Ander A. Solorzano

About Ander A. Solorzano

Ander performed as the lead systems engineer for Astrobotic’s first lunar mission to the Moon, Peregrine Mission 1 from 2015 to 2024. His responsibilities included guiding and leading the team thru technical challenges thru the entire program life cycle. He led and coordinated with multiple engineering leads to accomplish integrated spacecraft systems campaigns, including RF compatibility, EMI, TVAC, vibration, and acoustics tests. Additionally, Ander served as one of the Flight Directors for Peregrine Mission 1, where he was responsible for leading and coordinating the team thru mission operations activities. In his earlier years at Astrobotic, Ander led the groundwork mission design work along with NASA and Airbus Defense & Space engineers through the partnerships the company had. That work became the foundation for Peregrine Mission 1 and Astrobotic’s early successes that enabled the company to become a leader of the commercial lunar industry. In his early career, he built multiple intelligent ground vehicle robotic platforms that functioned in GPS-denied environments. He participated in the Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition (IGVC) twice while leading his university team on the computing vision and electronic design. Additionally, he built a highly successful autonomous soccer field painting robotic platform called FieldDroid, becoming one of the first technology demonstrations in a new growing market. Currently, Ander leads as the Associate Chief Engineer for Astrobotic’s Griffin Mission 1, seeking to establish the first landed and operable spacecraft on the lunar south pole. Ander has a master’s degree in robotics systems development from Carnegie Mellon’s Robotic Institute and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Rose Hulman Institute of Technology. He grew up in Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela, prior to moving to the United States in 2003, where he lives now.

Experience

1. Associate Chief Engineer

   Astrobotic

   Apr 2024 — Present

Education

• Carnegie Mellon University

  Master’s Degree, Robotics Systems Development (MRSD)

  2015 — 2016

• Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

  Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Electrical and Electronics Engineering

  2009 — 2013

• Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

  Bachelor's degree, Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering

  2009 — 2013