Austin Weber
Austin Weber
Class Year
2020
Current home
Boulder, CO
Major(s)
Physics
Current Position
Mission Analyst Engineer at CesiumAstro, Inc.
Austin Weber ’20 is a Carthage graduate who majored in physics and minored in mathematics and music. While at Carthage, Mr. Weber was involved in the space sciences program, which led him to the resources needed to complete his major and excel in his career as a mission analyst engineer.
At CesiumAstro, Mr. Weber is a part of the spacecraft team working on spacecraft development.
“Since starting work with CesiumAstro, my first major responsibility has been the handling of the regulatory filings for launch and operation of our first satellite mission ‘Cesium Mission 1,’ namely handling radio frequency licensing for this specific mission,” said Mr. Weber. “This requires filing the necessary paperwork for filing an experimental license with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and working with the FCC, NTIA, SBC, and other national organizations and agencies to ensure our experimental system will not interfere with other systems that have RF spectrum priority.”
Mr. Weber is also the assembly, integration, and test lead for the next satellite mission, with the responsibilities of planning, documenting, and executing the spacecraft test and assembly procedures.
“This new role continues to expand my knowledge and experience with spacecraft development as this project matures.”
What have you enjoyed most about your career?
“The most enjoyable thing about my career is the flexibility of roles and responsibilities an employee can pursue. I feel that this is a result of the start-up company environment. I have thoroughly enjoyed the ability to either focus on one specific aspect of spacecraft development or branch out to different and/or multiple responsibilities in the company. The variety keeps work fun and interesting and helps avoid burnout.”
How did Carthage prepare you?
“Through the SURE program, I discovered my passion for the aerospace career field, specifically spacecraft development. Beginning in the summer of 2017, I started with the CaNOP CubeSat project at Carthage. I continued with the CaNOP program throughout my time at Carthage, and it even became my undergraduate thesis topic. This program provided me with knowledge and experience working with satellite subsystems which were great to have coming into the aerospace field following graduation.”
Why did you choose Carthage?
“Initially, I had chosen Carthage to pursue a music major with the dream of becoming a musician, as my high school band teacher was a graduate of Carthage and conveyed how great their music program is. However, before the start of freshman year, I had a change of heart and decided to change my major to physics, as science and space had always been of interest growing up (and continue to be). Carthage’s exceptional space sciences program provided me with the resources to dive deep into my major and gain hands-on experience hard to find elsewhere in an undergraduate setting.”
What's your favorite Carthage memory?
“Some of my favorite Carthage memories were made with my friends and brothers of Phi Kappa Sigma, an international fraternity. Rooming with my brothers from sophomore to senior year made living on campus fun and exciting; dull moments were few and far between. This organization has provided me with multiple connections across the country through various educational and team-building events and activities.”
Tips for current Carthage students?
“I was taught entering college that sometimes it’s not what you know but who you know. While I wholly agree that a diverse education is critical to career success, having the right contacts can make a difference. Specific to me, I initially had a friend working with CesiumAstro when I applied for an internship. They were the ones to introduce me to this company for which I had never heard of or seen job listings, and they were able to put in a good word with management and HR as I went through the application process.”