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Dossier

Aerospace engineering student. Propulsion systems, computational aerodynamics, and defense technology.

Background

Junior-year aerospace engineering student with concentrated work in propulsion and flight dynamics. Early exposure to model rocketry and RC aircraft systems led to a sustained interest in how things generate thrust, maintain stability, and survive extreme operating environments.

Current focus areas include solid and hybrid motor development, hypersonic inlet characterization, and computational fluid dynamics. Serve as propulsion lead for the university rocketry team, responsible for motor design, propellant formulation, and static fire test operations for an L-class vehicle.

Parallel research involvement in scramjet inlet flow at the university hypersonics lab. Validating CFD models against experimental schlieren data and wind tunnel measurements at Mach 4-8 conditions.

Targeting positions in defense aerospace and advanced propulsion — organizations operating at the boundary of what current technology permits.

Engineering Approach

Systems-level integration. Effective platforms result from subsystems engineered in concert. Propulsion informs structures. Controls inform aerodynamics. Isolated optimization produces isolated results.

Minimum viable complexity. Every component, surface, and line of code should justify its existence. Unnecessary complexity is a failure mode.

Data-driven iteration. Test early. Instrument everything. Decisions backed by measured performance, not assumptions.

Identification
  • Sebastian Lobaton
  • 20 years old
  • Orlando, FL
Education
  • B.S. Aerospace Engineering
  • University of Central Florida
  • Expected May 2028
Relevant Coursework
  • Compressible Aerodynamics
  • Orbital Mechanics
  • Propulsion Systems
  • Flight Dynamics & Control
  • Structural Analysis
  • Numerical Methods
Certifications
  • NAR Level 2 High Power
  • Part 107 UAS Pilot
  • SolidWorks CSWA
Organizations
  • AIAA Student Member
  • University Rocketry Team — Propulsion Lead
  • SAE Aero Design

Experience

JAN 2026 — PRESENT

Propulsion Lead

University Rocketry Team

Leading a team of 6 in designing and testing solid and hybrid rocket motors. Managing propellant formulation, test stand operations, and integration with the airframe and avionics teams.

MAY — AUG 2025

Aerodynamics Intern

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics — Fort Worth, TX

Contributed to CFD analysis on a classified advanced aircraft program. Ran steady-state RANS simulations to evaluate control surface effectiveness at high angle of attack conditions.

AUG 2024 — DEC 2025

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hypersonics Research Lab — Georgia Tech

Assisted in experimental and computational studies of scramjet inlet flow. Processed schlieren photography data and validated CFD models against wind tunnel measurements.

MAY — AUG 2024

Structures Engineering Intern

Northrop Grumman — Palmdale, CA

Performed stress analysis on composite structural components. Ran NASTRAN FEA models and supported damage tolerance assessment for fleet sustainment programs.

SEP 2023 — MAY 2024

Avionics Team Member

SAE Aero Design — Georgia Tech

Designed and integrated telemetry system for competition aircraft. Built custom PCBs for IMU, GPS, and pitot tube data logging. Placed 4th nationally in advanced class.

Contact

Available for internships, research positions, and engineering collaborations in defense and propulsion.