Design Engineer for Dragon Structures enabling faster production and refurbishment of the only U.S. human-rated, reusable orbital spacecraft.
Solar Pyron Redesign
My biggest project on the team was to reduce manufacturing issues for the Dragon Crew and Cargo solar panel pyrons, which are individual oxidized PAN fiber pieces used as strain isolators in between the carbon fiber backshell and solar panels on the trunk. To achieve this, I introduced poke yoke features, extended vent channels to accommodate for wire harness routing, and widened clearances for the diode plate cutouts while maintaining a constant bonded surface area.
I also used this opportunity to cut in another change to commonize the Crew and Cargo configurations to decrease part count by 16%. All of my work culminated in performing DFM on the design, creating new engineering drawings, and leading communications with the supplier to ensure on-time delivery for a CRS-30 cut-in.
VAST Waste System
I designed and analyzed the VAST Waste System’s Commode Bracket from start to finish using ribbed features to increase stiffness, counterbore holes for increased holding strength, and a modular assembly process for ease of in-space installation. This process was done while keeping human-centric design principles in mind to consider aesthetic and functional parameters of the waste system, such as the finish of the material and the angle of the commode bracket.
Access Panel Analyses
I ran detailed structural analysis on 6 access panels on the Dragon spacecraft by correlating the deflection pattern of the most critical load cases in the Femap integrated model with the stiffnesses of the connecting features around the access panel in ANSYS. I identified specific load cases that would cause negative margins and suggested detailed design changes to bring the designs to positive margins.
