York Zhang

York Zhang has a diverse and extensive work experience in the aerospace industry. York started as a Solid Propulsion Development Engineer at USC Rocket Propulsion Lab in 2015. York then moved on to USC Liquid Propulsion Laboratory as a Lead Propulsion Development Engineer, focusing on ignition, from 2015 to 2016. York joined Firefly Space Systems as an Associate Propulsion Development Engineer in 2016, where they managed CAD for Test Stand 1 and worked on the design of test stand components. York later joined Right Ascension LLC as an Integration Test Engineer in 2017.

In 2017, York joined Firefly Aerospace as a Propulsion Development Engineer, where they worked on various tasks including test development, design development, ground support equipment, and structural test development. York was responsible for extensive testing of static fires on a LOX/RP-1 Lightning Stage 2 Engine, as well as the assembly and integration of engines and fluid instrumentation. York was also involved in conceptualizing components and writing code for turbine efficiency analysis.

After Firefly Aerospace, York worked at Vector Launch Inc. as a Launch Vehicle Systems Engineer. York generated system requirements for the Vector-R launch vehicle and associated ground support equipment, focusing on propulsion and structures.

York then joined NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in 2019 as a Propulsion Integration & Test Engineer. York worked on the integration of hardware with the Propulsion Module and collaborated with different teams to ensure successful integration. York also contributed to the thermal integration aspect of the PACE spacecraft, an Earth observation satellite.

In 2022, York had a brief stint at Payload as a Sales professional before joining BLUE ORIGIN in 2021 as a Propulsion Test Engineer II. Finally, in 2023, they joined Prewitt Ridge as a Business Development Engineer.

Throughout their career, York Zhang has gained expertise in propulsion development, integration and testing, design development, ground support equipment, and structural testing. Their work experience spans from academic labs to well-known aerospace companies, showcasing their versatility and knowledge in the field.

York Zhang attended San Diego Miramar College from 2011 to 2013. The specific degree and field of study during this time are unknown. Following this, they went on to attend the University of Southern California from 2013 to 2016, where they earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Chemical Engineering.