NATHAN K.

EMPSON
nke5001@psu.edu
(607) 425-6565
Temporary Address Permanent Address
920-6 Southgate Drive 20648 Route 6
State College PA, 16802 Mansfield, PA 16933

OBJECTIVE: To acquire a full time position, beginning in June of 2010, in the field of Aerospace
Engineering, with an emphasis on control systems.

EDUCATION: B.S. Aerospace Engineering, May 2010

The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
GPA 3.01/4.00

Relevant Courses:
o Modern Control Theory
o Spacecraft Design
o Rocket Propulsion
o Fourier Series and Partial Differential Equations

EXPERIENCE: Aerospace Engineering Co-op

NASA Sounding Rocket Operations Contract (NSROC)
Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, VA 23336

May 2009 – August 2009: NSROC Guidance, Navigation & Control

• Developed and expanded upon a momentum wheel and magnetic torque bar
equipped satellite attitude control system simulation
• Utilized Runga-Kutta-4 for numerical integration of equations of motion
• Modeled environmental disturbances including gravity gradient torques,
solar radiation and aerodynamic interference
• Developed a plotting routine in MatLab to verify the simulation’s
concurrence with the laws of physics
• Translated the vast majority of the simulation from Fortran 77 to C
• Extended the simulation to model a pneumatic attitude control system
• Participated as a part of a team of engineers and technicians in traveling to Poker
Flats Research Range in Fairbanks, AK
• Performed general upkeep and preventative maintenance on five NSROC
launchers
• Followed company procedure to load test launchers
• Replaced rail sections to accommodate an upcoming campaign

May 2008 – August 2008: NSROC Mechanical Engineering

• Utilized SolidWorks to model parts and an assembly of an attitude
control system section including: compressed gas tanks, bracketing, skin section,
and tubing
• Modeled a Talos/Taurus sounding rocket interstage
• Developed a casting, mill complete, and lathe complete configuration to
describe machining process
• Collaborated with a drafting team to produce and approve a set of
machining drawings in accordance with company standards

January 2007 – August 2007: NSROC Testing & Evaluation Laboratory

• Composed rocket launcher technical assembly manual,
including processes varying from core drilling, pedestal installation, rail
alignment, and load testing
 • Performed refurbishment and shipment of the Athena
Launcher for the Government of Norway
• Conveyed physical structures and assemblies via
SolidWorks to foreign engineers and technicians in order to ease transplantation
of Athena launcher from Wallops Flight Facility, VA to Andenes, Norway
• Performed an assortment of flight qualifying tests and
procedures on an assortment of sounding rocket payloads
• Moments of inertia
• Joint compliance
• Vibration
• Deployment

Family Farm Hand

Rodesa Farms, Mansfield, PA 16933
May 2001 - August 2005, Summer 2006
• Trained new employees
• Reliably worked 20+ hours while attending high school

SKILLS: SolidWorks (CAD Program)

Microsoft Office: Excel, Powerpoint, Word
Matlab & Simulink
Programming Languages: C, C++, Fortran

REFERENCES: Available upon request.