Kevin Tong Email & Phone Number

Austin, Texas Metropolitan Area

Responsible Engineer for Elytra Propulsion Systems

- Lead spacecraft bus engineer on the NASA-funded Green Propulsion Dual Mode mission, leading all non-propulsion spacecraft subsystems (structures, comm, power, ADCS, C&DH) from mission formulation in Aug 2023 through project design review in Dec 2023.- Supported development and testing of in-space cold gas propulsion systems for the SunRISE, VISORS, and SWARM-EX formation flying CubeSat missions. This includes taking systems from assembly through performance and environmental testing to… Show more - Lead spacecraft bus engineer on the NASA-funded Green Propulsion Dual Mode mission, leading all non-propulsion spacecraft subsystems (structures, comm, power, ADCS, C&DH) from mission formulation in Aug 2023 through project design review in Dec 2023.- Supported development and testing of in-space cold gas propulsion systems for the SunRISE, VISORS, and SWARM-EX formation flying CubeSat missions. This includes taking systems from assembly through performance and environmental testing to subsystem delivery. Responsible for writing assembly, integration, and test procedures and working on flight hardware using those procedures. - Subsystem lead at Georgia Tech for cold gas propulsion system on the VISORS and SWARM-EX missions. In addition to the above responsibilities, required to coordinate with other spacecraft subsystems, present at system reviews, analyze performance data, and deliver test reports. Led the investigation of multiple anomalies during system integration before preparing and executing solutions to those anomalies. - Spacecraft systems engineer for early-phase concept design on a re-entry capable CubeSat to enable low-cost demonstration of atmospheric entry technologies. - Work for SWARM-EX presented in the Propulsion Technical Session at the 2023 Small Satellite Conference. Paper titled "Design to Delivery of Additively Manufactured Propulsion Systems for the SWARM-EX Mission" can be found here: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/smallsat/2023/all2023/96/. Show less

Falls Church, Virginia, United States

- Developed clean-sheet design concepts of multiple-satellite launch deployment systems for a planned LEO direct-to-phone satellite constellation. - Further developed multiple design concepts into fully modeled systems in SolidWorks for finite-element analysis using structural loads and modal requirements expected for launch. - Investigated the properties and analysis methods for materials under consideration for deployment structure, including composite-faced aluminum honeycomb… Show more - Developed clean-sheet design concepts of multiple-satellite launch deployment systems for a planned LEO direct-to-phone satellite constellation. - Further developed multiple design concepts into fully modeled systems in SolidWorks for finite-element analysis using structural loads and modal requirements expected for launch. - Investigated the properties and analysis methods for materials under consideration for deployment structure, including composite-faced aluminum honeycomb sandwich panels and aluminum isogrid. Show less

Princeton, New Jersey, United States

- Designed, simulated, and tested Earth horizon sensor suites to validate the passively stabilizing gravity boom on the Princeton TigerSat Lab's first CubeSat.- Simulated the response of a variety of candidate sensors (visible and IR) to on-orbit scenes using STK EOIR. Bench-tested the sensors using an Arduino Teensy based breadboard model and performed optical design for sensors without integrated lenses.- Designed and manufactured a high-altitude balloon payload to test the sensors in… Show more - Designed, simulated, and tested Earth horizon sensor suites to validate the passively stabilizing gravity boom on the Princeton TigerSat Lab's first CubeSat.- Simulated the response of a variety of candidate sensors (visible and IR) to on-orbit scenes using STK EOIR. Bench-tested the sensors using an Arduino Teensy based breadboard model and performed optical design for sensors without integrated lenses.- Designed and manufactured a high-altitude balloon payload to test the sensors in a near-space environment. Launched and recovered the high-altitude balloon.- Analyzed data recovered from the balloon payload in Python and MATLAB. Based on the results of the high-altitude test, selected two sensor suites for CubeSat integration.- Was awarded the John Marshall II Prize for undergraduate independent work in the Princeton Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Show less

