1. Dax Garner12820 W. Parmer Ln., Apt. 3107, Cedar Park, Texas 78613, USA
dax.garner@gmail.com • +1 (713) 201-1357
OVERVIEW
Engineer and skilled C/C++ programmer with 6+ years experience developing Linux-based applications. My
emphasis areas include algorithm prototyping, designing reusable software solutions for development and embedded
platforms, building and debugging large integrated systems, and statistical data analysis. Experience with
object-oriented programming, data structures, and agile methods.
EXPERIENCE Firefly Space Systems, Guidance, Navigation and Controls (GNC) Engineer Jan 2016 – Present
• Navigation lead for the GNC team designing a pressure-fed rocket capable of delivering 400 kg to LEO
• Implementing methods for active attitude navigation of rockets using carrier phase differential GPS
• Leading the navigation algorithm design and sensor selection to meet high orbital insertion accuracy
• Developing industry-leading, six-degrees-of-freedom (6DOF) simulation with gimballed thrust vector control,
tail-wag-dog effects, slosh dynamics, sensor hardware and support for hardware-in-the-loop testing
• Lead integrator for the high-fidelity, 20 times faster-than-real-time, 6DOF rocket simulation used to conduct
design trade studies, Monte-Carlo sensitivity analyses, verify requirements and support multi-disciplinary teams
• Designing a modular GNC flight-software (FSW) algorithm architecture through the use of inheritance and
polymorphism to encapsulate the algorithms for various levels of fidelity of FSW
• Demonstrating the GNC FSW architecture reduces the time from prototyping new algorithms to embedded FSW,
enabling fast design of new GNC and continuous integration at each level of FSW fidelity
• Leveraging open source and NASA-developed software to facilitate development of the simulation and FSW
• Developing a graphical visualization tool using Cesium to support simulation and GNC algorithm design, and,
more importantly, for communication to external teams and management on vehicle flight dynamics
• Following the Agile Software Development Process focusing on continuous integration and test methodologies
Odyssey Space Research, Aerospace Engineer Jan 2010 – Dec 2015
Lockheed Martin Orion EM-1 FSW, Subcontractor, Oct 2014 – Dec 2015
• Build manager of the Orion Backup Flight Software (BFS) for the Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1)
• Lead the BFS C++ implementation of the GNC algorithms for quiescent and dynamic phases of flight
• Designed an engine for executing GNC algorithms within an embedded, multi-threaded, real-time environment
• Collaborated with external teams on common design patterns to support BFS within the embedded environment
SpaceX Dragon, Independent Verification and Validation Contract, Jun 2011 – Dec 2015
• Led the independent verification effort for the ISS cargo resupply flights 3 - 6
• Extensive development on Odyssey’s Trick-based C++ independent dynamics and vehicle simulation
• Technical lead to upgrade the Odyssey independent dynamics simulation to interface with the SpaceX
hardware-out-of-the-loop environment and expand the verification effort to all of Dragon FSW
Lockheed Martin Orion EM-1 GNC and Ground Software, Subcontractor, Oct 2013 – Oct 2014
• Developed a faster-than-real-time, flight-hardware and software emulation environment to develop and test FSW
• Emulated the Orion network, including a C++ API used by all network endpoints for software simulations
• Designed and implemented mathematical software models in C++ for sun sensor and star tracker hardware
Lockheed Martin Orion EFT-1 GNC and Ground Software, Subcontractor, Jan 2010 – Jan 2014
• Lead developer for the high-fidelity IMU, GPS receiver and barometric altimeter hardware simulation models
• Resolved system-level GNC performance issues identified in integrated closed-loop tests
• Designed the barometric altimeter mid-value selection algorithm for GNC FSW
NASA JSC Core Flight Software, Subcontractor, Jan 2013 – Oct 2013
• Supported the upgrade of the NASA Goddard’s Core Flight Software (CFS) to Class-A for use in the Orion BFS
• Developed the CFS operating system (OS) file system C API to provide platform-independent file system
functionality to CFS FSW applications
Orbital Cygnus, Independent Verification and Validation Contract, Jan 2013 – Oct 2013
EDUCATION The University of Texas, Austin, Texas, USA
Master of Science (MS) in Aerospace Engineering, GPA: 3.9 / 4.0 May 2008 – Dec 2009
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Aerospace Engineering, GPA: 3.8 / 4.0 Aug 2004 – May 2008
SKILLS Languages: C++, C, Python, LATEX, MATLAB, Simulink, JavaScript, Java
Operating Systems: Linux/Unix, Windows, Mac, VxWorks
Tools/Products: ViM, Git, bash, gdb, gprof, valgrind, awk, sed, Bamboo, Jenkins, Klocwork, SVN,
Perforce, Rational Rhapsody, Workbench/Eclipse, NASA JSC Trick and JEOD, Microsoft Office
General: Object Oriented Design, Agile Software Development Process, Unified Modeling
Language (UML), API Design
INTERESTS Rock climbing, crossfit, weight lifting, obstacle-course racing, hiking, sci-fi/fantasy movies/novels