Nicholas Kostreski

About Nicholas Kostreski

Nick is an accomplished Aerospace Engineer with a diverse background spanning satellite flight dynamics, wind tunnel design, and launch vehicle guidance, navigation, and control (GN & C). He earned both his B.S.(2010) and M.S.(2012) in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland, where he researched automated kinematic extraction techniques for free-flying insects to advance our understanding of micro-scale flight dynamics and control. His thesis is publicly available here: http://drum.lib.umd.edu/handle/1903/13546.After graduation, Nick served as a Satellite Flight Dynamics Engineer at Metispace Technologies (formerly GMV Solutions), supporting several Low Earth Orbit and Geostationary satellite projects in collaboration with General Dynamics and Orbital Sciences. He then redirected his passion for hands-on aeronautics by leading the Engineering department at Aerolab, where he successfully revitalized a wind tunnel design and manufacturing company. Nick overhauled the proposal, cost estimation, design, and reporting processes which resulted in putting Aerolab on the map against large competing firms. Some of Nick’s proud achievements that he won the contract for and also managed include the Lockheed Skunkwork’s new low speed tandem test section tunnel, new pyramidal 6-DoF balance with pitch/yaw motion control system for Embry Riddle, and a new PIV low speed tunnel for University of Colorado Boulder. Returning to the aerospace industry, Nick joined Vector Launch as a GN & C Engineer. In that role, he oversaw navigation performance testing, Monte Carlo 6-DOF analysis, fault logic development, aerodynamics table creation, Thrust Vector Control (TVC) performance analysis, liftoff clearance analysis, and Hardware-in-the-Loop simulation development. Following Vector’s closure in August 2019, he transitioned to Northrop Grumman, where he currently serves as the GN & C Performance Lead for the LGM-35A Sentinel (GBSD) program.Outside of work, Nick embraces an active lifestyle—whether rock climbing, paragliding, snowboarding, or competing on American Ninja Warrior, where he is a two-time Nationals Finalist.

Experience

1. Staff Guidance Navigation & Control Engineer

   Northrop Grumman

   Oct 2022 — Present · Roy, UT, US

Education

• University of Maryland

  Bachelor's degree, Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering

  2005 — 2010

• University of Maryland

  Master's degree, Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering

  2010 — 2012

Skills

• Fortran
• Objet Studio
• Simulations
• System Design
• Rock Climbing
• Simulation
• Aerospace
• Software Engineering
• Computer Vision
• Systems Engineering
• Spacecraft
• Linux
• Space Systems
• Image Processing
• Guidance Navigation & Control
• C++
• Matlab
• Unicycling
• Solidworks
• High Speed Videography