MIT Lincoln Laboratory — Group 92

Overview

I spent the summer at the Westford field site, the Lincoln Space Surveillance Complex. I worked in Group 92, part of Division 9's advanced sensors and techniques team.

My work centered on HUSIR, the site's ultra-wideband space imaging radar. I also spent time on the Millstone Hill radar.

Much of the engineering detail is under clearance. I can only describe the work at a high level. The work was mechanical engineering end to end: prototyping, design, and the judgment calls needed to retrofit equipment already in service.

What I Worked On

• Organized data for the center's documentation
• Designed heavy rigging systems and hydraulic systems

Approach

Most of the summer involved checking in, making good design decisions, and reviewing documentation. I needed to understand the existing system well before I could retrofit it responsibly.

My designs followed four principles:

• Design for assembly
• Design for manufacturing
• Design for test
• Design for maintenance

Each design had to let technicians install, maintain, and replace it without help from me.

Beyond the Bench

• Competed in the I3C Intern Challenge
• Attended a week-long seminar on F' (F Prime), taught by the team that maintains the F' repository at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
• Attended a session with Bradley Rothenberg, founder and CEO of nTop, on software for rapid mechanical design and prototyping. The software is built for moving fast and testing quickly.
• Went to intern events across divisions and learned from interns in other groups at the lab

Project Media