Ryan Mahon Email & Phone Number

Washington, DC, US

• AIRWHEEL (NASA Big Ideas Challenge 2024)
• AIRWHEEL is a project to create a VIPER-class rover wheel (11in. diameter, 4in. width) which deploys and restows an auxiliary inflatable wheel to increase wheel performance when driving over loose soil.
• Maximized storage of deployment and retraction mechanisms inside the wheel by designing custom wheel spokes creating 285 cubic inches of storage while maintaining wheel load requirements.
• Designed a passive retraction mechanism for restowing deployed wheel and grousers when inflatable is depressurized.
• Protected inflatable fabric from wear and damage due to rough and rocky terrain using 8 triangular grousers which deploy as the wheel inflates.

• Robotic Testbed Vehicle “A.S.T.R.A.: Adaptive System for Testing Rover Advancements”
• Designed and built every subsystem of ASTRA including rocker suspension, wheel design, over-wheel steeringand drive actuation, on-board power, actuators, wiring, electronics packaging, and remote control.
• Implemented a lightweight, on-board power solution which can support ASTRA’s peak power draw of 240Wby using rechargeable DEWALT batteries that can quickly be swapped during testing and sustain max powerdraw for 30 mins.
• Built a custom low-cost, wireless steering and velocity control of ASTRA up to a range of 400 yards using ajoystick, X-Bee, and Arduino.
• Evaluated the rover’s suspension performance and mobility by building a 4ft by 8ft angle adjustable soiltestbed for slopes between 0 and 40 degrees.
• Experimentally determined slip ratios for four 3D printed rover wheels with varying wheel diameters, widths,and grouser geometry by reading encoder counts as the rover traversed up varying slopes to determine.

College Park, MD, US

• Led two mission critical payloads for the NASA Space Grant ‘National Eclipse Ballooning Campaigns’, PTERODACTYL and RFD900, which comprehensively captured all of NASA’s requested scientific data from my research team.
• Taught 10 university ballooning teams how to build and test their PTERODACTYL payloads at a campaign workshop.
• Collected and delivered all data successfully from the 2023 Annular and 2024 Total Eclipse’s to NASA Goddard researchers.

College Park, MD, US

• Designed experiments for a study to improve automation processes for industrial robots.
• Manufactured hardware, including end-effectors and connectors, to improve robustness of a robotic arm during machine learning simulations.
• Repaired Ultimaker and LulzBot 3D Printers which reduced lab costs and increased prototyping speed
• Collaborated with other research teams to advise them on their CAD and 3D printing needs.
• Mentored new lab interns to ensure the goals of the research project are being met.

Washington, DC, US

• Won First Place in the 2022 NCAS Mission Design Competition and pitched my mission design to a panel of NASA Experts.
• Authored a mission report about in-situation resource utilization on the lunar surface judged by NASA Subject Matter Experts.
• Led the instrumentation and computer systems decision making for my team.
• Facilitated regular team discussions to maintain mission goals and maximize scientific return.

Annapolis, Maryland, US

• Developed situational awareness, diplomacy, and team coordination skills.
• Maintained and troubleshot mechanical systems in the pool.

Master Of Science - Ms, Aerospace, Aeronautical And Astronautical Engineering

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Mechanical Engineering

Associate Of Science - As, Engineering Transfer - Mechanical