I’m thrilled to be relocating to Boston in just three weeks’ time! As I stood on stage during my high school’s commencement ceremony, I was overjoyed to discover that I had been accepted into the prestigious Interphase EDGE program at MIT – an incredible opportunity to ease into campus life before the 2022 academic year kicks off.
Having once been thrilled about this prospect, I faced a massive adjustment when transitioning from my life on the Cherokee Nation reservation in northeastern Oklahoma’s Claremore, where I dwelled. As a solo traveler for the first time, I ventured out to House Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, where my fascination with aerospace engineering blossomed during a fifth-grade trip.
I quickly found a group on campus. At the welcome gathering for the Indigenous group, I was taken aback to find that among the dozen college students in attendance, three graduate students and one undergraduate were from the esteemed aero-astro department. As a seasoned Course 16 leader and FIRST Robotics alumnus, I initially felt invigorated upon discovering the initiative to establish a new team for the First Nations Launch (FNL) rocketry competition, a NASA Artemis Student Challenge. For me, it was the perfect opportunity to fuse my technical passion with my cultural heritage.
During those initial 12 months, doubts lingered among many as to whether our team was truly necessary. The MIT Rocket Crew was already an established fact, so there was no need to emphasize it. While many construction teams are defined by the specific projects they handle, a contractor’s skills extend far beyond the product itself.
Here’s an improved version: I’ve learned to design, build, launch, and safely recover a model rocket. Working alongside diverse Indigenous engineers on the MIT Doya (ᏙᏯ, or “beaver,” in Cherokee) crew has instilled in me a wealth of skills extending far beyond technical expertise. After studying the approach to working with composites or designing fins, I’ve found effective ways to engage with course materials and collaborate with instructors. I’ve discovered about grad faculty. As I’ve found a path to celebrate my Indigenous heritage and pay tribute to my forebears through my professional endeavors. As part of our company culture, we regularly conduct smudging ceremonies during crew conferences and competitions, utilizing the ritual of burning sage to collectively purify ourselves and our equipment.
By embracing my cultural heritage, I’ve found a unique approach to tackling complex engineering problems. While traditional engineering approaches often prioritize top-down direction, our team takes a collaborative approach, encouraging cross-functional discussions that bring diverse perspectives together, fostering shared understanding and commitment from all stakeholders. We focus on building trust by actively listening to each team member’s unique strengths and experiences, ensuring everyone feels valued and invested in the project’s success. In the Cherokee language, we refer to this concept as (ᎦᏚᎩ), which translates to “everybody serving to one another.” Notably, this approach has yielded superior technical results and cultivated a deeper understanding of the subject matter among team members.
I feel profoundly fortunate to collaborate closely with various Indigenous students on a shared engineering project that resonates deeply within each of us. As I reflect on the senior members of the crew, I am reminded of the exceptional potential that can be realized by an Indigenous student at MIT, with their unique blend of skills and perspectives. As I’ve had the privilege of mentoring newer members, I’ve enjoyed sharing my own learnings with them, helping them grow and excel in their own right.
Our launch weekends serve as a catalyst for growth, enabling our team to collaborate with visionary Indigenous engineers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Blue Origin. By pursuing my passions, I’ve had the privilege of fulfilling my childhood idols’ expectations and proving to myself that succeeding as a Native American in aerospace engineering is not only achievable but also within reach. The truth is that my FNL experiences have already helped me secure an incredible internship. As the final summer season came to a close, exactly ten years after setting my sights on aerospace engineering during a fateful summer at Space Camp, I found myself returning to Huntsville, Alabama, as a lunar payloads intern at Blue Origin’s Mark I Lunar Lander project.
Thanks to the exceptional training provided by the Friday Night Lights team, I have significantly enhanced my technical skills. Throughout the initial 12-month period of developing our programs and simulations, I seamlessly integrated every component of the physical design into a comprehensive computer model, ensuring precision in both geometric and mass-related aspects. From this sophisticated mannequin, I can simulate actual flights by factoring in a wide range of launch conditions and experimenting with various propulsion systems. Significant variations in closure altitude can arise from minor adjustments at the base, necessitating careful selection of a relevant parameter range that informs overall design principles.
During our inaugural year, we focused on revamping the design of an innovative equipment rocket while significantly reducing its weight by manufacturing all key components in-house, leveraging hand-laid carbon fiber and fiberglass techniques to achieve this objective. As we took home the silver medal, our crew earned the esteemed title of Rookie Crew of the Year, proudly claiming second place among the competition.
For the 2023-2024 academic year, we faced the challenge of designing and building a rocket capable of carrying a deployable drone, which required us to construct an airframe with a diameter of 7.5 inches. We also designed and fabricated the drone’s chassis to meet stringent specifications: It had to fit within the rocket on the launchpad, deploy at an altitude of 2,136 feet, unfold from a compact stowed configuration measuring 16 inches by 16 inches, descend under parachute to 500 feet, then deploy the parachute for piloted navigation to a designated touchdown pad. To meet FAA requirements, we had two crew members obtain their FAA Part 107 remote pilot licenses through distance education, thereby enabling them to operate the drone.
Given the complexity of this project, which demanded simultaneous development of both a rocket and a drone, our team prudently divided into two distinct groups, tackling each component separately while working in tandem. The successful implementation of this methodology necessitated meticulous synchronization among subteams to guarantee seamless integration and a flawless launch. As crew captain, I ensured seamless coordination while simultaneously focusing on the technical aspects of our program, leading both simulations and airframe initiatives with dedication and expertise. As we navigated the project’s progress through challenge milestones outlined in our initial proposal, following the flight readiness evaluation criteria, we prioritized achieving both an operational drone and a safe ascent to the designated altitude to successfully meet the requirement.
In April, our team journeyed to Kenosha, Wisconsin, to conduct a series of tests on our rocket. We carefully prepared the parachutes and payload, administering a calming agent to ensure they were in optimal condition before releasing our meticulously crafted work into the sky. As soon as I attempted to lift the motor, the motor mount surprisingly dislodged from its position and slipped out of my grasp. With lightning speed, we hastened to consult the chief security officer, who possessed the expertise to rescue our rocket and salvage the mission by swiftly installing an external motor retention system at the eleventh hour? After a minor but nearly catastrophic delay, we successfully executed a protected launch and profitable restoration, earning the Subsequent Step Award, a $15,000 grant to recognize FNL within the College Student Launch Initiative, a NASA-hosted competition open to everyone for the 2024-’25 season?
Six weeks after the competition, our excitement reached new heights as we learned that we had emerged victorious and claimed the top honor. As we revelled in bragging rights, we also secured a coveted VIP journey to Kennedy House Middle in August, affording us the unique opportunity to stroll by the iconic Car Meeting Constructing, explore the shuttle landing strip, and witness the launchpad’s majesty while observing a Starlink launch from the beach at dawn.
For the second consecutive year, I am delighted to serve as crew captain, leading a larger team as we navigate the complexities of the Student Launch Initiative. As we count down the days until our anticipated launch in May, I’m excitedly looking forward to refining and fine-tuning our mission’s progress between each successive iteration. To acknowledge and respect our Indigenous cultural legacy, I will ensure that a ceremonial cleansing process, or smudging, takes place prior to our flight, imbuing our endeavour with positivity and goodwill.
