Carson Coursey

Experience

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  OmniMetrix

  Aug 2017 - May 2018

  Manufacturing Intern

  Learned and participated in the manufacturing process for electric current measuring devices and gained hands on experience with small electronics production

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  Ramblin'​ Rocket Club

  Aug 2018 - Dec 2020

  President, Georgia Tech Experimental Rocketry

  Led club into third year with emphasis on high altitude (100k+ ft), two stage flight using student research and developed solid rocket motors Led club through a successful second year with an emphasis on student developed propulsion and an active payload, and successfully hot fire tested 54mm propellant characterization motors and 98mm flight motors, both ammonium perchlorate composite propellant solid rocket motorsDesigned and manufactured internal flight components such as bulkheads and mass simulator payloadFinished first place in 30k COTS category and second place overall at the 2019 Spaceport America Cup with two stage rocket "Sustain Alive" Show less

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  Aero Maker Space

  Jan 2019 - Dec 2022

  President

  Assisting Georgia Tech students in realizing their projects and ideas by providing instruction, guidance and training on 3D printers, laser cutters and other miscellaneous tools, allowing them to better enjoy and understand engineering/manufacturing processesLed development and operation of public-facing training initiative to provide more access for Georgia Tech student bodyPreviously: Mentor, Training Officer, Vice President

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  Georgia Institute of Technology

  May 2019 - Dec 2020

  Took part in shakedown testing campaign of novel Siemens natural gas combustor; test rig hit given data points to collect data on new injector designWrote data analysis scripts to predict adiabatic flame temperature at experimental equivalence ratiosInstalled sensors to validate experimental data (pressure transducers, Bronkhurst mass flow rate sensor, orifice plates, Horiba emissions probe) Manual machining of parts within tolerance for the GT research community and teaching students how to machine aerospace components using lathe, milling machine, and other shop tools

  • Undergraduate Research Assistant - Ben T. Zinn Combustion Lab

    Aug 2020 - Dec 2020

  • Undergraduate Teaching Assistant - Machining

    May 2019 - Dec 2020
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  Northrop Grumman

  May 2020 - Aug 2020

  Engineering Intern

  Supported propulsion manufacturing operations for first US hypersonic strike missile, ARRW (air-launched rapid-response weapon)Assisted with process control documentation for casting of large, advanced solid rocket motors to ensure the safety of the operators and quality of the product

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  Georgia General Assembly House Of Representatives

  Jan 2021 - Apr 2021

  Legislative Intern

  Tracked legislation for Ethics, Education, and Higher Education Committees, permitting them to stay organized and on track throughout session

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  Georgia Institute of Technology

  May 2021 - Dec 2022

  Worked under Dr. Brian Gunter to:Develop MATLAB scripts to perform initial orbit determination on data obtained from outside sources and the GT-Space Object Research Telescope; also wrote scripts to generate sample two line element sets for simulationSupport OrCa-2 space situational awareness cubesat construction and WEBS space based solar power demonstration cubesat communications designCoauthor 1st-place winning 'Modular Development of an SPS with Electromagnetic Small Satellites' for International Space Solar Power Competition at the 2021 International Astronautical Congress Show less Worked 20 hours/week and executed on design parameters and requirements to produce fully operational test setups for research labs, educational labs, and commercial use. Personally designed, fabricated, programmed, and installed all test setups. Employing LabVIEW, NI DAQ systems, C++/microcontrollers, ATI load cells, and other tools, as well as various manufacturing tools and methods.Some experiments: - Wind tunnel test stand with integrated load cell and model rotation control- Pitot-static tube traverse for measuring airspeed distributions (ie, in boundary layer, wake)- Various small, high speed wind tunnel setups and installations (such as laser doppler velocimetry and simple models on sting balances) Show less

  • Undergraduate Research Assistant - Space Systems Design Laboratory

    May 2021 - Dec 2022

  • Assistant to Lab Manager

    May 2021 - May 2022
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  U.S. House of Representatives

  Jun 2021 - Aug 2021

  Congressional Intern

  Covered space policy issues for the Representative, including NASA, FAA, commercial space, and Space Force and developed potential policy solutions for space debris propagation and space traffic management Attended and summarized briefings, hearings, and events for staffers, and wrote 20+ cosponsorship memos (issue areas covered includes immigration, healthcare, international affairs, space, and technology) Aided Representative with legislative research, as well as constituent communications and casework Show less

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  The Aerospace Corporation

  Jun 2022 - now

  - Advancing space sustainability by supporting the development of the Department of Commerce’s Traffic Coordinating System for Space (TraCSS)- Supporting several research studies geared towards space traffic management/coordination; conducting data analysis and automation in Linux with tools like Python (NumPy, pandas, SciPy, plotly, etc.) and Amazon S3- Briefing my technical work to executive leadership, government representatives, and industry conferences- 2x recipient of Hero Award for Enterprise Mission Success (see below for details)- Level 4 Show less Space Policy Intern in Center for Space Policy and Strategy (Full time, Summer 2022):- Drafted paper outlining transformative tech and methods for space traffic management - Held discussions on commercial STM and SSA and threats against space systems with internal and external stakeholders (for example, on Space Policy Show)- Published op-ed on human spaceflight safety regulation Astrodynamics/Space Traffic Management Intern with Civil Aerospace Operations Team (Part time during school, Fall 2022):- Carried out astrodynamics analyses in support of space traffic management and space sustainability- Modelled the effects of large LEO constellations on ground based optical astronomy - Researched space situational awareness organizations and companies Show less

  • Project Engineer - Flight Mechanics

    May 2024 - now

  • Associate Member of the Technical Staff

    Jan 2023 - May 2024

  • Space Policy Intern, Astrodynamics/Space Traffic Management Intern

    Jun 2022 - Dec 2022
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  International Academy of Astronautics

  Mar 2023 - now

  Member of IAA Study Group 5.21

  Member of study group to Investigate a Transdisciplinary Approach to Protect the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference