Mike Ornstein Email & Phone Number

Hawthorne, California, United States

Bringing a new breed of in-space capability to the world. Founding project leader, with ownership of core requirement definition, constellation sizing, and operational concept development. Executer of detailed mechanical and thermal design release and fabrication of novel electro-mechanical assemblies, test and analysis validation of components, payload subsystems, space vehicle, and constellation with a nimble team of SpaceX all-stars.

Los Angeles Metropolitan Area

Owner of Starshield user broadband system - Starlink for the US Government. Delivered the first compatible user terminal with enhanced security features. Validated system performance in stressing RF environments. Lead of first globally destined, internally developed earth observation payload.

Greater Los Angeles Area

I lead the Design Criteria team at SpaceX. The team works as a systems engineering and technical program management group that serves Dragon, Starship, and all other SpaceX vehicle programs. We empower our vehicle responsible engineers and program leads with tools, process, insight, and peer review. The Design Criteria team ensures that system architectures close to SpaceX and customer requirements, that hardware is designed and tested for maximum reliability, and enforces that changes to operational vehicle are made without sacrificing reliability.

Greater Los Angeles Area

Built teams and tools to ensure design criteria from Loads, GNC, Propulsion, etc. is in a closed loop with hardware ownersRan design review and qualification criteria check-ups that mitigate over 100 mission critical issues per program yearLed team to implement automated load prediction to key hardware capability cross checks for 100+ parts for day of launchIntegrated design criteria guidance into composite design tools, combined load tubing stress calculators, and other toolsArchitected and led implementation of company-wide Bill of Design web tool to manage hardware design and qualification

Greater Los Angeles Area

Built and managed 1M DOF Dragon stress and loads model, established collaboration best practices for 10+ contributorsOwned and revamped spacecraft mass performance process, trained and transferred responsibility to new engineers

Greater Pittsburgh Area

Developed industry leading sensor technology to outfit naval helicopter fleet with fully autonomous capabilitiesConceived, designed, and prototyped economical IP67 rated 3D laser scanner for field robotics applicationsOptimized airframe design for custom sensor head and computing payload, achieving 20% system mass reduction

Greater Pittsburgh Area

Designed mass-manufacturable 3D laser scanner for use in security and automation on mobile platforms in harsh outdoor environments.Supported research team in upgrading and fabricating components on autonomous aerial vehicles.

Greater Pittsburgh Area

I am a teaching assistant for the Mechanical Engineering SolidWorks course at CMU. I am responsible for helping the fifteen students enrolled in the class stay on track during lectures and assist in their understanding of the ways of SolidWorks.

Los Angeles Metropolitan Area

Executed multi-body dynamic simulations to determine design criteria of several mission critical rocket systemsEnabled use of LS-DYNA simulation package as viable design and analysis tool for 110 members of the Structures team

Design and fabrication of robotics systems.In the summer of 2010 I worked within Chris Atkeson's lab with the goal of creating an inherently safe robot arm. This was accomplished through the use of inflatable segments as the structural component of the arm. In particular, I was responsible for the design and construction of a soft, but capable grasper for the robot.In the winter of 2010, I designed and fabricated a complete robot arm with 4 degrees of freedom capable of various manipulation tasks. I demonstrated this product in January of 2011 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, NV.In the spring of 2011 I began some consulting work with the Field Robotics Center in the Micro Air-Vehicle Lab.