Hear from former astronauts how they’ve continued to thrive in their careers at Northrop Grumman.
Creating Cygnus
Building the Future of Space Cargo
By Lauren Sarmir
Delivering cargo 250 miles above Earth may seem daunting, but for Cassandra Rodriguera, it's just another day at the office.
Cassandra is the lead technician for the service module structures of the Cygnus Commercial Resupply spacecraft. Cygnus is tasked with navigating to the International Space Station (ISS) to deliver critical cargo to the astronauts aboard.
As a native of Southern California, Cassandra has aerospace in her blood. The region is renowned for its rich aerospace heritages, and many Californians work in the industry — including Cassandra's family. Her mother worked for an aerospace company, and as a little girl, Cassandra remembers hearing her mother's stories about building spacecraft.
Cassandra in front of the Cygnus service module structure
“She would tell me about the satellites, telescopes and balloons — what they were for, and how the parts came together," Cassandra said. “I was just fascinated at the fact that she was building things that went to space. It instantly made me want to make the unknowable, knowable."
Cassandra began working at Northrop Grumman in 2017 as a junior manufacturing technician. She later moved into roles that gave her a deeper understanding of how elements of a spacecraft fit together and their ability to tolerate the vacuum of space. Cassandra's journey around the business has given her invaluable experience that she translated to her current role on Cygnus.
Now, as lead technician for the Cygnus service module structure's subassembly, Cassandra focuses on crucial elements like panels, struts, clips and brackets. Without these components, cargo doesn't get delivered. Cassandra and her team play a critical role in Cygnus' journey to the ISS in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). She has made it her mission to improve the build process, prioritizing efficiency and quality. Cassandra and her team now have a seamless line of communication to provide real time status updates on each element of a build.
Cassandra's professional life has been defined by expertise, dedication and a commitment to excellence in aerospace manufacturing. As she advanced in her career, she saw an opportunity to inspire and mentor future leaders in the field.
“I have always been determined to demonstrate that excellence in manufacturing comes from passion, skill and hard work," she said.
The lead technician role was a major career growth opportunity, allowing her to draw on nine years of aerospace technician experience. She has fostered a collaborative team environment while proving her technical expertise and leadership skills.
Now, Cassandra is focused on mentoring and inspiring other leaders. She hopes to build on her mother's example of success in the aerospace industry and encourage others to pursue similar paths.
“Through leading this program, I've made a tremendous leap forward in my leadership, planning and technical abilities," Cassandra said. “Aside from continued advancement in my career, my goal is to demonstrate that dedication and expertise open doors and to inspire others to seek challenges and rise to those occasions."
Cassandra hopes to inspire others with her dedication
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