Sandy Tirtey
About Sandy Tirtey
Sandy Tirtey serves as the Director of Global Commercial Launch Services at Rocket Lab, where he has worked since 2019. With a strong background in aerospace engineering and extensive experience in hypersonics, he has contributed significantly to advancements in cryogenic rocket launch vehicles and re-entry systems.
Work at Rocket Lab
Sandy Tirtey has held multiple roles at Rocket Lab since joining the company in 2013. Initially serving as Vehicle Team Lead, he became the Launch Conductor in 2016. In this capacity, he has overseen numerous successful launches, including 'It's A Test' and 'Still Testing' in 2017 and 2018. Currently, he serves as the Director of Global Commercial Launch Services, a position he has held since 2019. His work focuses on advancing Rocket Lab's launch capabilities and expanding its commercial launch services.
Education and Expertise
Sandy Tirtey has an extensive educational background in aerospace and engineering. He earned a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Faculté Polytechnique de Mons from 1997 to 2002. He then pursued a PhD at the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics from 2003 to 2009, specializing in Aerospace and Hypersonics. Additionally, he completed a Diploma Course at the same institute in 2002-2003. His expertise includes boundary-layer transition, thermo-structural computations, and the development of hypersonic vehicles.
Background
Before joining Rocket Lab, Sandy Tirtey worked at the University of Queensland in various capacities. From 2011 to 2014, he served as a Scientist and later as Technical Lead and Project Manager for Scramspace I from 2010 to 2014. His work at the university focused on advancing knowledge in aerospace technologies. He also worked as a PhD Candidate at the von Karman Institute from 2003 to 2009, furthering his research in fluid dynamics.
Achievements
Throughout his career, Sandy Tirtey has made significant contributions to the field of aerospace engineering. He supervised the development and construction of the Electron launch vehicle at Rocket Lab and served as Vice President of Vehicle Systems in 2015. His leadership in launch operations has been pivotal in establishing Rocket Lab's reputation in the commercial launch sector. His work in cryogenic rocket launch vehicles and scramjet propulsion systems has also contributed to advancements in hypersonic technology.