Q&A: Ursa Major Test Engineer Chase Trautman

Every week, we sit down with one of our employees at Ursa Major to ask them about their roles at the company and what led them to join in the first place.?

?For this week’s installment, we chatted with Test Engineer Chase Trautman. Read on to learn more about what a test operator at a propulsion company does and what inspired Chase to pursue a career in aerospace.?

What does a test engineer at Ursa Major do??

My role involves around 75% test operations and 25% design.??

My general test day consists of installing or troubleshooting an engine on the test stand, performing checkouts, running tests, and evaluating engine and facility data to determine test objective success. Once that’s done, our team removes the engine from the stand and delivers the engine to manufacturing to prepare for the next objective or shipping.??

When we’re not actively testing an engine, I am working on test stand upgrades that can include facility design, new panel design, or installation of new components.?

What are the biggest reasons you joined Ursa Major??

I wanted to work at a company that allowed me to wear a lot of hats and have a lot of responsibility early on in my career. I've always been the type to learn by doing, and I saw an opportunity at Ursa Major where I could make an impact and seek out involvement wherever I chose to help the team.??

While I studied for my masters in Aerospace Engineering at Purdue I was always playing multiple roles, working in the propulsion test lab from design to executing tests, and I wanted a role and company where I was still able to do both.

I also really enjoy how the company allows me to be involved across the entire product lifecycle. One day I am working with manufacturing to get an engine on the stand, the next day I am testing that engine, and the day after that I'm working on design for test stand improvements. I get to do the whole realm of engineering!??

Additionally, I wanted a place where culture and activities outside of work were not only allowed but encouraged. Bonus points—I'm a huge outdoor enthusiast, and it’s a nice benefit that Ursa Major happens to be headquartered in Colorado.?

When did you decide that you wanted to work in aerospace, or what inspired you to pursue this type of career??

I actually grew up most interested in medicine and cars, but I also had a soft spot for space exploration. I didn't seriously consider a career in the space industry until high school, where small launchers and private space were really taking off.??

I credit my physics teacher in high school for exposing me to the private space revolution, and for giving me Neil DeGrasse Tyson's book “Death by Black Hole”—that really got me thinking about pursuing engineering and space exploration. I didn't necessarily want to work in rockets or propulsion, but when I joined and became very involved with the Alabama Rocketry Association, I never looked back.?

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