Russ College graduate strives for accessibility in space infrastructure

For 2019 mechanical engineering graduate Tanner Wick, the Russ College of Engineering and Technology prepared him to influence the trajectory of space infrastructure.

Through professional development, experiential learning opportunities and a supportive network of mentors, Wick secured the role as a lead manufacturing engineer for Redwire.

He works daily to build deployable solar arrays — collections of solar panels — to power integral space infrastructure, like NASA’s IXPE, a space observatory launched to study black holes and neutron stars. 

As a student, Wick was an engineering ambassador, which allowed him to meet prospective students and become more involved in networking opportunities on campus. He remembered participating in an exercise prompting him to visualize where he hoped to be after graduation.

“I wrote, ‘build economic and large-scale space structures,’ because I wanted to bring down the cost of space access,” said Wick. 

On par with Wick’s vision, Redwire seeks to “accelerate humanity’s expansion into space by delivering reliable, economical and sustainable infrastructure for future generations.” It was a perfect fit for Wick as he prepared to start his new career.

Today Wick is a systems engineer working in manufacturing. He leads the building, testing and integration of Redwire’s products to meet customer needs. Over the course of the past year, he has worked on several major projects that have been launched into space. 

Wick expressed that his team was imperative to his success. Learning to be a great teammate was a skill he acquired in the Russ College through project-based learning and collaborative research opportunities. 
 

Creating experiences that prepare students for space

As a student in the Russ College, Wick was heavily involved in service-based projects, design competitions, undergraduate research, professional organizations and practical internships. He was a Russ Legacy Cutler Scholar, a member of the Robe Leadership Institute and an engineering ambassador. He always sought out hands-on experiences to explore his academic interests and have fun while doing them.

While his experiences allowed him to explore, he credited the resources within the Russ College with his ability to solve real world problems practically and efficiently. 

“The college offered a lot of hands-on opportunities, which had the largest impact on my career,” said Wick. “What I learned directly affects my ability to see manufacturing constraints within a project. Part of my role as an engineer is to provide feedback to the design team for better manufacturability.”

Wick was taught invaluable communication and collaboration skills through group and team-based projects. Wick also noted that the Russ College prepared him professionally. 

“The [Russ College] helped prepare me for real life work. That goes back to the resume prep, mock interviews, communicating with recruiters, and navigating career days. I was able to practice those skills and hit the ground running as soon as I graduated,” said Wick.

From the moment he graduated, Wick had a job lined up doing exactly what he had planned — making space infrastructure more accessible. He learned about the job through the network he developed in college, specifically through the Robe Leadership Institute and the ECO Challenge. 

“The Russ College is a pot of gold for opportunities. You just need to have a big enough pot to collect the gold,” joked Wick. 
 

Changing perceptions of the universe 

As an undergraduate, Wick secured two internships with NASA’s Johnson Space Center, which allowed him to work with the world’s top space experts. He discovered through this professional experience that space research affects nearly every aspect of human life through technologies in food, clothing, travel, communication, and more. He wanted to join an industry that had a widespread impact exploring the unknown.

Through Redwire, Wick has already worked on projects that allow him to take part in space research. He is most proud of a solar array that was launched with NASA’s IXPE. It was a major project that required troubleshooting, thoughtful design, and customer interaction. He got to witness the launch of the solar array in December 2021. 

“I knew the long hours meant something because we had a successful launch and array power up. The telescope is now changing our perceptions of the universe,” said Wick. 

Wick will continue to monitor the solar arrays that are currently in space while he prepares for and builds other major projects alongside his team. Up next, he will oversee the building of the Roll-Out Solar Arrays (ROSA) for the Power and Propulsion Element of the NASA Gateway program. 

He is excited to continue his work in space infrastructure. 

“We don’t know what’s all out there and we aren’t going to know all of it, but it is nice to know that I was part of the discoveries along the way,” finished Wick. 

To learn more about the available career and internship opportunities at Redwire, contact Wick at this webpage or see this Redwire webpage.