Samantha Chapin

Hi, I'm Sam! I am a mechanical engineering PhD student at Virginia Tech, researching in the FASER Lab! I received my BS/MS degrees in mechanical engineering, with a concentration in mechatronics, from Northeastern University in May 2020. My main passions in life are robotics and space exploration! Ever since I did battlebots in high school I knew robotics was the field I wanted to dedicate my life to and I've always been fascinated with space and have had an urge to explore the final frontier. I have married these two passions with internships and co-ops at NASA Langley Research Center, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, and the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center developing the mechanical hardware, electrical systems, and software for robots used for various in-space assembly demonstrations. Now I also consult on in-Space Servicing, Manufacturing, Assembly, Robotics, and Transportation (SMART) endeavors through my company ROBOSAM LLC and am the Treasurer/Secretary for the AIAA Space Automation and Robotics Technical Committee (SARTC).