- Co-led a Cislunar Ventures concept design team which produced a study proposing the use of paired CubeSats to perform a demonstration RPODU (Rendezvous, Proximity Operations, Docking and Undocking) and refueling mission in NRHO (near-rectilinear halo orbit) around the Moon. - Developed a modular CubeSat framework for laboratory test purposes and designed a close- proximity sensing system for maintaining docking alignment between CubeSats in sub-15 cm distances to bridge the gap between… Show more - Co-led a Cislunar Ventures concept design team which produced a study proposing the use of paired CubeSats to perform a demonstration RPODU (Rendezvous, Proximity Operations, Docking and Undocking) and refueling mission in NRHO (near-rectilinear halo orbit) around the Moon. - Developed a modular CubeSat framework for laboratory test purposes and designed a close- proximity sensing system for maintaining docking alignment between CubeSats in sub-15 cm distances to bridge the gap between optical trackers and mechanical docking adaptors. - Worked with a small intern team to develop an Aerospace STEM kit aimed at high school students. Show less

Princeton, New Jersey, United States

- Investigated the monodispersed stable bubbling regime produced in thin fluid films upon interaction with small gas jets under the supervision of Professor Howard Stone and Dr. Maksim Mezhericher. - Designed improvements to an experimental setup to enable study of small-scale bubble formation using the gas-jet impingement method and performed experiments to characterize critical bubbling pressures. - Analyzed experimental results using incompressible quasi-one dimensional flow analysis… Show more - Investigated the monodispersed stable bubbling regime produced in thin fluid films upon interaction with small gas jets under the supervision of Professor Howard Stone and Dr. Maksim Mezhericher. - Designed improvements to an experimental setup to enable study of small-scale bubble formation using the gas-jet impingement method and performed experiments to characterize critical bubbling pressures. - Analyzed experimental results using incompressible quasi-one dimensional flow analysis and identified a possible laminar to turbulent flow transition correlated with an abrupt change in critical bubbling pressure. - Reported findings in an undergraduate independent work paper titled Investigations of Small Bubble Generation Regimes in a Quasi-Stable Fluid Film. Show less

Cedar Park, Texas, United States

- Designed (Autodesk Inventor), prototyped (3D printing), and iterated on a spacecraft docking system capable of in-space data, power, and fluid transfer before preparing a NASA SBIR proposal documenting on the program's development status. - Coordinated installation of a satellite ground station antenna atop a large structure and was hands-on involved in antenna construction before leading a critical design review for final construction approval.- Developed an in-console Python program… Show more - Designed (Autodesk Inventor), prototyped (3D printing), and iterated on a spacecraft docking system capable of in-space data, power, and fluid transfer before preparing a NASA SBIR proposal documenting on the program's development status. - Coordinated installation of a satellite ground station antenna atop a large structure and was hands-on involved in antenna construction before leading a critical design review for final construction approval.- Developed an in-console Python program to automate the transfer and error-checking of documentation between Firefly and the US Air Force related to range safety regulatory tailoring and compliance. Show less

Greater New York City Area

- Designed and developed server-side components of a data mapping utility for our end product using Java, PostgreSQL, and other languages. - Collaborated with the business development and product teams to design user-friendly software infrastructure and worked as a part of a development team utilizing AGILE development methodologies in a startup environment.

Greater New York City Area

Developed models for several solar flares recorded by the Owens Valley Solar Array using the three-dimensional, multi-wavelength modeling platform GX Simulator, revealing overarching trends in the flare's structures.

Ms, Aerospace Engineering, 4.0/4.0

Graduate research assistant in the Space Systems Design Laboratory. Major Projects: Lead Spacecraft Systems Engineer for the GPDM.

Bse, Mechanical And Aerospace Engineering, 3.761/4.0

Activities and Societies: Princeton Racing Electric - President and Lead Mechanical Engineer Princeton Triangle Club - Assistant Technical.

High School Diploma

Activities and Societies: Robotics (FIRST Robotics Team 1257), Marching Band, Jazz Band, Science Olympiad, Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car Team.