Andrew Lesh

Howdy! I’m starting a PhD in CEE with a specialty in lunar and Martian surface construction. I’m optimizing an in-situ concrete analog called biopolymer-bound soil composite (BSC) that will hopefully be used for lunar infrastructure for NASA’s Artemis Program. I’m excited to use the skills I gain in this course to model prototype lunar habitats and surface infrastructure.

I just returned from Longyearbyen, Svalbard, where I've been working for a couple months as a polar bear guard for meteorological expedition. Before that, I worked as an associate engineer for SpaceX, specializing in thermal protection systems, and got to work at height on Starship No. 24, which will hopefully launch to orbit soon!

Going back even further, I completed several space and nuclear internships, including work on Relativity Space's first completed orbital rocket (also due to launch soon), and equipment for manufacturing solenoid cable for Commonwealth Fusion Systems' SPARC reactor. I’ve also worked for a couple dig seasons as a field archaeologist at Chavin de Huantar, Peru, where I discovered a subterranean gallery complex that had been sealed for 2,500 years.