Abstract
My technical work and my STS research are both fundamentally centered on the advancement of modern flight systems, though they approach the field from distinct perspectives. While my technical project focuses on the engineering requirements, mechanical design, and integration of a hypersonic reentry vehicle to achieve mission success, my STS research examines the need for transparency and risk assessment in these complex technologies. This research explores the moral failings in the design of active flight-control software and how a lack of professional virtue can lead to catastrophic failures in aviation. So, while my technical work and my STS research approach flight systems from different angles, one through the lens of mechanical reliability and the other through the lens of ethical oversight, the theme of advancing safety and accountability in aerospace engineering is consistent across both projects.
My technical work explores the design of the Hypersonic ReEntry Deployable Glider Experiment (HEDGE-2). HEDGE-2 is a deployable flight vehicle designed as proof of concept for low-cost hypersonic test vehicles capable of collecting aerothermal data at hypersonic speeds during atmospheric reentry. As the Structures and Integration Lead and Deputy Project Manager, I focused on designing and building a hypersonic test vehicle. Additionally, I designed the deployment mechanism to eject the vehicle from within a NASA RockSat sounding rocket to an aerodynamically stable reentry flight state. The goal of the project was to successfully survive the high-G launch environment, suborbital space and atmospheric reentry conditions to reenter Earth’s atmosphere at Mach 5+ speeds, while transmitting data to our ground station.
My STS research also explores flight systems but through a normative ethical lens. My research focuses on the Boeing 737 MAX crashes and investigates the systemic failure of the organization to practice core professional virtues. I employ virtue ethics as a conceptual framework to argue that the disasters resulted from a deficiency in prudence, honesty, and moral courage among the project's key actors. My claim is that Boeing’s internal culture prioritized commercial interests, specifically the "Common Type Rating" and schedule adherence, over the ethical requirements of engineering integrity. By misclassifying the risks of the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) and withholding technical details from pilots, the organization failed to uphold its duty to public safety.
Working on these two projects simultaneously added significant value to my development as an engineer. My technical work on HEDGE-2 provided me with a grounded understanding of how small design decisions, such as sensor placement or mass distribution, dictate the safety and stability of a high-speed vehicle. This technical context enriched my STS research by allowing me to evaluate Boeing’s "single-point-of-failure" design through a more critical and practiced lens. Conversely, my research into virtue ethics prompted me to reflect on my own responsibilities as a lead for a NASA-supported project. It reinforced the importance of technical honesty when mission-critical safety is at stake. In summary, these projects together have provided a holistic view of aerospace engineering where technical precision must be balanced by an unwavering commitment to professional ethics.
