Engineering alumnus plays a part in SpaceX launches of Falcon 1, Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy

Michael Sheehan is a native of south Florida and a graduate of Florida State University. He holds his BS and MS degrees in Mechanical Engineering through the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. 

While a graduate student at FSU, he worked in the Fluid Mechanics Research Laboratory under the expert tutelage of Dr. Farrukh Alvi. After graduation in 2007 he moved to Los Angeles to join Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) and has spent the past 10 years in the launch operations department. 

Michael Sheehan
Dr. Emmanuel Collins and Michael Sheehan (L-R)

During his tenure at SpaceX, Sheehan has been a part of more than 50 rocket launches including Falcon 1, Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy. As a member of the launch operations group, he spent eight years in final integration and test of the Falcon launch vehicles as both an engineer and manager. During the past two years, Sheehan has spent his time in the launch operations development group working software development.

He was recognized as a Rising Star Alumnus of the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering in April 2018.