In the near future, as permanent communities are planned for construction on the moon, the demand for water transportation to and from the lunar surface becomes important. To optimize efficiency and cost-effectiveness, a groundbreaking approach is being undertaken. NASA is utilizing a Lunar Flashlight to orbit the moon and identify significant ice deposits on the dark sides of the moon (lunar south pole) for water extraction.

Our objective is to provide the capabilities to keep the Lunar Flashlight mission in lunar orbit and maintain orbit for the duration of its research mission.

The FlatSat propulsion system serves as a crucial testing phase for the propulsion system before its integration into the Lunar Flashlight. This platform offers complete openness and accessibility for any necessary modifications, allowing for comprehensive assessment of hardware performance under operational conditions.

Our FlatSat design comprises five thrusters enclosed within a vacuum chamber. This includes one 100mN blowdown thruster and four electrospray thrusters.

The propulsion system's tube manufacturing incorporates various components such as regulators, pressure transducers, flow meters, and flight controllers, all instrumental in verifying the integrity of our designed solution during test operations.

These tests encompass evaluations of the new flight controller, the 100mN thruster pulse, system responses across varying pressure levels, the compact pressure regulating system for electrosprays, and more.

The manufacturing of the operational FlatSat design has been completed and assembled within the Lunar Flashlight. On Sunday, December 11 at 2:38 a.m. (ET), SpaceX successfully launched the Lunar Flashlight to a lunar transfer orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

This marked the Falcon 9's fifth launch and landing.

At Honeywell NSC, located in Kansas City, Missouri, I had an invaluable opportunity to shadow and assist lead engineers, gaining hands-on experience in tool and equipment inspection, additive manufacturing, and material studies. This immersive experience allowed me to contribute directly to groundbreaking research and further hone my skills in primarily additive manufacturing and mechanical design engineering.

During my internship, I contributed to cutting-edge research focused on advancing additive manufacturing techniques for nuclear deterrence development. My primary objectives included designing and integrating a new extruder/embedding tool and milling tool into a 4-extruder E3D ToolChanger Printer, ensuring compatibility with printer G-code (Objective A). Additionally, I developed an operational camera metrology module for a 5-Axis 3D printer to analyze print jobs at micron-level precision (Objective B).

Developed an advanced compact suturing device designed to improve the speed, precision, and ergonomics of neurosurgical procedures.

• Engineered a 360° rotational gearbox mechanism powered by a DC motor, encoder, and proximity sensors, enabling effortless suture deployment and minimizing surgeon fatigue.
• Designed a single-use, pre-loaded cartridge system for quick needle exchange, combined with an ergonomic, handheld housing optimized for surgical agility.
• Integrated the device into existing surgical workflows, streamlining wound closure with minimal disruption to standard procedures.
• Reduced surgical time by up to 40 minutes per procedure, with potential savings of thousands of dollars per hour in OR costs.
• Performed extensive risk assessments, human factors evaluations, and design analysis to ensure safety, efficiency, and comfort in high-stakes medical environments.

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This project focuses on the innovative synthesis of Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) through the use of custom designed glass microfluidic chips. By meticulously purifying monomers and fine-tuning experimental conditions, we've developed a highly efficient method for producing high-quality polymers. Our research highlights the significant influence of flow rate on polymer viscosity, offering new insights into the precision manufacturing of smart materials. Moving forward, we aim to scale up this process and perform advanced characterization to further enhance the application of these polymers in various industries.

Compliant CNC Tool-Changing System (2023–2024)

• Led the design of a CNC tool-changing system using fully compliant mechanisms — eliminating traditional actuators.
• Integrated tools such as a Nordson dispensing pump, extruders, and mill heads into a flexible additive setup.
• Explored the use of augmented reality (AR) with PTC Vuforia for interactive machine training and control.
• Tested and validated the system’s mechanical performance — enabling future scalability for industrial adoption.

Soft Lamprey-Inspired Robots (2022–2023)

• Designed robotic systems that mimic lamprey movement through fluidic soft actuators.
• Conducted environmental tests in uncertain conditions, simulating real-world applications.
• Used model-based controls to replicate biological movement through advanced control logic.
• Focused on enhancing adaptability and autonomy in soft robotic systems.

Copper Ink Rheology & Adhesion Studies (2021–2023)

• Studied surface energy, adhesion force, and rheology of conductive copper-based inks.
• Developed flexible circuits and experimental 3D-printed solar cells using inkjet technologies.
• Optimized adhesion properties for wearable electronics and biomedical applications.
• Contributed to high-precision material testing for multifunctional printed electronics.

Powerless Sensor Systems for Aerospace (2021–2022)

• Developed embedded structural health monitoring systems for carbon-fiber composites.
• Used triboluminescent optical fibers and additive manufacturing to detect mechanical strain.
• Investigated mechanoluminescence for real-time stress visualization in aircraft components.
• Enabled smarter diagnostics for long-term aerospace integrity and safety assurance.