David Strott

Mechatronic Systems

• Telerobotic systems blending UAS and VR.
• Optical and inertial sensor navigation systems for UAS and spacecraft.
• Pointing mechanisms for UAS and spacecraft.
• Landing sensors for UAS and spacecraft.
• Urban agriculture systems.

Spacecraft Systems

• Spacecraft architecture and system engineering, including electronics, GNC, mechanisms and software.
• SPENVIS radiation analysis.
• GNC mission and disturbance analyzes. Working with a subcontractor on low-energy lunar orbital trajectories.
• Electronics designs associated with electric propulsion systems, single board computers and flight computers.

Landing Navigation System(LNS)

• OpenGL based software for testing LNS software.
• Functional prototype of LNS software.
• Drone testbed blending an enterprise drone, custom electronics and COTS hardware.
• Benchtop camera test bed for LNS software using COTS hardware.
• Ultra-lightweight design for the flight LNS hardware blending COTS camera, laser, and computer systems with custom mechanical packaging, and power, survival, fault handling and interface electronics.
• Environmental testing of LNS components (thermal, vibration, vacuum, and radiation).

System Engineering, Integration and Test

• Design and implementation of in-house custom requirements management tools and engineering database system.
• Avionics system requirements definition, architecture and interfaces for spacecraft and lunar lander system.
• Generation and execution of test plans for a lunar lander analog hover test vehicle.
• Field test operations for a lunar lander analog hover test vehicle.
• Propulsion test stand instrumentation and data acquisition equipment selection and implementation (FPGA based LabView).

Avionics

• Design of custom PCB that integrates the prototype avionics system with the bench test and simulation systems.
• Design of microcontroller based custom PCBs for interfacing with different payload systems and for system health monitoring.
• Designed custom PCBs for converting flex harnesses to discrete wire interfaces for different components in the avionics system.
• PCB prototype manufacturing, PCB prototype assembly, PCB rework and harness assembly.

Test Tooling Design for United Launch Alliance (Contractor)

• Led the design for the RD-180 Engine simulator for ULA’s SILas part of the Common Avionics Upgrade initiative.
• Defined the preliminary mechanical design and collaborated with drafters on simulator rack mechanical assemblies.
• Design of electrical systems including rack level connectivity schematics, load simulation board schematics, cable/harness designs and circuit card assembly designs.
• Defined requirements for software/hardware testing interface.
• Supported manufacturing supplier and hardware/software interface groups.
• Contributed to the electrical designs for the Atlas V Active Signal Simulator and Passive Load Simulator racks.
• Defined test requirements and procedures for hardware checkouts of the RD-180, Active and Passive Simulator racks.

System Engineering, Integration and Test

• System engineer focused on requirements management for a DoD program.

Turbomachinery Engineer

• Collaborated on the design of variable nozzle technology based turbocharger turbine stages for use in 9 liter diesel engine applications.
• Led the effort to modernize data analysis and visualization techniques and taught other engineers how to use the techniques effectively.
• Collaborated with design and analysis groups to produce mechanical designs that meet internal and customer requirements.
• Hardware build-up for various environmental and mechanical endurance tests designed to verify customer requirements.
• Led documentation of system test, design and analysis information used for verification of customer and internal requirements.
• See Patent No.: US 8,172,508 B2

System Engineering, Integration and Test

• Collaborated on SEIT tasks for the Orion Flight Test program with a focus on the Pad Abort test flight.
• Assisted the customer in developing system requirements.
• Collaborated with the internal system engineering team to derive component level requirements based on customer requirements.
• Performed analyses to verify component and customer requirements for the Vehicle Management Computer (FT-VMC) and Remote Interface Unit (FT-RIU).
• Defined internal acceleration and thermal environmental requirement testing.

Avionics

• Led the design of the FT-RIU.
• Defined hardware resource allocations and connectivity for electrical components in the FT-RIU prototype design.
• Led technical interaction with, and requirement definition for the COTS supplier to ensure that flight hardware and special test equipment were correctly designed and implemented, and were delivered on time.
• Tested the prototype unit and debugged anomalies/issues during the initial functional checkout test phases.
• Defined thermal test sequences based on experimental data.

Software Engineering

• Validation and verification of Atlas V flight software, focusing on the launch and flight sequences.

Vehicle Systems

• Designed, built, and wet-tested a controlled underwater glider successfully for the DARPA SeaGlider SBIR Phase 1 program, resulting in award of a Phase 2 contract.

Propulsion and Chemical Systems

• Designed, fabricated and tested numerous new Nitrous Oxide monopropellant rocket engines, with thrusts ranging from 1lb – 25 lbs, for NASA and DoD contracts.
• Advised varying projects on thermal design issues, chemical reactor designs, and general engineering issues.
• Trained, advised, and directed new team members on Nitrous Oxide engine testing methodologies.
• Generated code for evaluating and improving chemical reactor and rocket engine designs based on laboratory test results.
• Designed and implemented data acquisition systems needed to update thermal, chemical reactor, and rocket engine design models.
• See Patent No.: US 8,652,402 B2

Software Engineering and Avionics

• Wrote flight software, integrated avionics hardware and software, defined test cases, and executed medium altitude balloon test flights.

Technical Writer

• Wrote monthly reports for DARPA, published as co-author on five NASA and one DOD final reports and contributed to numerous proposals.

System Test

• Tested and performed chemical analysis for numerous chemical processes.
• Designed and manufactured heat exchangers,chemical reactors, and test stands. Aided project leads in test designs and defining schedules.
• Aided in defining safety protocols and tests for rocket engines up to 100 lbs thrust.
• Improved data analysis techniques using MATLAB to verify and revise thermal and design models.
• Accelerated the generation and editing of quarterly reports for NASA programs through data analysis automation.

Teaching Assistant

• Trained students to use MATLAB and Simulink, facilitated technical discussions, and assisted with student evaluation.