Zachary Ewing '22 is a Florida-based Fluids Design Engineer for Test and Facility Operations at Blue Origin, where he works with pneumatic and cryogenic commodities, such as nitrogen, helium, gaseous oxygen, and gaseous hydrogen for launch sites and test stands in Florida, West Texas, and Kent, Washington.
By completing his undergraduate degree in a total of three years, he became one of the youngest engineers hired by Blue Origin starting part-time three months before graduation before transitioning to full-time. Within a year and a half of being employed at Blue Origin, Ewing received a promotion to Level II Engineer. During this time, he has worked on completing pneumatic system designs for the launch pad at LC-36 at Cape Canaveral in preparation for the launch of New Glenn, supported tanking tests of their GS1 and Lunar Modules, and developed Bulk Storage areas for liquid nitrogen for various component test chambers.
Before graduation, Ewing served as the Project Manager and Payload sub-system co-lead for his Florida Tech Senior Design Project, C.R.O.P.P. – CubeSat Research of Plant Platforms – where he oversaw 11 team members. The project entailed developing a complete CubeSat mission, capable of performing microgreen pathogen observation in microgravity conditions. This included developing thermal, communications, electrical, payload, structural, and attitude determination and control systems subsystems. His team would go on to win Best in Show – Aerospace Engineering, Northrop Grumman Best in Show, and the President’s Cup at the 2022 Student Design Showcase. This was only the second Capstone project in school history to have won every category.
Ewing also participated in undergraduate research opportunities where he developed code and finite element analysis models for determining coefficients of pressure across cascade airfoils, including variable inlet guide vanes.
Originally from Bel Air, Maryland, Ewing was attracted to Florida Tech due to its reputation within the aerospace industry and graduated from the Department of Aerospace, Physics, and Space Sciences in 2022 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aerospace Engineering, Summa Cum Laude.
At Florida Tech, Ewing was involved in various honor and professional societies including Phi Eta Sigma where he served as President for two years, Tau Beta Pi, Phi Kappa Phi, and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He was the Student Director of the Pep Band, a Student Ambassador for the Office of Admissions, and spent six weeks in Oxford studying abroad. Ewing was also recognized as the Office of First Year Experience Scholarship Recipient and Ambassador, Distinguished Student Scholar 2021 and 2022, Outstanding Student of the Year 2021 and 2022 for Aerospace, Physics, and Space Sciences, as well as Overall Outstanding Senior for 2022.
