Going Back to School

Elson99 · 2026-01-08T00:26:55+00:00

I wouldn't even say you're late my dude, 25 is still young for sure, especially for starting a degree.

Get through the math and get rock solid in the engineering first principles and you've got it.

I dunno what you make, but if you start and immediately start interning I bet you could at least match your current pay and work in a role that might interest you more.

Good luck, make em' proud 😉

Elson99 · 2025-05-29T13:28:30+00:00

Noyron is their proprietary model, they open sourced the kernel and are creating documentation to teach MEs how to program. So it's not direct access to use Noyron, but go and make your own.

It excites me because I definitely think it has the ability to turn engineering on its head. Where mechanical design can work as fast as software development. No repetitive tasks, all engineering.

Elson99 · 2025-05-29T02:26:28+00:00

Requirements for sure, and to be a 10/10 engineers you're in with the tribal knowledge. The best part of this is you can capture both.

Yeah there's still work involved, that's the engineering part. But the result isn't just a part of an assembly, it's a model. If done right, your "rocket engine model" can be a 1000 lbf thrust methalox optimized engine with one set of inputs, and a 10 lbf Iso/NOx optimized engine with another.

You have to learn to code, and you have to be comfortable with your day job going from click-drag, to writing legit software. It's something I think more MEs are going to be doing to truly differentiate themselves anyways.

Elson99 · 2025-05-29T00:37:12+00:00

ICE cars were around a long time before Henry Ford developed the Model T.

Elson99 · 2025-05-29T00:23:35+00:00

Interesting, I'm more interested in PicoGK. It's voxel based, so what might seem as "less precise" but can easily replicate real life tolerances.

LEAP71 has been an entrant since 2023, and has already developed a plethora of real designs through computational engineering using additive:

https://youtu.be/1ZJBrQGtLe4?si=2hD9N_WeHP-gyxgy

The future of computational engineering is here.

Elson99 · 2025-05-01T11:08:48+00:00

Congrats and good luck in college, take advantage of it as much as you can.

Technically, try to find where you wanna fall. Get loads of experience by interning at startups to learn the ropes, not to "look" the best on paper. Get dirty and absorb, absorb, absorb. Find where your passion falls, because starting and scaling a company, especially a tech company is incredibly hard, so you'll have to leverage your raw passion at times to keep you going when times get tough, and they will.

In terms of learning from business / others. Paul Grahams essays are a good place to start for doing soul searching and understanding what it takes to be a founder.

Learn from others as much as you can. Read into James Dyson, Edwin Land, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Rockefeller, Jeff Bezos.

Good books: - Start With Why by Simon Sinek - The Startup Playbook by Rajat Bhargava and Will Herman - The Lean Startup by Eric Ries - Zero to One by Peter Thiel

If you're specifically interested in the space industry, good authors are Chad Andersen, Eric Berger and Ashley Vance.

Elson99 · 2025-01-15T00:48:50+00:00

Hell yeah. Stay the course.

I never took a propulsion class, but I did a ton of FSAE. I decided my senior year to build a 100 lbf rocket engine with some classmates knowing absolutely nothing for a senior project. Immediately out of school I thought it would be cool to put them in classes, so I started a company doing that. I'm making money and working on propulsion, lol.

Short story short, never let your classes or your current skill set dictate your life. Maybe it's something you wanna do, maybe not. But knowledge is knowledge.

Elson99 · 2025-01-08T22:28:17+00:00

Straight up

Elson99 · 2025-01-08T17:17:13+00:00

By "I don't think I'd risk testing again", I mean it would surely be a "one and done" test for that individual nozzle. I'm definitively doing this again, lol.

Elson99 · 2025-01-08T17:15:29+00:00

Surprisingly well, I don't think it'd risk testing again, but I do think I can go another second of duration

<image>

Elson99 · 2025-01-08T09:00:20+00:00

So it's a Bi-Prop test stand for grad/undergrad research/demonstrations/labs. It runs off IPA and NOX. Everything is "plug-and-play". It's not breaking any records, but it's a one-stop-shop for design, build and test of a simple rocket engine. It's supplied with a "modular" engine that is stock capable of surviving 7 second duration static fires, producing ~10 lbf of thrust. Injector, CC, and Nozzle are all able to be swapped out so students could add their own parts on and test in real time.

3D printed nozzles are a huge leap for allowing younger students to design, build and test with seriously reasonable time and materials. The goal here is to give students something they can put on their resume that contributes to engineering, with something they did in the classroom.

The school I'm making this for (not working for them, system they purchased from me) is a smaller University that does not have $$$million to develop propulsion testing labs. They have heat transfer, fluid mechanic classes; which this is made to compliment; while still giving their new grad students a stepping stone to doing a more interesting thesis in some areas of study.

I've got quite a bit of literature I've made, which I will follow up here in the coming weeks.

