Aaron
Kumar
Mechanical Engineering Student · Propulsion · Aerospace
Second-year Mechanical Engineering student at McMaster University. Member of the McMaster Rocketry Team — working on McMaster's first hybrid rocket engine. 3× international award winner in space systems design.
Summer 2026
Incoming
Hybrid Rocket Engine
Sep 2025 – Present
1st Place · NSS 2024
Hon. Mention · NSS 2024
About Me
Current Status
2nd Year — B.Eng. Mechanical Engineering
Institution
McMaster University · Hamilton, ON
Focus Areas
- Propulsion Systems & Hybrid Rocket Engines
- Aerospace & Space Systems Design
- CAD, Prototyping & Mechanical Design
- Lean Manufacturing & Process Engineering
Education
McMaster University · 2025–Present
- B.Eng. Mechanical Engineering
- McMaster Rocketry — Propulsion Sub-Team
- Central Peel Secondary School · OSSD 2025
Recognition
- Peel DSB & City of Brampton — STEM Leadership
- Recognized for STEAM outreach across Ontario
Projects
Robotic End Effector
Gear-driven end effector for a Q-arm robotic system simulating warehouse order fulfillment. Served as Subject Matter Expert — designed initial concept, led all CAD iterations, produced exploded drawings, and wrote the Python customer_summary() function. Redesigned final gripper to extend leverage and shorten arms for improved torque output.
Motorized Storage Device
Motorized lift for a powerchair user with rheumatoid arthritis. Rack-and-pinion drive with gearbox-amplified DC motors, parallel 9V batteries, and single-button interface for autonomous item retrieval. Led all CAD iterations and ~80% of electronics and wiring; used BambuLab P1S 3D printer for same-day rapid prototyping.
ASTRAEUS II
Co-developed an award-winning space agriculture habitat for long-duration human settlement, submitted to the NSS Live in a Healthy Space Design Competition. Led structural design and systems integration of a sustainable extraterrestrial agricultural module. Key innovations: magnetorheological fluid tilling system, AI-powered automated pollination vehicle, frequency-optimized plant growth (PAFT system), and integrated hydroponic/aeroponic/soil-based farming — achieving near 100% space efficiency and capacity for up to 592,391 inhabitants per settlement.
HHO Generator & Ion Thruster
Built and tested a functional hydrogen-oxygen generator prototype exploring electrolysis and clean-energy applications. Alongside this, conducted independent ion thruster and small-scale propulsion design work — hands-on exploration of experimental propulsion concepts.
Experience
Skills & Tools
Contact
INSTITUTION: McMaster University
PROGRAM: B.Eng. Mechanical Engineering
SEEKING: Engineering Internship / Co-op
TERM: Summer / Fall 2027
STATUS: ● AVAILABLE