A Alexander Amadeo-Ranch Aerospace Engineering

Project Archive

Projects, reports, media, and source files.

Direct access to aerospace, controls, simulation, writing, and hands-on engineering work.

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Projects grouped by primary skill area.

Team spacecraft | Structural analysis

UCI CubeSat Structures

Structural analysis work for a student spacecraft team, tied to component behavior, interface constraints, and integration context.

ANSYS Structures Modal analysis Hardware context

Scope

Static and frequency analysis on a CubeSat structural component.

Deliverables

Static and frequency clips showing structural response and modal behavior.

Skills

FEA workflow, design review support, and hardware-aware analysis.

Static clip Frequency clip Overview PDF
Static simulation artifact for the hinge-plate component.
Frequency-view clip for the same part, useful for discussing dynamic behavior.

MAE 146 | Mission analysis with MATLAB

Mission to Didymos

A preliminary Earth-to-Didymos mission analysis built in MATLAB. The project propagates planetary states, solves Lambert transfers, computes total delta-v, and maps candidate windows with a porkchop plot.

MATLAB Astrodynamics Lambert solver Porkchop plot

Scope

Orbital propagation and transfer-planning code built around Earth and Didymos reference elements.

Deliverables

Final report, mission script, Lambert solver, and supporting orbital mechanics functions.

Skills

Astrodynamics, MATLAB modeling, transfer analysis, and delta-v optimization.

Final report Main script Lambert solver 
% Preliminary mission analysis for Earth to Didymos transfer
t_earth = 12 * day2sec;
t_didymos = 412 * day2sec;
rv_earth_dep = propagate_elliptical(rv_earth_ref, t_earth, MU);
rv_didymos_arr = propagate_elliptical(rv_didymos_ref, t_didymos, MU);

[v1_trans, v2_trans, ~] = lambert_universal( ...
    r1_nom, r2_nom, tof_nom, MU, 0, 1e-8, 1e-8);
dV_tot_nom = norm(v1_trans - v1_earth) + norm(v2_trans - v2_didymos);

Simulation | MATLAB

Photon Paths Near a Black Hole

A computational physics project that models photon capture, escape, and critical trajectories and presents the result as a readable visual output.

MATLAB Computational physics Visualization Numerical reasoning

Scope

Simulation of photon capture, escape, and critical trajectories near a black hole.

Output

Plotted result showing multiple trajectory families in a single view.

Skills

Numerical modeling, visualization, and MATLAB-based scientific computing.

MATLAB script Image
Photon path simulation output from MATLAB
Final simulation output from the photon-path model.

Files

Simulation Source

MATLAB source for the photon-path model.

Source code

MAE 106 | Team robotics project

Autonomous Robot

MAE 106 robotics project documented through the final report and experimental verification files.

Robotics Experimental verification Team project Iteration

Scope

Team robotics project documented through the final report and verification files.

Deliverables

Final report plus experimental verification documents.

Skills

Testing, iteration, team project documentation, and system verification.

Final report Verification 1 Verification 2

Report

Final Report

Primary document for project scope, design decisions, and system-level summary.

Open final report

MAE 106 | Controls

PID Controller Design

Controls-focused report covering PID design, tuning, and closed-loop response reasoning.

Controls PID Closed-loop behavior Design reasoning

Scope

PID controller design, tuning logic, and response analysis.

Deliverable

Controls report focused on closed-loop behavior and design tradeoffs.

Skills

Controls analysis, tuning, and technical reporting.

Open report

Report

Controller Design Report

Primary project document covering design choices, tuning, and response behavior.

PID controller design report

Related Project

Autonomous Robot

Complementary MAE 106 project with broader team-system and verification context.

Jump to autonomous robot

ENGR 190W | Technical proposal

ExtrakPak SAR Drone Concept

A heavy-lift search-and-recovery drone proposal framed around system requirements, operational practicality, and risk rather than only concept sketches.