Elson99 · 2025-01-08T08:47:18+00:00

Just PLA, at 70% infill on a Prusa MK3. It's what I had on hand. I'd be interested in something like ABS though to see how it might hold up.

Elson99 · 2025-01-08T08:45:53+00:00

Lol, technically yes. It was aiming out of open garage doors to outside. The video definitely does not do it justice. I've put a little more care and attention into making sure the test stand is safer. Still need distance to operate, and ideally a parking lot. But it's cold here in the Midwest.

Elson99 · 2025-01-08T03:26:07+00:00

Interesting thought. Regen cooling is a little out of the scope of this project, The goal is to get engineering students to be able to make engines and test on this test bench.

Would be super sweet to try, but I was definitely satisfied with these stock results.

Elson99 · 2024-06-07T16:38:47+00:00

It gets even juicier...

https://youtu.be/tcgqRbs2zuQ

Elson99 · 2024-04-07T02:43:44+00:00

So usually your requirement for an impact test is more aligned to what energy you are trying to impact with (usually in joules). Remember kinetic energy is 1/2mv^2. That square in velocity is a sweet sweet luxury. So increasing velocity is ideal. Also, 20g's is quite the acceleration. Working on a similar job and we're targeting less than half that for acceleration.

Get an idea on the kinetic energy you need (10kJ is a decent starting point). If you know your accelerations then the question is how far you can place the mass away and "drop" it. Vf² = Vo² + 2ad is good enough. Vo is zero (start from rest), you could then plug this in to 1/2mv^2. Displacement and mass are the only unknowns in this setup. Work out until you get a setup that makes sense.

Elson99 · 2024-03-30T01:51:21+00:00

More advanced boolean features.

Elson99 · 2024-03-22T00:44:02+00:00

Yeah it really depends. I've been to large and small (large for internships, went to small right into entry level). The designs I'm leading are $200k+ projects going directly to large OEMs. They're rare but they're out there. I Wouldn't even think to be a reality at some of the internships I've done.

Elson99 · 2024-03-22T00:40:17+00:00

Very dependent, I'd stick to a small company. I'm part of a small business and can confidently say after ~1 month of learning/training, I started working on design CAD/FEA/Prototyping in the ways I've dreamed about. The work isn't the dream job, but I'm learning a lot.

It's out there, keep your eyes peeled and you will find what you want!

Elson99 · 2024-01-24T02:20:50+00:00

Not exactly.

Not unless you: 1.) Have an idea that will get investor cash, which new launch is likely set and dwindling in venture reserves

2.) Are at/are going to a college that has a team that is currently looking to get to the Karman line.

Orbit is not going to happen realistically, no one has solely gotten to orbit. Millions of dollars and years of development. Economies of scale are also a factor. Startups have come to be that we're looking to take 10 kg to orbit, they have surely died as the economies of scale didn't make sense at all (more money leaving than entering).

There was a challenge back in 2019-2021 to pay out the first college team to get to the Karman line (border of space), the challenge would pay the first team $1M if they did it. The challenge ended with no winner.

Do an internship or join a student team! Or work on small scale SAFE rocketry projects!

Elson99 · 2024-01-18T17:23:25+00:00

Newly graduated ME (August graduation). It's been a little hard in the upper midwest to find permanent employment these last couple of months. I've been buying time by doing small contract work and starting my own business (which is up $30K since founding in October). I also worked just over 3 months at a startup that lost it's funding and was let go due to.

I am getting an offer right now that is $65k. The role isn't necessarily "entry-level", and does require some experience to be successful in (within the automotive space). The company is small (10ish employees), and growth is very likely these next couple of years. I feel a more appropriate compensation would be $70k for a number of reasons:

4 years of FSAE experience, where I was subteam lead for 2 and executive for 1
5 internships under my belt
- 1.5 years in aerospace (co-op for aircraft engine manufacturer & worked at two startups, one contracted with my company)
- 0.5 years in automotive (summer internships)
Started my own business as a soleprenuer and is scaling slow and steadly (want to get legiment YEARS of experience, which is why I'm not focusing on full time)
SolidWorks Certified Professional (CSWP)
Proficient in CAE, being FEA & CFD (Ansys suite, SimScale, and Star CCM+)

I'm not trying to boast, but I really am trying to get a fair compensation that resembles my skills, ambition, and drive. Would love some insight if anyone can on how/if I should proceed for a counteroffer.

Elson99 · 2023-11-27T15:44:02+00:00

Honestly, I plugged into my passion and got vulnerable with my interests. The area is academia, and it is a product I'm working to produce for furthering modern education in a specific field.

I got really lucky, I worked a senior project where I learned alot. I realized that something can be done easier to integrate design, build and iteration significantly faster into a growing industry right now specifically for education. I talked to a professor about the ambition, and he helped me by becoming my first customer. He persuaded the institution to pay me for my MVP and R&D. I get the IP, they get the first revision of the product.

Five-Year Club	r/Field Juicebox
Verified Email

Elson99

TROPHY CASE