Aerojet Rocketdyne / L3Harris Internship

Export Control & Proprietary Notice: Due to ITAR restrictions and corporate confidentiality, proprietary CAD models, flight geometry, and specific operational metrics have been omitted. Below, I have outlined system architecture, design methodologies, and public-facing workflow summaries.

Overview

During Summer 2026, I worked as a Design Engineering intern at the L3Harris Missile Propulsion (formerly Aerojet Rocketdyne) site in Canoga Park, CA. I supported the design of liquid rocket propulsion hardware, owning the mechanical design, large CAD assembly management, and drafting packages for flight-hardware test fixtures.

• Primary Software: PTC Creo 10, PTC Windchill

• Standards & Methods: ASME Y14.5 GD&T, Design for Manufacturability (DFM), COTS Integration

• Key Focus Areas: Ground Support Equipment (GSE), Test Fixtures, Mass Simulators, Materials Characterization

Projects

1. Thruster Blow-Off Cover & Hotfire Test Fixture

• Goal: Validate the separation sequencing of an attitude control thruster blow-off cover and assess thruster thermal blanket performance during active hotfire.

• Design Constraints: The fixture required exact replication of the vehicle's external skin curvature, relative chamber orientation, and flight-line mounting angles to ensure the aerodynamic seal was flush.

• Execution:

  • Modeled a fixture test assembly in Creo 10, including custom adapter plates for the hotfire test assembly, sealing gaskets & flanges, and mounting plates that matched the customer-provided outer-mold-line (OML) geometry.

  • Selected and integrated specialized fasteners (countersunk hardware for flush-seal alignment, tapped standoffs, and pop rivets).

  • Designed for rapid interchangeability to support fast turnaround between hotfirings.

2. Thrust Vector Control (TVC) Mass Simulator & Test Stand

• Goal: Create a test stand unit used for TVC shock and vibration testing to validate gimbal performance.

• Design Constraints: The fixture needed to incorporate COTS hardware for the bulk structure while being able to adapt for certain flight and test hardware.

• Execution:

  • Modeled a dual-component mass simulator matching exact mass and center-of-gravity (CG) specifications. One simulator for the valve and injector, another for the chamber, nozzle, and thermal blanket.

  • Created a test stand unit utilizing COTS modular cart structures, stock aluminum tubing, machined adapter plates, and standard mechanical fasteners.

  • Generated detailed engineering drawings across 10 new parts and assemblies.

  • Applied ASME Y14.5 GD&T to control interface datums, manufacturing tolerances, and program-specific specifications for manufacturing & external suppliers.

3. Propellant and Pressurant Loading Test Fixture

• Goal: Configure a complex, large-scale ground test assembly used for practicing propellant & pressurant loading operations.

• Design Constraints: The fixture needed to integrate existing test structures, lifting equipment, existing flight bracketry, and high-pressure fluid lines.

• Execution:

  • Managed top-level configuration within an active Windchill PLM environment, organizing multi-tiered subassemblies without data integrity loss or model regeneration errors.

  • Integrated machined structural plates, structural weldments, COTS CRES steel components, existing lifting & test fixtures, and flight brackets.

  • Generated detailed engineering drawings across 19 parts and assemblies. 

  • Applied ASME Y14.5 GD&T to control interface datums, hole patterns, manufacturing tolerances, and program-specific specifications for manufacturing.

4. Materials Quality & Non-Conformance Report (NCR) Investigation

• Goal: Surface defects due to corrosive pitting were detected on a flight-critical aluminum TVC gimbal component. These defects needed to be characterized to further study the root cause and establish corrective handling procedures.

• Constraints: Limited quality control process visibility from the component supplier.

• Execution:

  • Coordinated between Design, Manufacturing, and Materials & Process Engineering teams to set up an initial investigation.

  • Researched relevant internal and military specifications in relation to the component's manufacturing process.