ULA Experience | Jose Ascencio-Rojo

Overview

Jose Ascencio-Rojo with Centaur V hardware at United Launch Alliance

Designing Hardware for Spaceflight

As a Centaur V Structures Design Engineering Intern at United Launch Alliance, I supported the design and release of flight hardware for the Vulcan launch vehicle.

My work involved mechanical design, engineering drawings, fastener selection, GD&T, configuration management, and collaboration with manufacturing and other engineering teams.

The experience gave me the opportunity to follow engineering changes from design and analysis through review, release, and implementation on flight hardware.

Flight Hardware Design

Centaur V Sequencer Bracket

Designed and released a flight-hardware bracket supporting the sequencing system used on unique Centaur V mission configurations.

The design required working within existing vehicle interfaces, selecting appropriate fasteners and grip lengths, developing the component in Siemens NX, and defining manufacturing requirements through engineering drawings and GD&T.

I carried the design through the engineering release process, coordinating with other disciplines to ensure the hardware could be manufactured and integrated with the vehicle.

Siemens NX

Teamcenter

GD&T

Mechanical Design

Flight Hardware

Engineering Process

Taking flight hardware from an engineering requirement to release required coordination across design, analysis, manufacturing, and configuration management.

Requirements & Interfaces

Defined the design constraints and existing vehicle interfaces the hardware needed to work within.

Fastener Selection & Grip Calculations

Selected appropriate hardware and verified grip lengths for the intended joint configuration.

NX Design

Developed the component geometry and design definition in Siemens NX.

GD&T & PMI

Defined manufacturing and inspection requirements through engineering documentation.

Strength Analysis

Supported verification of the design against applicable structural requirements.

Change Management Review

Presented engineering changes for multidisciplinary review and incorporated feedback.

Engineering Release

Completed the release process so approved hardware and documentation could support manufacturing and integration.

Manufacturing & Continuous Improvement

In addition to flight-hardware design, I worked on engineering changes and continuous-improvement efforts focused on reducing manufacturing effort, engineering rework, and recurring vehicle cost.

This work required communicating directly with manufacturing personnel, understanding how engineering documentation affected work on the factory floor, and developing practical solutions that improved the design and manufacturing process.

Engineering Impact

$12K

Estimated savings per vehicle from additive hardware redesign

$30K–60K

Estimated rework costs avoided by eliminating a recurring manufacturing issue

Engineering changes developed and presented for review

Project information shown here is limited to non-proprietary details appropriate for a public portfolio. No proprietary drawings, dimensions, technical data, or controlled information are included.