Juniper Jairala

About Juniper Jairala

In a career of over 20 years as a project lead and systems testing engineer for multimillion-dollar avionics, fight, and crew systems design, manufacturing, testing, and integration projects at NASA as well as contractors and leading commercial aerospace firms, I have acquired extensive experience in managing the strategic, operational, technical, and logistical aspects of engineering projects while ensuring compliance with all safety and regulatory requirements. I have particular expertise in providing technical leadership and direction for the successful completion of ground and flight tests (including underwater, reduced gravity, electromagnetic, thermal, vibration, controls, software, human in the loop, and human factors) for aerospace vehicle/system hardware. Prior to this career I led the design, testing, and construction of complex theme park shows and rides for Universal Studios and Warner Bros by drawing on my expertise in mechanical engineering, design engineering, technical analysis and problem-solving.

Experience

1. Robotics Safety Engr Team Lead, Safety & Mission Assurance

   SAIC

   Feb 2023 — Present · Houston, TX, US

   Lead Robotics Vehicle Safety Engineer for NASA SMAEC contract; responsibility for all Robotics Operations occurring on the ISS as well as Commercial Lunar and Low Earth Orbit Development Programs - NASA Codes NE, NA, OE, and OM Perform real-time risk assessments of ISS systems and operational changes and their impacts to the crew and vehicle. Assess the system safety and fault tolerance characteristics of Station flight equipment operations to include analyses using fault trees and event simulation modeling of ISS operational support plans. Develop and evaluate root cause and corrective actions using standard engineering techniques such as Fault Tree Analysis. Provide engineering evaluations against design and safety requirements in support of Preliminary and Critical Design Reviews of ISS systems hardware. Assure the technical adequacy of analyses developed by outside agencies. Review and assess safety analysis hazard reports and requirement non-compliances. Ensure hazard controls are implemented appropriately. Participate in programmatic safety reviews. Evaluate safety and mission assurance impacts of proposed engineering changes to ISS hardware and processes. System Lead; perform workforce estimating and reporting; train and mentor junior engineers.

Education

• National Aerospace Training and Research Center (NASTAR Center)

  Suborbital Scientist Training

  2012

• NOLS

  NOLS Alaska Mountaineering - Prime, Outdoor Leadership

  2016

• Cornell University

  Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering

  1993 — 1997

• University of Colorado Boulder

  Master of Science, Aerospace Engineering Sciences | Bioastronautics

Skills

• Project Management
• System Safety
• Configuration Management
• Dod
• Spacecraft
• Troubleshooting
• Analysis
• Mechanical Engineering
• Human Factors
• Aerodynamics
• Mathcad
• Fortran
• Management
• Aircraft
• Defense
• Flight Test
• System Design
• Simulations
• Dance
• Modeling
• Composites
• Process Improvement
• Avionics
• Leadership
• Manufacturing
• Robotics
• Space Systems
• Security Clearance
• Matlab
• Proposal Writing
• Requirements Analysis
• Sensors
• Finite Element Analysis
• Satellite
• Propulsion
• Integration
• Requirements Management
• Project Planning
• Earned Value Management
• Training