Engineering Portfolio
Kartik Bhatia
Engineering robotic space systems and the manufacturing that supports them, while working toward a career in human spaceflight
Senior aerospace engineering undergrad at the University of Maryland. Currently leading engineering on a NASA seed-funded Venus flight system research project, working as an additive manufacturing (3D printing) technician, and doing multi-robot systems research on swarms
- Robotics
- Additive Manufacturing
- Space Systems
About
High School
Robots, olympiads, and the Interstellar obsession that started it all
University of Maryland
Aerospace Engineering, Minor: Global Engineering Leadership. Everything in this portfolio is just 3 years of college
The Dream Job
Building robotic space systems, backed by manufacturing know-how
Human Spaceflight
The long-duration crew, eventually
My interest in robotics and aerospace traces back to Interstellar, mainly TARS and CASE. I remember being more interested in what the robots were doing than anything else on screen: docking, piloting, running calculations, handling the parts of the mission that needed more precision and control than a person could hold steady. That's probably where it started. I want to work on systems that take on real parts of a mission, whether that's robotics and autonomous systems for space, or in-space manufacturing
What I work with
Engineering
Fabrication
Software
Robotics and ML
Currently learning
- Agentic AI systems (tool calling, RAG, workflow orchestration)
- Machine learning for robotics (computer vision, object detection, robotic perception)
- NVIDIA Jetson (edge AI, CUDA acceleration, TensorRT deployment)
- Autonomous navigation (SLAM, sensor fusion, path planning)
- Robot manipulation (MoveIt 2, motion planning, kinematics)
- NVIDIA Isaac ROS (GPU-accelerated perception, visual SLAM)
Technical certifications in progress
- NVIDIA DLI: Fundamentals of Deep Learning
- NVIDIA DLI: CUDA and Accelerated Computing
- NVIDIA-Certified Professional: Agentic AI
- NVIDIA Isaac ROS and Isaac Sim Training
- Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate
Working toward (spaceflight readiness)
- FAA Private Pilot Certificate (PPL)
- SCUBA Open Water Diver Certification
- FCC Amateur Radio Technician Class License
Achievements
$20K NASA funding raised, selected over 31 teams
Co-developed the winning proposal that seeded VAACE with $10K, then raised another $10K after Phase 1 flight results
Primary reviewer on a NASA panel
Evaluated competing teams' submissions against the program's technical criteria during the NPWEE academy
Contributor to a NASA LunaRecycle Phase-2 award
Worked on the proposal effort behind Space Copy's Phase-2 award in NASA's Centennial Challenge
Featured work
Minor projects
Zero Pressure Aerobot
Prototyping Engineer · UMD Balloon Payload Program · Sep to Dec 2024
A high-altitude balloon system built for near-space payload testing, flown to 60,000 ft carrying a 4 lb payload on a full-scale flight. Designed and 3D-printed structural components that held under 2% strain during ascent, extending flight duration by 25%, and programmed a cut-down mechanism with fail-safe logic that brought the payload down inside a 200 m landing radius.
- Control Logic
- FDM 3D Printing
- Balloon Flight Operations
Terraformers, URC Rover Team
Fabrication and Testing Engineer · Jan to Jun 2024
Fabrication and validation work on a 7 ft by 4 ft competition rover. Handled the CNC machining and welding to a ±0.5 mm tolerance, and owned the validation trials, confirming 5 m/s traversal over 2 ft obstacles across 50 km with no structural failures. Reinforced the chassis plates, cutting predicted bending stress by 35% and vibration amplitude by 25% under impact loads.
- CNC Machining
- Welding
- Structural Reinforcement
- Field Validation Testing
Lunar Suit Lighting System
Integration and Test Engineer · UMD Space Systems Laboratory · Sep to Dec 2023
Worked with a team of four to design and integrate a lighting system for a lunar suit prototype, using Fusion 360 for system performance and spatial alignment, plus hands-on fabrication, assembly, and testing of the subsystems and the final build.
MATSCAN, Material Sensing, Classification, and Navigation
Team Lead · UMD Clark School of Engineering · Feb to May 2024
Led a team of seven building an autonomous rover for material sensing and navigation. Oversaw the mechanical design, sensor integration, and the testing and assembly needed to validate that it worked.
Outreach
Autodesk Design & Make Ambassador
Sep 2025 to Present
Run outreach through Design & Make pop-up booths, demoing tools, supporting hands-on mini-builds, and answering questions to get more people interested in design. Also pitch to university classes and clubs to drive adoption and pull students into project-based challenges.
NASA L.U.C.Y Mission Ambassador
Sep 2024 to Aug 2025
Shared the Lucy mission's story through presentations on campus and around the community, and used LinkedIn to post mission updates and milestones. The goal was making the mission accessible to people who would not otherwise follow it, and that has continued at conferences.
Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, ENAE 100
UMD Department of Aerospace Engineering · Sep to Dec 2025
Guided incoming aerospace freshmen through professional practice topics, how the department works, and the skills that make the difference early on. Led in-class discussions connecting students to faculty research, student chapters, professional societies, and the industry considerations that shape engineering decisions.
Conference Panel Moderator
Space Tech Expo USA, Long Beach, CA · May 2024
Moderated the full Day 1 panel discussion at the Technology Conference, facilitating conversations with industry leaders and keeping the session running for both speakers and attendees.
Get in touch
Looking for internship and full-time opportunities in space systems, robotics, and manufacturing tech. Easiest way to reach me is email.