Aaron Vigil Helps Give SASS to Roman Space Telescope

The stars in the big Wyoming skies inspired Aaron Vigil as a child to dream big. Today, he’s a mechanical engineer working on the Solar Array Sun Shield (SASS) for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope at Goddard.

Name: Aaron Vigil
Title: Mechanical Engineer
Formal Job Classification: Aerospace Technology, Flight Structures
Organization: Mechanical Engineering, Engineering and Technology Directorate (Code 543)

What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard? How do you help support Goddard’s mission?

I currently work on the Solar Array Sun Shield (SASS) for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. I support daily integration and testing tasks related to the SASS assembly. I spend a lot of my time working with Goddard mechanical technicians and other engineers to execute test plans and procedures to assemble, test, and integrate SASS hardware.   

What interests you about space?

I grew up in rural Wyoming. I did a lot of hiking, hunting, fishing, and camping. We were on the mountains constantly. I remember being up at night, sitting around the campfire with my family, looking up at the stars. 

I was fascinated and captivated! I wanted to learn more about space.

What brought you to Goddard?

In 2019, I began a B.S. in mechanical engineering at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. 

In the spring of 2020, I reached out to an organization at the University of Wyoming looking for opportunities to further my education in the field of aerospace. They introduced me to the Wyoming Space Grant Consortium and, through their website, I learned of and applied to be a NASA Office of STEM Engagement intern in the spring of 2021. I received an offer and, in the summer of 2021, began working as a remote intern at Goddard on the 3D modeling and rendering of early spacecraft.  

How did the Hispanic Advisory Committee for Employees (HACE) introduce you to the Pathways Program? …