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Benjamin I

- Research Program Mentor

MEng at Cornell University

Expertise

Aerospace engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Space Sciences, Satellites, Space, NASA, Propulsion, Aircraft,

Bio

Hello! My name is Ben. I'm an Aerospace Engineer who studied at Cornell University, focusing on Satellite, Space, and Spacecraft Engineering. Basically, I'm a rocket scientist! During my time at Cornell, I worked in an Electric Propulsion lab, where I designed, built, and tested a type of Ion engine called an Electrospray Thruster. I'm super passionate about space and space exploration, whether it's propulsion, orbital mechanics, or how you get a rover to Mars! In addition to being a Rocket Scientist, I am also a ski instructor and summer camp director! After graduating with my Master's, I moved to Colorado, where I taught kids how to ski. I got to ski over 150 days in one year, which was AMAZING.

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Research paper on heat shield materials for spacecraft reentry

In this project, we will examine the materials currently used as Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) for spacecraft such as the Mars 2020 mission, the Orion Capsule, the Dragon Capsule, Starship, and the Spaceshuttle. We will research and examine the processes behind each material . Then we will compile a written review of why they were used and the effectiveness of different TPS materials for different mission profiles.

Coding skills

Matlab, Python

Teaching experience

I have worked with high school students in several different roles. I have run a 7-week leadership and outdoor education program at an overnight summer camp as CIT Program Director at Pinemere Camp. I have also been tutoring a handful of high school students in math and physics from when they entered 9th grade to their college admissions. In addition to working with high schoolers, I was a teaching assistant for two senior-level courses at Cornell University.

Credentials

Work experience

Astra Lab (2021 - 2022)
Researcher

Education

Cornell University
BS Bachelor of Science (2021)
Mechanical Engineering
Cornell University
MEng Master of Engineering (2022)
Astronautical Engineering

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