I am Nitish Chennoju

Blue Origin Avionics Launch Ops,Ex-SpaceX,Former UCI Rocket Project Chief Engineer,Undergrad Researcher,Computer Science and Engineering Major,Former UCI UAV Forge Navigation Lead,Former ASU Rocketry Outreach Coordinator,Former ASU Rocketry Avionics Lead,Software Developer,Aerospace Enthusiast,Maker,Former High School Rocketry Club President,Troop 390 Eagle Scout

Python 85%
Java 75%
SolidWorks 50%
C++ 60%
Arduino 90%
QML 60%
Nerd 0x64%

I'm a passionate engineer pursuing a career in the junction of Aerospace, Electrical, and Computer Science who's majored in Computer Science and Engineering at UC Irvine. I have experience designing, testing, and operating avionics systems in launch vehicles for companies such as SpaceX, Relativity, and Blue Origin. I am always working on several personal projects⮐ , completed electric aircraft research⮐ with the Fulton Research Initiative (at Arizona State Univ), interned⮐ at the Open Network foundation and Relativity Space, and was the chief engineer of UCI Rocket Project⮐.

I'm a quadcopter⮐ / fixed wing pilot, a rocket enthusiast (hoping to get a level 1 certification soon), and someone who enjoys working on / developing custom autonomous vehicles⮐. I'm a proud Eagle Scout who's built several book sharing boxes⮐ around my neighborhood and have recently picked up the hobby of scifi reading. My favorite book at the moment is the Martian by Andy Weir.

At the moment, I am currently open for work.



Experience

ASU
ONF
UCI Rocket Project
Relativity Space
SpaceX
Blue Origin

Blue Origin: Avionics Operations Engineer

September 2024 - February 2025

I was hired at a busy time for Blue. A couple days into my hiring, Glenn Stage 2 (GS2) was attempting to be hot fired. I was fortunate to see New Glenn go through the its critical integration and testing pre-launch. I contributed to console panel & procedure development / automation while being on console for integration (checkouts and stage mate) and sat console as an INCO (instrumentation and control), in charge of all the data aquisition, network, telemetry/radios, and sensors. Here are my achievements shortened...

  • Flight vehicle operations on console for integration + ILV hotfire + pre-launch (console trained for INCO position)
  • Launch procedure automation and control panel development using IGS
  • HITL development / validation

SpaceX: Avionics Test Engineer

July 2023 - September 2024

I was hired at SpaceX right out of college and had a chance to witness the huge differences between collegiate rocketry and the leader of the private industry. As a test engineer, I designed test systems, increased accuracy of existing test systems, supported boxes through qual and acceptance testing (QTP/ATP), and contributed to the many changes required for Dragon to be capable of the mission criteria of Polaris Dawn (1st SpaceX spacewalk). Here are all my achievements shortened...

  • Qualification and acceptance testing core avionics for Dragon and Falcon vehicles
  • Automation of high pressure gas systems, rate tables, TVAC chambers, … & Test system bring-up
  • Flight hardware avionics experience
  • Increased test system accuracy by 4 x and decreased production time of tests systems by 50%

UCI Rocket Project: Chief Engineer

June 2022 - June 2023

I'm incredibly proud of the team I was chief engineer to. The result of countless hours and sleepless nights resulted in UC Irvine's first methalox rocket launch. More details in UCI Rocket Project tab. Below are my accomplishments:

  • Successful launch of UCI’s first bipropellant liquid rocket
  • Successful vertical test firing of collegiate methalox engine (engine operator)
  • Developed avionics network based communication system + Control GUI
  • Wrote testing procedures for cold flow system verification + static fire + launch

Relativity Space: DACS Intern

June 2022 - August 2022

Relativity space was my first professional experience in the private space industry. I helped develop avionics control boxes for test stands for Aeon 1 & R testing and had the chance to witness weekly hot fires of Aeon 1 + full duration mission cycle of Terran 1. Below are my accomplishments summarized...

  • Designed data acquisitions and control systems (DACS) for component test stand using Beckhoff hardware
  • Developed schlieren imaging system to detect gas leaks (and other CV scripts for flame detection, …)
  • Wrote automation scripts for data management / video processing
  • Developed solar construction time-lapse camera

UCI Rocket Project: Avionics Engineer

June 2021 - June 2022

I joined the UCI rocket project to enhance their Avionics system while also learning enough about propulsion to serve as the bridge between our team and the rest of the project. As part of this role I developed...

  • RJ485 based communication system
  • Retrofitted original avioncis NI DACS system to function with the rocket
  • Developed a teensyduino based engine control unit (ECU) + associated software
  • Developed flight GUI for avionics flight intrumentation
  • Developed engine GUI for engine operations (chill, fill, and fire)

Click here for my journal⮐

Open Networking Foundation: IoT 5G Intern

August 2020 - March 2021

Developed an IoT project to demonstrate the power of Aether's 5G edge compute. The project was a fun modification on a developmental iRobot which was meant to showcase increased traffic through the newly developed Aether 5G network. Below are my accomplishments summarized...

  • Evaluated IoT frameworks / communication platforms
  • Interfaced with 5G modem to develop mobile IoT robot application

ASU: Fulton Undergraduate Research Initiative

October 2019 - December 2020

This project is prompted by the lack of knowledge on fixed wing electric aircraft performance. Research is conducted via the development of instruments onboard a miniature electric aircraft platform. Instruments equipped measure thrust, angle of attack, orientation, altitude, airspeed, battery current/voltage, motor RPM/torque, and internal temperature. The functional suite of sensors onboard the aircraft logs performance characteristics onto a custom flight controller for post-flight analysis. As a result, electric aircrafts can be effectively tuned in throttling power which could be used to maximize an aircraft’s range or other aircraft performance features. More info here⮐


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