12049 Ashton Manor Way, Apt 307 Orlando, FL 32828

727-481-0865 | k.lai@knights.ucf.edu
www.kellylai.net

Engineering
Projects
Portfolio

12049 Ashton Manor Way, Apt 307 Orlando, FL 32828

727-481-0865 | k.lai@knights.ucf.edu
www.kellylai.net

Collisional Accretion Experiment (CATE)

Position Title: Student Lead / Engineering Lead
Website: http://physics.cos.ucf.edu/cate/
Highlights:

Student Lead of a team comprised of 3 Aerospace Engineers, 2 Physicists and 1 Marketing Student
Developed experiment idea to propose to NASA for the Undergraduate Student Instrumentation Project
Proposal
Lead all design, building and testing phases of experiment and payload
Flown alongside experiment on a week-long parabolic flight campaign granted by NASA
Presented technical presentation about experiment to NASA engineers for flight readiness
Payload studies the formation of planetary ring systems

Skills Utilized:

Project management skills to delegate tasks between student

Technical writing skills for the following presentations and papers:
o Critical Design Review Presentation
o Test Equipment Data Package
Development of all electrical systems of payload as well as schematics (made in Eagle)
Designed components for rapid prototyping and utilized Makerbot Replicator 2:
Structural analysis on payload in compliance of NASA parameters using AutoCAD.

Utilized Solidworks 3D CAD software to CAD the payload for manufacturing and structural analysis:

12049 Ashton Manor Way, Apt 307 Orlando, FL 32828

727-481-0865 | k.lai@knights.ucf.edu
www.kellylai.net

Collection of Regolith Experiment (CORE)

Position Title: Student Lead
Website: http://microgravity.physics.ucf.edu/research/flight-based-experiments/core/
Highlights:

Student Lead for payload, working alongside electrical engineers and physicists
Payload idealizes the theory behind sending a lander to an asteroid to collect regolith
Rewarded suborbital flights on Blue Origins New Shepard and Virgin Galactics SpaceShipTwo

Skills Utilized:

Project management skills to delegate tasks among students

Developing a new payload idea by repurposing an old experiment
Utilized Solidworks 3D CAD software to CAD the payload for manufacturing:

12049 Ashton Manor Way, Apt 307 Orlando, FL 32828

727-481-0865 | k.lai@knights.ucf.edu
www.kellylai.net

NASA Robotic Mining Competition

Position Title: Project Manager (Previous: Lead Telematics Engineer)
Website: www.lunarknightsatucf.com
Highlights:

Founded the Lunar Knights Team representing University of Central Florida at the NASA Robotic Mining
Competition
Competition challenges university level students to design, build, and compete a semi-autonomous robot to
traverse and mine regolith within required constraints
Project Manager of the interdisciplinary team comprising of 25+ undergraduate and graduate students
Responsible for systems engineering of the project as well as management of the team
Responsible for all aspects of the robot including designing, building and testing
Responsible for all marketing and outreach events related to the team
Responsible for all finances of the team, including sponsorship and budget analysis

Skills Utilized:

Project management skills to delegate tasks among members

System Engineering skills to write NASA required Systems Engineering Paper
Technical writing skills for all technical presentations to NASA engineers
Solidworks to CAD robot for presentation, manufacturing and technical purposes

12049 Ashton Manor Way, Apt 307 Orlando, FL 32828

727-481-0865 | k.lai@knights.ucf.edu
www.kellylai.net

ISS NanoRocks on NanoRacks

Position Title: Undergraduate Research Assistant
Website: http://microgravity.physics.ucf.edu/research/flight-based-experiments/nanorocks/
Highlights:

Developed initial design for payload presented in proposal

Worked with payload from designing, building and testing phases
Recipient of Space Florida and NanoRacks ISS Research Competition
Rode aboard Space Xs CRS-4 Resupply Mission to the International Space Station
Currently operating and performing experiments on board the International Space Station
Autonomous experiment studies the formation of our Solar System and planetary ring systems

Skills Utilized:

Designed initial payload for proposal to ISS Research Competition

Utilized trade studies to determine components of experimental payload
Developed lock down system to ensure experiment survives rocket launch
Developed experiment tray for payload
Utilized knowledge of vacuum chambers to test payload
Machined experiment tray using bandsaw and mill:

Utilized Solidworks to CAD experiment for technical documents and manufacturing components:

12049 Ashton Manor Way, Apt 307 Orlando, FL 32828

727-481-0865 | k.lai@knights.ucf.edu
www.kellylai.net

Collisions into Dust Experiment (COLLIDE)

Position Title: Student Lead
Website: http://microgravity.physics.ucf.edu/research/flight-based-experiments/collide/collide-3/
Highlights:

Awarded a flight campaign aboard Virgin Galactics SpaceShipTwo

Awarded a flight campaign aboard Blue Origins New Shepard
Studies the ejecta of low energy impacts similar to the formation of the Solar System in the proto-planetary disk
Has heritage with shuttle flights (STS-90, STS-108)

Skills Utilized:

Utilized Solidworks to CAD experiment for use in technical documents as well as structural simulations

Wrote technical documents to ensure flight readiness on suborbital flights

Conducted tests on the experiment using vacuum chamber knowledge
Developed new methods for experiment to maximize possible data collection
Conducted hazard analysis on experiment for flight readiness

12049 Ashton Manor Way, Apt 307 Orlando, FL 32828

727-481-0865 | k.lai@knights.ucf.edu
www.kellylai.net

Q-PACE (CubeSat)
Position Title: Undergraduate Research Assistant
Highlights:

Awarded a the CubeSat Launch Initiative from NASA

Autonomous experiment studies the formation of our Solar System and planetary ring systems

Skills Utilized:

Utilized Solidworks to CAD experiment for use in technical documents and proposals