Duke AERO

Worked on numerous projects through the Payload and Avionics subteams of Duke AERO, a Spaceport of America Cup team which works to develop, fabricate, and launch a unique rocket and launch system each year to optimally reach an apogee height of 10,000 ft.

Director of Integration and Test; 2025-26

Ensured the material and conceptual compatibility of Duke AERO competition vehicle subsystems through coordinating component, subsystem, and vehicle level testing, evaluating test fidelity, and overseeing inter-system integration and compatibility.

Avionics - Team Lead; 2024-25

Oversaw and coordinated the development of all systems and operations associated with flight controls and electronics.

Control Stackup

Designed integrated unit for in-flight closed-loop aerodynamic surface control systems including Roll-Stabilizing Canards (below) and a Variable Drag Airbrake System (below).

Validated aerodynamic viability and structural stability through Ansys CFD, SolidWorks Simulation, RocketPy analysis, and OpenRocket

Developed Control Systems using noise-fed RocketPy convergence simulations.

Canards

Developed tri-blade roll-stabilizing canard system, selected as Podium Presentation for IREC 2025.

Machined in house using CNC milling, lathe-turning operations, forged carbon fiber molding, and CNC water jet processes.

Applied Proportional-Decay Setpoint, PI (Proportional Integral) Closed-Loop control system to stabilize

Simulation Driven Design

Ansys FEA analysis of Canard Blade implementing NACA 0006 airfoil

4th Axis Machining

Radial features machined using mill 4th axis post-CNC milling operations

Ground HITL Testing

Blade actuation during ground Hardware-In-The-Loop (HITL) testing on injected data

Variable Drag Airbrake System

Closed-loop system to control deployment of tri-blade airbrake system. Used to precisely target a specific apogee height during the 20 second ground-to-apogee traversal period. Housing machined using a combination of lathe and mill operations. Linkages fabricated with milling operations, the adapter plate was waterjet from aluminum stock, and the blades were molded from carbon fiber.

Consistent Deployment

Coupled blade deployment enables equal deployment from all blades.

Forged Carbon Fiber Blades enable weight-optimized, high strength solution.

HITL Testing Results

Deployment profile derived from local atmospheric data. Airbrake deployment pathed beyond an activation point through convergence calculations.

Algorithm validated through HITL testing using RocketPy injected data to ERIS flight software.

Triple 3-bar Linkage

Linkage design allows compact, efficient packaging and maximizes carriage travel

Avionics Bay

I was responsible for the design, development, and testing of the avionics bay which holds SRAD flight computer, cameras, batteries, GPS, accelerometer, and other critical flight systems.

The Avionics Bay also houses the stage separation systems including the raptors which hold an explosive charge and compressed CO2 to trigger the shear pins in tube separation. It also attaches to the drogue and main parachutes of the rocket, and is responsible for handling chute snatch conditions post release.

2024 Avionics Bay (designed in Onshape)

Separation Redundancy

Separation system includes complete redundancy in controls and separation components (charges, canisters, etc.)

Bulkhead Development

Bulkheads used to form a pressure barrier between the separation chambers and the avionics bay internals, while serving as the structural link between the body tube and the avionics bay internals and separation components.

A particular emphasis was placed on weight efficiency this year, achieving a 45% reduction from past designs to 0.511 lbs. This was guided by careful analysis and FEA.

Component was machined using primarily CNC milling operations.

Integrated in Body Tubes

Separation components and avionics bay integrated in body tube

Separation Conditions FEA

Force: 1150 N vertical distributed force along internal face of U-Bolt mounting holes.

Fixtures: Outer body tube mounting holes (x4), AvBay threaded rod holes (x4).

Max Stress: 48.8 MPa,

Safety Factor (Yield): 5.64; Yield Strength: 275 MPa,

Safety Factor (Ultimate): 6.35; Ultimate Strength: 310 MPa

Model Solver: Solidworks

Snatch Conditions FEA

Force: 200 N distributed force along internal face of threaded raptor mounting holes

Fixtures: Outer body tube mounting holes (x4), AvBay threaded rod holes (x4)

Max Stress: 5.83 MPa

Safety Factor (Yield): 47.2; Yield Strength: 275 MPa

Safety Factor (Ultimate): 53.2; Ultimate Strength: 310 MPa

Model Solver: Solidworks

Forward Separation

Body tube separation and drogue parachute deployment following activation of 1x 23g charge

Main Separation

Body tube separation and main parachute deployment following activation of 1x 23g charge

Blackbox

Development of a flight-standard blackbox to house independent, protected flight electronics and data-logging. Maintains independent power supply and data-loss prevention systems while mechanically maintaining a pressure and blast protected environment. IP-67 seal, thermal protections, and internal systems protect electronics in the event of mid-flight rapid-disassembly event.

Open Lid, Insulated Walls

Body Machining

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