About
My name is Mike, and I am an Aerospace and Software engineer specializing in spacecraft guidance and control. I obtained my B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 2010. I also received an M.S. in Computer Engineering from the University of Houston at Clear Lake in 2018. I am interested in the application of simulation and high performance computing techniques to the analysis and design of optimal controllers for space and robotic systems.
Spacecraft Guidance and Control
I have worked in the space business for ten years at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston. At JSC, I serve as the lead developer for NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP) - ascent abort Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C) modeling and simulation team. My work involves managing a team of software developers tasked with implementing a high-fidelity simulation of Boeing's CST-100 and SpaceX's Crew Dragon. These simulations contain six degree of freedom dynamics, GN&C flight software, sensors, effectors, environment models, and are real-time capable. The simulators are written in C++ and provide a Python front-end for state initialization and dynamic events. Some recent career highlights include:
- Recipient of the 2018 JSC Software of the Year Award for the development of a C++ math model library containing a generic solver architecture for simulating power, thermal, and fluidic systems for spacecraft. Received an honorable mention for the NASA agency wide Software of the Year Award.
- 2018 Spaceflight Awareness Award for abort guidance & control simulation development, analysis, and performance assesment for SpaceX's Crew Dragon and Boeing's CST-100.
- Spacecraft attitude and orbit control simulations for NASA's Deep Space Gateway
Embedded Systems Software Development
In addition to my work for the space program, I also have contributed to the development of firmware for a number of embedded systems. My work here includes development of commercial products, R&D prototypes, and hobbyist/just-for-fun robotic systems.
- SpotX navigation firmware.
- Real-time balance controller for Bobble-Bot
- Custom flight controller for do it yourself quad-copter.
- CAN bus communications drivers for Chupacabra motor controller firmware
