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James Cho

jcho@spacearchitect.org

ENGINEERING EXPERIENCE

Made In Space

September 2019 – Present
Lead Aerospace Engineer – Archinaut One (OSAM-2) TDM Jacksonville, FL

  • Lead Aerospace engineer for Archinaut One, a $73.7M 500 kg robotic manufacturing satellite
  • Developed spacecraft disturbance and flight dynamics models using analytical and numerical solutions
  • Craig-Bampton coupled loads, Attitude Control System (ACS) stability, experimental data validation
  • Manage CG, mass and power budgets for spacecraft; vehicle requirements and verification plan definition
  • Generated test plans and procedures and conducted test campaigns to verify robot arm performance
  • Avionics enclosure design owner; performed structural, Steinberg and thermal analysis
  • Assembly work instruction and ow definition; forecasting resource demands and AI&T work flow
  • Oversaw team growth of 300% and conducted technical interviews of 25+ candidates, hired 5+
  • Supplier management, primary point of contact for contracts valued from $120K to $5.9M
  • Review and guide launch lock mechanisms design and analysis for critical payloads
  • Conceptual design, analysis and technical writing support for strategic SBIR/DoD proposals

Sierra Nevada Corporation

January 2017 – September 2019
Responsible Engineer – Space Systems Group

Madison, WI

  • Owned 3-way valve responsible for depressurization and equalization on the Dream Chaser Spacecraft (DCS). From component sizing and analysis, past development testing and Critical Design Review (CDR), into flight hardware delivery. Critical assembly within Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) consisting of 2 motor actuated ball valves and a vacuum isolation Solenoid valve
  • Evaluated Dream Chaser Reaction Control System (RCS) structure for thermal and stress environment
  • Led design and analysis e ort for propellant isolation valve motor driver board and structural housing
  • Managed vacuum isolation solenoid design, development and qualification schedule
  • Project engineer for the Atmospheric Regulation Subsystem on Dream Chaser, assessed test and manufacturing resources to mitigate schedule slip risks
  • Designed test and assembly fixtures, test stand and vacuum isolation valve components
  • Systems engineering support for Active Thermal Control System (ATCS) on Dream Chaser program.
    Decomposed L3 requirements into necessary tests, analyses and inspections at the package level
  • Conducted tests to evaluate Nitrox ow performance and validate choked orifice design for Human-rated Life Support oxygen supply on Boeing CST-100 Starliner program
  • Designed ON-OFF (bang-bang) control algorithm for pressurant supply of LOX/RP-1 run tanks

Caterpillar, Inc

May – August 2016
Performance & Simulation Intern – Large Mining Trucks

Decatur, IL

  • Analyzed acceleration and strain gauge data to support truck performance test campaign. Presented conclusion based on interpreted data to save test team $50,000 by simplifying test event sequence
  • Programmed Weight Configurator tool for CAT dealer network to assess truck performance based on selected configuration (Functionality: CG, weight split, wheel slip, target payload and operating weight)
  • Finite Element Analysis (FEA) performed utilizing new in-house meshing and post processing tools to simulate test events on fracture critical components, derived load cases and completed truck life calculations for fatigue sensitive mechanisms

Wisconsin Propulsion Lab

January 2017 – May 2018
Propellant Feed System RE & Founding Member

Madison, WI

  • Designed and fabricated a cryogenic propellant feed system and test stand for a 500 lbf LOX=LCH4 rocket engine
  • Developed CAD and performed FEA analysis on system components for designed thermal environment
  • Programmed MATLAB/EES numerical simulation of rocket chill down for run tank and pipe sizing

NASA Robotic Mining Competition

August 2015 – May 2018
Mechanical Team Lead & Co-Founder

Madison, WI

  • Designed, prototyped and fabricated mining robot to traverse and excavate simulated Martian terrain
TECHNICAL STRENGTHS

Manufacturing: Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T); CNC mill and lathe ISO Class 4 Cleanroom (10,000), TIG/MIG welding, ESD, FOD
Simulation: MSC Nastran-Apex Jaguar, Simulink, ANSYS Workbench
NASA-STD 5020 bolted joint analysis methods (Instar Engineering)
Coupled Loads Analysis – Craig Bampton, Basedrive analysis, CoppeliaSim
Newton Euler & Lagrange – spacecraft & robotic manipulator dynamics
Design: SolidWorks, Creo (ProE), Inventor Autodesk, Windchill
NASA-STD 3001 vol 2 Human Factors Space Flight Design
Orbital Mechanics: FreeFlyer, STK, MATLAB, Python
MISC: IBM Rational DOORS, GSFC Risk Management, JIRA, G-code

EDUCATION

University of Wisconsin, Madison

May 2018
B.S. in Engineering Mechanics & Astronautics

Energoprojekt Entel, Belgrade Serbia

Summer 2016
Mechanical Engineering Internship