Key Skills Learned/Utilized:
- General Design Procedures/Processes/Best Practices
- 3-D CAD Design of Mechanical Hardware {tooling(ground) and flight(space-borne)}
- FEA Analysis - structural; linear and non-linear (contact)
- Mechanism Synthesis and 3-D Design (4-bar, motor-driven linkage for space use)
- Detailed Engineering Drawings {used data management system to release drawings for sign-off and perform functions such as ECOs (engineering change orders)}
- Integration Duties - included writing work instructions and supervising groups of 10-12 mechanical technicians
- Environmental Testing - performed all phases of testing, from test design to execution to generation of tech memo reports
- Extensive experience giving design reviews to diverse audiences of peers, Director-level mgmt, and even end-users (customers)
As a mechanical design engineer 2, my responsibilities included hardware design, structural analysis, environmental testing and final unit level integration (pictured below). The product line I worked on was unfurlable mesh reflectors, i.e. communication dishes carried on satellites. Harris is the world leader in this field.
Image sources listed in page footer.
View of the ICO G1 reflector inside a Harris hi-bay. The reflector is comprised of hard structure (ribs) and soft structure (mesh surface & cords), like an umbrella. Similar to an umbrella, the reflector is folded up for launch, and must deploy out in space (please see deployment video further down the page). The reflective surface is formed using hundreds of flexible cords which are attached to the hard structure, and tension to create the desired surface shape (within a very tight tolerance). Much of my work focused on making sure this process happened correctly, which is important because after a reflector is folded up (stowed for launch), there is no more human interaction and we only have 1 shot at getting the deployment right on orbit.
Once the reflector is successfully built, it is shipped to the customer...
...who integrates the reflector (payload, in the center of the picture) with its spacecraft.
Next, the spacecraft is loaded into the fairing...
...and onto the Atlas V rocket at Cape Canaveral (20mi up the coast from Harris)...
...and BLASTOFF! The largest commercial satellite ever built takes off into space.
Here is a very interesting video of the ICO reflector deploying on orbit. Here you can see the flexible mesh and cords moving about, and finally tensioning to create the desired surface.
Artist rendering of the reflector on orbit. The white link connecting the reflector to the satellite is the reflector boom, which is deployed with several motor-driven hinges. One of my design projects was to optimize the design of these hinges, and to provide a one-size-fits all mechanism for use in the future. I designed the first-and-only universal hinge optimizing strength, weight, and motor torque. Universal hardware reduces the cost, schedule, and risk associated with new unique hardware design, fabrication, and test efforts.
Below are images of other reflectors I worked on, in chronological order, each of which will be the largest ever flown when they are launched:
Terrestar-1
MSV-1: This reflector has a first-ever "hoop" structure, which allows for a much larger surface within a comparable fairing size to simpler designs.