#SoCaltech: Ari Rosner

"I worked on the upper and lower door mechanism for the Perseverance rover’s bit carousel [the mechanism that contains the tools the drill uses to sample the Martian surface] as well as the system-level dynamics of the entire cruise/propulsion-stage hardware. From a technological standpoint, this is one of the most complex engineering challenges humanity has ever worked on, and I’m in awe of the impact that something I worked on can have on our understanding of another planet. For the upcoming landing, I definitely have mixed feelings of excitement and fear, but I also have a feeling of confidence in the back of my mind because I know how detail oriented every JPL-er is, and I know how much time we spent to ensure this goes off flawlessly."  

Ari Rosner (on the left in the photo) is a Caltech senior pursuing a double major in mechanical engineering and business, economics, and management (BEM). Since 2018, he has held an APX (academic part time) position at JPL with the mechanical structures and configuration group, where he was part of the team that built the Perseverance rover for the Mars 2020 mission. 

#SoCaltech is an occasional series celebrating the diverse individuals who give Caltech its spirit of excellence, ambition, and ingenuity. Know someone we should profile? Send nominations to magazine@caltech.edu.