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OLVT (Orbital Launch Vehical Team) - Aerospace Engineering Design Lab, Virginia Tech
Structures Engineer | September 2024 – Present
The Orbital Launch Vehicle Team (OLVT) is a student-led aerospace engineering design team at Virginia Tech with the long-term goal of becoming the first collegiate team to launch a 5 kg payload into Low Earth Orbit. Following the successful launch of the team's latest two-stage vehicle to ~5000 ft apogee, development is now focused on the next generation launch vehicle, which will build upon previous flight data and continue advancing toward the team's objective of becoming the first collegiate organization to launch a two-stage rocket past the Kármán Line.
Structures Engineer
Structures Engineer
I joined the Orbital Launch Vehicle Team (OLVT) at the start of the Skipper 2A program, contributing to the manufacturing, testing, and launch of a student developed rocket. As a member of the Structures Team, I worked on composite manufacturing, structural integration, recovery systems, and launch operations, gaining hands on experience developing flight hardware from concept through flight. Today, I continue supporting the team's next generation vehicle, Hokie .75, as we work toward the long term goal of becoming the first collegiate team to place a 5 kg payload into Low Earth Orbit.
My primary responsibility within the Structures Team has been the development and validation of the rocket's recovery system. I have participated in multiple ground testing campaigns to verify the performance of the Peregrines, the pyrotechnic deployment devices responsible for recovery system deployment. Black powder charges were used for stage separation. Through iterative testing, I helped evaluate recovery hardware performance and improve the overall reliability of the separation sequence. On launch day, I also assisted in troubleshooting the magnetic connector interface between the booster and sustainer, ensuring a secure connection prior to launch while maintaining reliable stage separation during flight. Building on this experience, I am currently designing custom ground testing hardware for Hokie 0.75 that will enable repeatable validation of stage separation and recovery system deployment before flight, improving both testing efficiency and confidence in mission-critical hardware.
Building on the experience gained from Skipper 2B, I am now contributing to the structural design and manufacturing of OLVT’s next-generation two-stage launch vehicle, which is targeting a flight to approximately 130 km. The vehicle represents a major step toward the team’s goal of becoming the first collegiate organization to launch a two-stage rocket beyond the Kármán Line. My work within the Structures Team will support the design, fabrication, integration, and ground testing of flight-critical structural hardware as the vehicle progresses toward launch.
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