ENGINEERING · DESIGN · SPACEFLIGHT

Hi, my name is Shandore Chavez.

I make things that fly.

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Shandore Chavez, Aerospace Engineering student
01 / ABOUT ME

Aerospace Engineer in the Making. Builder.
Rocketry Enthusiast.

University of Central Florida
B.S. Aerospace Engineering · Expected Spring 2027

I’m an Aerospace Engineering student at the University of Central Florida who enjoys hands-on engineering, from designing and manufacturing components to testing systems and learning from the results.

Through Knights Experimental Rocketry (KXR), the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), and other engineering projects, I’ve gained experience with high-powered rockets, RC aircraft, aerodynamic test vehicles, and recovery systems, developing skills in CAD, CFD, simulation, fabrication, flight testing, controls, and systems integration.

I'm particularly interested in propulsion, aircraft and rocket design, and aerospace vehicle development, and I hope to keep turning ideas into real, tested, and reliable systems.

View Resume ↗
02 / SELECTED WORK

Projects.

Designed, analyzed, manufactured, and tested.

01Rocket Recovery

Aerodynamically Controlled Rocket Recovery System

Developing an autonomous recovery system to guide a 4-8 lb rocket from an estimated 2,000 ft apogee to a landing zone within a 100 ft radius. The concept combines a drogue parachute, steerable parafoil, wind aware MATLAB/Simulink guidance, OpenRocket trajectory analysis, and custom structures.

MATLAB / SimulinkParafoilRecovery
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02Completed aircraft with team

Aviation Design

Designed a balsa RC aircraft with a four person team, optimizing for speed while meeting competition constraints. Work included a NACA 2412 wing, XFLR5 aerodynamic analysis, SolidWorks modeling, and structural analysis under a 2G load, with a simulated factor of safety of 2.83.

NACA 241250 MPH3rd Place
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03IREC Odysseus

International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC) - Odysseus

Supported integration of a high powered experimental rocket targeting 10,000 ft, working across aerostructures, propulsion, recovery, controls, and payload. Designed and prototyped a four plate cam slot airbrake mechanism using CAD, simulation, and 3D printing.

10,000 ft TargetAirbrakesIntegration
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04Aerodynamic Test Car

3D Printed Aerodynamic Test Car

Led a four person team designing and fabricating a 70 g 3D printed car model for wind-tunnel testing. Used ANSYS Fluent CFD, LabVIEW, and 50+ drag force measurements per run across five wind speeds from 10-30 m/s to study aerodynamic performance.

ANSYS FluentWind TunnelLabVIEW
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05L1 & L2 Rockets

L1 & L2 Rocket Design

Designed, built, and flew Level 1 and Level 2 certification rockets with stable apogees of 1,500 ft, 2,600 ft, and 3,304 ft. Used SolidWorks, OpenRocket, 3D printing, soldering, and laser cutting for custom structures and parachute recovery systems.

Flight TestingOpenRocketRecovery
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03 / OUTSIDE THE WORKSHOP

Beyond
Engineering.

When I'm not working on rockets or engineering projects, you'll probably find me dancing salsa and bachata, swimming, hanging out with friends, or trying something new.

Get to Know Me ↗
Shandore enjoying time outdoors BEYOND
THE WORK.
04 / LET'S CONNECT

Let's build
something great.

Interested in connecting? I'd love to hear from you.