept to production, ensuring system requirements were met while optimizing manufacturability and performance.

• Achieved major design improvements in Raptor hardware, reducing component size (4x), cost (5x), and takt time (8x) through first-principles engineering and cross-team collaboration.

• Guided Merlin engine hardware through NASA qualification and into stable production, ensuring mission-critical reliability.

• Optimized assembly and testing by working closely with technicians and manufacturing engineers to automate processes and streamline data review.

• Ensured mission success by delivering reliable fluid control hardware that operates on every flight today.

• Embraced a first-principles approach, challenging assumptions and pivoting when necessary to drive innovation and efficiency.

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