Aerospace engineering honors graduate with an interest in mechanical design and analysis. I am a highly proactive engineer with a success driven work ethic. Working at JPL as a Mechanical Engineering Co-Op and at Masten Space Systems as a Structural Engineering intern has sharpened my design and analysis skills and has amplified my desire for a design/analysis role at an aerospace company. I have a passion for the space industry and the new missions to the moon and beyond!
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Lead Structural EngineerSpacexEl Segundo, Ca, Us -
Structures Engineer IiSpacex Sep 2024 - Present -
Structures EngineerSpacex May 2022 - Sep 2024Hawthorne, California, United States -
E-2 Mechanical Development EngineerLauncher Sep 2021 - May 2022• Responsible for the CAD, drawings, manufacturing, inspection, assembly, and testing of the E2 injector components• Documented and conducted assembly procedures of Lox pump and TCAs at NASA Stennis, reducing the assembly/disassembly of necessary plumbing, mounting, and electronics to 1 day• Designed and manufactured tooling for engine repair, TCA assembly fixture, and E2 injector water flow test stand• Redesigned injector component to introduce new manufacturing technique to reduce production time by 65%• Introduced new quality assurance procedure to standardize verification & validation of component dimensions• Conducted warpage study of 3D printed injector body through manufacturing process to reduce risk of part scrappage -
Structural Engineering InternMasten Space Systems Jun 2021 - Sep 2021Mojave, California, United States• Developed drawings according to ASME Y14.5 for primary and secondary structures of the XL-1 Lunar Lander• Designed in context secondary sheet metal mounting structures according to the Boeing Design Manual in Solidworks• Conducted structural, frequency response, and topology studies to verify component performance and reduce mass• Handled G-Ox/G-CH4 as ground crew for test campaign of 100 lbf engine, performing all necessary safety checks• Part of disassembly/reassembly team for Xodiac’s 700 lbf engine, inspecting and cleaning components as needed -
Principal Engineer For Recovery SystemsTexas Rocket Engineering Lab Mar 2019 - May 2021Austin, Texas Area• Tasked with overseeing and maintaining the design and manufacturing of the recovery bay and the nosecone• Ran 2D and 3D drag analyses with ANSYS Fluent on rocket to determine optimal fineness ratio of nosecone• Designed, constructed, and successfully tested a pyrotechnic deployment system for a 6 ft drogue parachute• Coupled 1 DOF re-entry model of rocket with parachute calculator in Python to create preliminary size of parachutes• Developed a bolted joint calculator to determine margin of safety for each failure mode of a bolted joint design -
Mechanical Engineering Co-OpNasa Jet Propulsion Laboratory Jan 2020 - Jul 2020My role at JPL entailed mechanical design and analysis for three key aspects of the test campaign of a new mechanism to be used on the Sample Return Lander in the Mars Sample Return Campaign. The first design test piece I developed was a mass model representing the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV). The mass model had to be modular in mass, moment of inertia, and center of gravity to account for any design changes as the project progressed. I conducted all of the initial structural analysis with SW Simulation. I created a BOM of the assembly and had funding been approved, would have procured, assembled, and verified the model’s mass properties. The next design concept I worked on was developing a pressure system that would provide the same upward force as a gas generator. I looked at both a low- and high-pressure design, settling on the high-pressure design for its simplicity and cost. I used MATLAB to create a dynamic model of the throw event, simulating the thermodynamic effects inside the pressure system and recording the resulting force and motion of the MAV. I presented my design and operating procedure to the Pressure Design Team at JPL and it was greenlighted for procurement. The final concept I designed was the model Mars lander the MAV would be launched from. I developed a deck design that was modular in stiffness, verifying the natural frequency of the deck with SW Simulation. Additionally, I looked at piston spring, coil spring, and leaf spring legs to model the modular stiffness of the lander legs, settling on leaf springs as the range of stiffnesses was largest. I used MATLAB to model the legs as a beam bending problem with different end conditions, creating a range of stiffnesses for each length of the leaf spring. The two most important things I learned from JPL was to find ways to work modularity into your designs and to not get attached to your work because of how dynamic the engineering process is. -
Engineering Program Director At Yale UniversityNational Student Leadership Conference Jan 2019 - Aug 2019New Haven, CtStarting in January, my job was to develop an academic curriculum for students all over the US to better understand engineering and learn the basic skills that all engineers use. Additionally during the spring, I interviewed over 15 candidates and hired 8 candidates for the summer positions that I had to fill. These candidates were to be trained and managed throughout the duration of the summer when the program would be taking place. While developing the curriculum, I created schedule for the program throughout the summer including field trips, guest speakers, and activities requiring extensive amounts of supplies and equipment for the students to use. Throughout the summer, I was responsible for the procurement of supplies and tools, managing and providing feedback and evaluations to the staff, and handling all scheduling and logistical issues that came up during the program.
David Ayala Education Details
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Aerospace Engineering
Frequently Asked Questions about David Ayala
What company does David Ayala work for?
David Ayala works for Spacex
What is David Ayala's role at the current company?
David Ayala's current role is Lead Structural Engineer.
What schools did David Ayala attend?
David Ayala attended The University Of Texas At Austin.
Who are David Ayala's colleagues?
David Ayala's colleagues are Alen Pelechatz, Andrej Sulek, Robert Li, Christian Brame, Maddie Kothe, Angel Meza, Ryan Green.
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