NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)
Masten Space Systems
XL-1 Lunar Lander
Lead EPS and Avionics Architect
Vehicle Harnessing & Connector Strategy
Real-Time Systems Integration Lead
Cross-System Interface Coordinator
Configuration & Fault Management
Project Overview / MIssion Objectives
XL-1 was Masten Space Systems’ entry into NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, designed to deliver science payloads to the Moon’s surface. Unlike earlier concepts, XL-1 was a vertical takeoff and landing (VTVL) vehicle built from the ground up for lunar ops—with ambitious autonomy, precision landing, and fault-tolerant systems as core design drivers.
The program demanded speed, discipline, and creativity. With a clean-sheet lander architecture and a growing stack of payloads and partners, XL-1 had to move fast while solving deep integration challenges across propulsion, avionics, power, and thermal systems—all on a lunar timeline.
Roles and Responsibilities
I served as the Lead Electrical Power System (EPS) and Avionics Systems Architect, with responsibility for the full end-to-end design, integration, and verification of spacecraft electrical systems. This included high-voltage solar arrays, battery management, regulated power distribution, and interface coordination with payloads, avionics, propulsion, and ground systems.
I led the development of:
Power budgets and architecture documents
Connector strategies and wire harness schematics
Interface control documents (ICDs)
Integration plans across internal and external teams
I also played a central role in real-time systems integration, debugging and validating EPS performance during assembly, bench testing, and system bring-up. This was not a theoretical role—I was in the loop, at the bench, and at the whiteboard, guiding the vehicle toward flight readiness.
Legacy
Though the XL-1 mission was eventually shelved following Masten’s bankruptcy, the engineering foundation remains one of the most complete and flight-ready commercial lunar systems developed outside a prime contractor.
I walked away with firsthand experience in ground-up lander design, including the complexities of building for lunar descent, autonomy, and constrained environments. More than anything, I carried forward the lessons of cross-functional clarity: that flight hardware doesn’t care about organizational boundaries—only whether it works.
Highlight: Full-Stack Electrical Integration
Unlike siloed programs, XL-1 required one-to-one electrical coordination across every vehicle subsystem. I led this effort, ensuring that every connector, every voltage, and every interface across propulsion, payload, and command systems was understood, documented, and validated.
This included:
Developing the full vehicle harness architecture and managing build-to-print schematics
Coordinating EPS and avionics bring-up during hardware integration and bench-level testing
Designing fault protection and load prioritization strategies to handle lunar power constraints
Managing configuration control across rapidly evolving subsystems and supplier inputs
It wasn’t just about “making it work”—it was about making it testable, traceable, and survivable under lunar mission constraints.