Aurora Flight Sciences

This #WomensHistoryMonth, we're celebrating the women across Aurora who are working to advance the future of flight. Meet Madelyn Focaracci, an aerospace engineer on our Flight Physics team. "The best parts of working at Aurora are the people and the planes," said Maddi. "I love working with my teammates - everyone has something to teach me. I'm also excited to be a part of a team that focuses on sustainability. Reaching the aviation industry’s net zero goals is a huge challenge, and we are helping piece together what the solutions could look like – it's fascinating!" Maddi has been with Aurora for over two years. She has a Bachelor of Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Master of Science from Georgia Institute of Technology, both in aerospace engineering. Her passion for aerospace and aviation expands beyond her work and into her personal life. She is currently pursuing her private pilot's license, which offers a great opportunity to experience firsthand the concepts that she's studied in theory. #engineer #aerospace #aviation

At Aurora, innovation isn't just a goal – it's our foundation. For well over a decade, our teams have been at the forefront of sUAS development, laying the groundwork for the next generation of small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS). From early innovations to today's SKIRON-X eVTOL product line, our expertise in autonomy, aerospace engineering, and advanced manufacturing has driven breakthrough capabilities in autonomous flight. Learn more about our history of sUAS development and how we're using that experience to drive the development of today's cutting-edge platforms. #autonomy #eVTOL #sUAS #innovation

We are excited to join the team supporting the University of Colorado Boulder's project to develop communication-aware autonomy. As a part of NASA's University Leadership Initiative, this team will investigate tools for understanding and leveraging the complex communications environment of collaborative, autonomous airspace systems. We look forward to collaborating with university teams, industry partners, and NASA to push the boundaries of innovation in autonomous flight. Learn more about the project here: https://lnkd.in/enWknZWx #autonomy #flight

This #WomensHistoryMonth, we’re giving you the opportunity to meet some of the incredible women at Aurora. Today we’re highlighting Sarah Waldrep, lead business operations analyst at Aurora’s manufacturing facility in Columbus, Mississippi. “Since I’ve been at Aurora, I’ve seen how we are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in aviation from design through manufacturing,” said Sarah. “The combination of cutting-edge technology, hands-on work, and the opportunity to bring our local community into this world is inspiring. Aurora employees are transforming visionary ideas into reality with the innovative products we deliver to our customers every day.” Sarah has been at Aurora for 5 years and has a Bachelor of Science in business administration & mathematical science from the University of Tennessee at Martin. Sarah supports our manufacturing teams, optimizing manufacturing processes and ensuring on-time deliveries. She has always had a passion for aerospace and aviation and enjoys sharing that with the next generation of aerospace professionals. She is an avid supporter of Aurora’s outreach program, a member of Aurora's chapter of Boeing Women in Leadership (BWIL) and is currently training for her first Ironman 70.3 this year. 

There's still time to sign up for the next Vertical Flight Society (VFS) Federal City Chapter (Washington, DC) meeting! Hear from Aurora CTO Graham Drozeski, tour one of our hangars, and learn about some of our current programs and capabilities. You'll also get the chance to hear from some of our neighbors at Manassas Regional Airport. We look forward to seeing you!

On Saturday, March 1, Aurora employees volunteered their time to support the Virginia Science Olympiad regional tournament in Fredericksburg, VA. Aurora supervised the middle and high school helicopter events, recording flight times and verifying that students’ helicopters met the necessary specifications. Virginia Science Olympiad is a non-profit organization that hosts team-based STEM competitions for students of all ages. The group encourages students to pursue STEM education by making learning fun with a variety of hands-on competitions and workshops designed to spark interest in STEM fields. We are excited to be back at University of Virginia in Charlottesville at the end of the month to support the state tournament! #STEM #outreach #aerospace

This Women's History Month, we’re celebrating the impact women have had and continue to have in aerospace and engineering. Throughout the month, we will be highlighting some of the incredible women at Aurora. Today we spotlight Eleanor Salkoff, one of our structures engineers and a member of the leadership team for Aurora's chapter of the Boeing Women Inspiring Leadership employee resource group. "I’m excited to celebrate the women at Aurora and in STEM who inspire me every day," said Eleanor. "Working at a company that values diverse perspectives is important to me, and I’m grateful that Aurora makes it a priority—especially in aerospace engineering, which has one of the lowest percentages of women." Eleanor has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University. She started out at Aurora as an intern, and now she works on an X-plane program designing and building aircraft wings that increase efficiency. When asked about advice she has for women looking for careers in STEM, she said it's important to stay curious. "I think the best way to learn and grow, both as a student and in your career, is to keep asking questions. Being curious also pushes you to ask better questions and challenge assumptions, and having a curious mindset ensures you're always learning and can adapt to new environments." #WomensHistoryMonth #engineering #aerospace

At Aurora, experience drives innovation. https://lnkd.in/eWV8suXx For more than fifteen years, our teams have been developing cutting-edge small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) that push the boundaries of endurance, autonomy, and adaptability. From our first ultra-light-weight reconnaissance drone to today’s long-range eVTOL platform, SKIRON-X, our sUAS have delivered mission-critical performance where it matters most. #sUAS #autonomy

"At Aurora, innovation is part of our everyday job," said Chathu (CK) Kuruppuarachchige, senior structures engineer at Aurora. "On the aircraft development side, we continuously push the boundaries of what's possible in aircraft design and flight. Couple that with highly skilled, like-minded teammates who thrive on solving engineering challenges, and you get some really cool aircraft." Chathu has a bachelor's and master's degree from Wichita State University and has been with Aurora for 6 years. He is currently working on one of our aircraft development programs, where he leads the Materials, Process, and Testing Team and co-leads the Integrated Product Team (IPT). Interested in learning more about our advanced aircraft? Visit our website here: https://lnkd.in/eCmuMQmF

Congratulations to MSU Advanced Composites Institute and East Mississippi Community College on the opening of the new Mississippi Advanced Composites (MAC) Training Center! We are proud to provide ongoing support to students in the Golden Triangle region or EMCC Communiversity students as they pursue degrees and careers in composite manufacturing.