Connor Heckman
About Connor Heckman
Connor Heckman is a Senior Flight Software Engineer at Rocket Lab, where he designs and tests control software for spacecraft. He has extensive experience in software engineering, having previously worked at Lockheed Martin in various roles over several years.
Current Role at Rocket Lab
Connor Heckman serves as a Senior Flight Software Engineer at Rocket Lab, a position he has held since 2023. In this role, he is responsible for designing, developing, and testing flight software for various spacecraft systems. He contributes to the development of control software for spacecraft sensors and actuators, ensuring that the software meets the operational requirements for space missions.
Previous Experience at Lockheed Martin
Connor Heckman has extensive experience at Lockheed Martin, where he held multiple positions from 2016 to 2022. He began as a Software Engineering Summer Intern in 2016, followed by roles as a College Student Tech Spec, Associate Software Engineer, and Senior Software Engineer. His work included developing control software for the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) program and serving as Scrum Master for various software development teams.
Internship Experience
Prior to his roles at Lockheed Martin, Connor worked as a Web Development Intern at BGF Consulting from 2014 to 2015. This internship provided him with foundational skills in software development and web technologies, which he later applied in his engineering roles. His early experiences contributed to his understanding of software engineering principles and practices.
Educational Background
Connor Heckman earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Central Florida, completing his studies from 2012 to 2017. His education provided him with a solid foundation in computer systems, programming, and software development, which he has applied throughout his career in aerospace and software engineering.
Technical Contributions
At Rocket Lab, Connor has designed and developed software test procedures to showcase new capabilities to customers. He has also developed unit test fixtures for various software components, enhancing the reliability and performance of the flight software. His contributions to simulation framework software for Lockheed's Advance Rapid Integration Simulation Environment (ARISE) further demonstrate his technical expertise in software engineering for aerospace applications.