Jet Propulsion Labs

At my Co-Op at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, I was granted the chance to work on two separate full-scale tests of the Mars Sample Return’s supersonic entry chute. My first assignment was on a Dynamic Extraction Test of the parachute from the deployment bag. On this team, I started as a test engineer and quickly became the leading engineer responsible for the test. As a result, I was tasked with designing hardware, recreating test models/assemblies for outdated items, releasing drawings, creating assembly instructions, managing inventory and coordinating purchasing, performing system-level analysis, building and presenting slide decks, and working with contractors to meet test goals. The second was a test of the landers mortar system. On this assignment, I aided the engineering team by facilitating inventory management, creating documentation and slide decks, designing test assembly hardware, and performing pre-test analysis.