Christopher Whitlock

I am an Aerospace Engineering graduate student from the Kansas City metro area. I study many topics in Astronautics, including but not limited to: rocket propulsion, spacecraft systems design & analysis, astrodynamics, CFD, CAD, and data acquisition systems. As a Graduate Research Assistant, I work under Dr. Kaplinger on research projects, including a micro-gravity experiment and rocket propulsion testing platforms. 

During my undergraduate and graduate career I’ve had the fortune of working in several student organizations, covering astronomy, space exploration, and most importantly rocketry. Serving as one of Jayhawk High-Powered Rocketry’s executive officers for the past couple years, I’ve helped students go from learning the basics of rocketry to competing in collegiate rocketry competitions.  All this cumulative experience and educational background made it possible for me to spend the Fall 2024 semester working as an intern for NASA’s Langley Research Center, where I supported the In-space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing team within the Space Mission Analysis Branch. Now returned to KU, I intend to complete the last semester in my master’s program and prepare for potential careers either in industry or in further graduate research programs.