Kayla Ployhar is a Mechanical Engineering Student Apprentice. She interned at SpaceX during summer 2022.
Kayla Ployhar
Where did you intern and what was exciting for you about that opportunity?
I interned at SpaceX and it was amazing to be a part of the inspiring mission to send Starship to Mars. Everyone I worked with was so passionate about this goal and it made the experience even more exciting.
What kinds of projects have you had a chance to work on over the summer?
I worked on component interference fixes, weldment and measurement tooling for current heatshield related flight hardware, and design and analysis for future Starship booster flight hardware. I primarily worked with the heat shield team for the booster and often worked with technicians in the shop to help integrate my designs.
Was there a particular challenge you encountered that really pushed your engineering skills?
Working in a fast-paced environment where everyone pushes each other to the max and expects nothing but your hardest work every day. From this, I learned how to balance getting designs done quickly and efficiently, without sacrificing quality.
Did you have any "aha!" moments when you realized that you could use an equation or skill you'd learned in class?
I used GD&T and tolerancing concepts from our Manufacturing class. This included part revisions for previous designs and creating all drawings for the workflow process for my own tooling designs.
What advice would you have for other students interested in working or interning in a related field?
Join a club or team that has a hands-on engineering project, the skills you will learn there will be invaluable. Reach out to and stay in touch with professors, mentors, etc., you never know where your connections might get you in the future!