Aerospace systems Technical writing Concept development Risk framing

Scope

Airframe layout, grappling concept, remote command unit, payload framing, and risk considerations.

Deliverables

Technical proposal document and presentation deck.

Skills

Systems thinking, technical writing, and requirements framing.

Proposal Presentation

Report

Technical Proposal

Primary document covering system concept, operations, and risk considerations.

Technical proposal

Deck

Presentation

Condensed project overview for presentation format.

Presentation deck

ENGR 54 | Materials and impact analysis

Lunar Micrometeoroid Protection

A project exploring reinforced ice concepts for lunar protection, combining experimental framing with fast impact and feasibility reasoning.

Materials Impact reasoning Tradeoff analysis Presentation

Scope

Damage behavior, reinforcement concepts, and scale estimates for high-speed micrometeoroid impacts.

Deliverable

Presentation covering comparisons, feasibility framing, and impact reasoning.

Skills

Analytical framing, comparison work, and presentation development.

Presentation

Deck

Impact Analysis Presentation

Primary project file covering concept comparison and feasibility analysis.

Open presentation

Focus

Rapid Aerospace Analysis

Project centered on quick engineering assessment of an unfamiliar materials and impact problem.

MAE 10 | MATLAB data tool

Periodic Table Database

A MATLAB project that combines element lookup with trend plotting, built to return both direct values and a visual read on periodic behavior.

MATLAB Data handling Visualization User-oriented scripting

Scope

Element lookup plus periodic-trend plotting for mass, electronegativity, ionization energy, and related properties.

Deliverable

MATLAB project report for the database and plotting workflow.

Skills

Data handling, plotting, and MATLAB scripting.

Project report

Report

Project Report

Primary file for the database structure, outputs, and plotted trends.

Open report

Focus

MATLAB Utility Project

Compact data and visualization project showing scripting and plotting fundamentals.

MAE 91 | Python notebooks

Thermodynamics Notebook Set

A set of Python notebooks focused on state-property calculations, plotted sweeps, and cycle behavior across adiabatic mixing, Rankine analysis, turbine power, and isothermal expansion.

Python CoolProp NumPy Matplotlib

Scope

Cycle analysis, state-property work, plotted parameter sweeps, and engineering calculations in notebook form.

Deliverables

Three direct-open notebooks covering Rankine, gas and turbine plots, and isothermal expansion.

Skills

Python workflow, thermodynamics calculations, and plotted engineering outputs.

Mixing + Rankine Gas + turbine Isothermal plots

Focus

Python for Engineering Analysis

Notebook-based workflow for calculations, parameter sweeps, and visualization.

ICS 11 | Technical writing and policy analysis

Internet Policy Writing

Policy work on data caps, throttling, net neutrality, H.R. 1870, and BEAD, presented through memos, research, and slide decks.

Research synthesis Policy writing Recommendations Audience-aware communication

Scope

Technical issues with policy implications, written as memos, presentations, and recommendation-focused analysis.

Deliverables

Memos, slide decks, and policy analysis documents.

Skills

Research synthesis, technical writing, and audience-aware communication.

H.R. 1870 memo H.R. 1870 deck Data caps deck

Memo

H.R. 1870 Analysis

Primary writing sample from the policy section.

Open memo

Hands-on engineering | Vehicle projects

Mechanical Project Logs

Documented work across two personal vehicle platforms, covering suspension, braking, lighting, exhaust, tuning, trim, and supporting upgrade tasks.

Diagnostics Installation Mechanical troubleshooting Real-world follow-through

Scope

Coilover work, braking upgrades, lighting projects, muffler changes, tuning, and visual trim updates.

Media

Install clips and stills from completed mechanical projects.

Skills

Diagnostics, installation, troubleshooting, and documentation.

Coilover clip Tail-light clip Brake still
Coilover installation clip from the Charger project set.
Rotor and pad upgrade work on a Dodge Charger
Brake upgrade still from the mechanical project work.
Airbag and trim upgrade on a Dodge Charger
Interior and supporting modification work from the vehicle project work.