丁香园AV

Cheers arose from hundreds of SpaceX employees gathered at the company鈥檚 headquarters in Hawthorne, CA when its Falcon 9 rocket shot into space on Jan. 14 carrying a payload of 10 communications satellites.

Watching the live webcast from his home in Coquitlam, B.C., 丁香园AV mechatronic systems engineering student Ian Woodbury breathed a sigh of relief.

During a year-long co-op placement with the private spaceflight company, Woodbury worked on crucial aspects of this highly anticipated launch.

鈥淲e were responsible for everything that connects the satellites to the rocket,鈥� says Woodbury, the only intern on the payload systems team.

鈥淚 made a lot of decisions about the architecture, but it was a team journey. Even as an intern, if you have a good idea and it鈥檚 scientifically sound, you won鈥檛 get pushback.鈥�

Founded in 2002 by serial entrepreneur Elon Musk, SpaceX, a pioneer of reusable rockets, plans to send humans to Mars within a decade. Understandably, the company is a magnet for ambitious engineers determined to push boundaries and defy the odds.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e working with a bunch of really smart people on the ragged edge of what鈥檚 possible,鈥� says Woodbury, a competitive sailor who has raced in championships all over the world.

 鈥淭he aeronautics industry is where serious people go to play. They鈥檙e in it for the mission, and they truly believe in the values of the company.鈥�

The stakes were high for lift-off on Jan. 14, after a launch pad explosion on Sept. 1, 2016 destroyed a different Falcon 9.

In preparation, 60-hour work weeks were standard for Woodbury, who found his mechatronic skills in high demand.

鈥淚 used my coursework more at SpaceX than in any previous internship,鈥� he says.

鈥淚 worked on everything from hardware and mechanism development to logistics and satellite integration and more. You鈥檙e filling a mechanical role, but you need to have a functioning understanding of electrical engineering and programming, too. As a mechatronics student, I could bring that to the team.鈥�

The mission was a triple success: a smooth launch, followed by successful satellite deployment and recovery of the rocket鈥檚 reusable first stage. It was also a personal success for Woodbury, who has accepted a full-time job offer with SpaceX upon graduation.

鈥淚鈥檝e signed the contract already,鈥� says Woodbury, who is currently completing his studies at 丁香园AV and plans to graduate in fall 2017.

鈥淚鈥檓 very proud of my achievement, and really excited about the projects we鈥檒l be working on in the future. I鈥檝e found a career where going to work means more than just a paycheque.鈥