NASA University Student Launch Initiative (USLI)
Payload Team Lead – Senior Design Project
Fall 2025 – Spring 2026 | Colorado State University
Overview
Leading a 8-member payload team in CSU's NASA USLI program. The project involves designing a deployable payload system to collect and analyze a soil sample during the March 2026 NASA competition in Huntsville, Alabama.
Key Contributions (Ongoing)
Payload Subsystem Design
Designed, built, and tested a subscale payload to collect telemetry during proof-of-concept flight. This launch validates payload landing systems and records deployment/landing data. Responsible for electrical system design, including preliminary schematics for the drill mechanism, power budgets reviewed with industry engineers, and initial hardware testing.
Subscale Payload Firmware
Developed firmware architecture for payload automation, defining communication protocols, GPIO mapping, and control algorithms for autonomous operation.
Vehicle Integration
Collaborating with the vehicle team to ensure payload integration preserves rocket stability and performance for the scheduled fall launch.
Project Management
Creating Gantt charts, coordinating electrical and mechanical, and ensuring project milestones are met. Provided Git training resources to the programmers on the team to standardize workflow.
Impact
Advancing toward a fully functional payload system for flight demonstration at the NASA USLI 2026 competition—highlighting integration of mechanical, electrical, and control subsystems in a rigorous aerospace setting. This work contributes to NASA's mission of fostering student-led innovation in launch vehicle design and advancing technologies relevant to future space exploration.
Skills
Payload Team
CSU's payload team for the 2026 NASA USLI competition
Project Photos
ECE Senior Design Space - 3D printers
ECE Senior Design Space - testing bench / soldering station
Schematic for the subscale project
Proposed Payload schematic
Rocket from last year's team