Wk 13 — Art Activity — Portfolio Research

Alex Bonilla-Soto
3 min readNov 29, 2020

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I researched 3 companies that I would see my self working full time in. These include SpaceX, Northrop Grumman, and Virgin Orbit.

SpaceX is currently working on many projects all at once which is very impressive. They are currently working on rockets that will make interstellar travel possible which a focus on arriving in Mars. They have teamed up with NASA to send astronauts to the USS, Space station. They have had lots of success in the last 3 years which have increased their value and respect amongst the smartest people in the world.

I see myself working for SpaceX because of my drive to achieve what I want. SpaceX is driven by people who are willing to put in the effort to succeed and not give up. Arriving in Mars will be very complicated but working with people who think the same way as you will elevate the chances of success. I believe SpaceX can bring out more in me because they will challenge me and put me under lots of moments where things have to be done one way or another. They expect results. Positive results.

Northrop Grumman works primarily with defense department of the United States. They manufacture aircrafts, weapons for ships, drones, UAV, and more aerospace related aircrafts. I have been into Northrop multiple times for tours and meeting for AIAA( American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics) and I have seen some of their projects which include The James Webb telescope and F-35 department which is the Airforce jet. The James Webb telescope is set to launch into space next year and its’ goal is to determine where do we (human) actually come from.

I think it would be a great opportunity to work at Northrop just because they have such a variety of aerospace jobs that I can be exposed to. Being an aerospace engineer does not just mean rockets. We have satellites, aircraft, drones, lasers, and weapons although in the weapons department usually morals play a huge role. Some people reject working in the weapons department just because of their beliefs and morals which is understandable. Engineers mostly want to do good.

Virgin Orbit is a company near the Long Beach Airport just behind the new LBX communal space. They are primarily focused on satellites and rockets. They manufacture their own rockets to send their customers’ satellites into space. They are currently working on reusability of rockets as well as SpaceX. This is becoming the main target of some aerospace companies in order to bring down costs.

I think I can offer great propulsion work into Virgin Orbit. Propulsion is a key aspect of their company as they are manufacturing and engineering their own rockets. The importance is that I can be compatible with the people working around me. A good team always leads to success and performance that can deeply help achieve the goal.

I researched 3 people in my field who I am very interested in.

Elon Musk: https://blog.ted.com/tag/elon-musk/

Elon Musk is a very smart person. They way he carries himself and the things he say just spark interest in his field. I love the fact of how he thinks because it is not normal and he pushes the limits. To compete against him you would have to be on his level.

Jeff Bezos: https://www.blueorigin.com/

Jeff Bezos known for Amazon may not be the greatest person to look up to but he does have an interest in Aerospace and promote our engineering to think outside the box. He competes against Elon Musk and the fact these two are challenging themselves is a great dynamic move to make humans interplanetary. He is a challenger and some one who is willing to figure a way out.

Richard Branson : https://www.virgin.com/branson-family/richard-branson-blog

Richard Branson is a great person to look up to because of his ideologies. He presents himself as an entrepreneur who is willing to work with others and push the envelope. He has been involved in Aerospace for a while now and has 3 companies working with rockets and satellites, Virgin Orbit being one of them.

I think If I had to use a website to promote myself to companies in my field, I would list my major components. These include my strong ethics, skills, and previous projects. Most of these companies want to see your previous experience. Including videos I think could be a game changer as well just because it is nice to see the person behind the words.

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