Middle School Rocket Quest Welcomes Aerospace Engineer Paul Vaughan
This week, our Middle School heroes will present their rocket propulsion designs to a real aerospace engineer.
We are honored to welcome Paul Vaughan as our expert for the Middle School Rocket Quest.
Throughout this Quest, learners have stepped into the role of propulsion engineers. They have studied thrust, burn rate, stability, safety protocols, and fuel composition. They’ve built, tested, revised, calculated altitude projections, conducted safety assessments, and prepared formal presentations — just like professional engineering teams preparing for a flight readiness review.
Now, they’ll present their work to someone who has actually done this in the real world.
Paul Vaughan is a mechanical and aerospace engineer with more than two decades of experience in propulsion systems and aerospace program leadership. His work has spanned rocket propulsion, aerospace systems design, and engineering management. He has led teams responsible for complex propulsion systems and has contributed to high-stakes aerospace programs requiring precision, safety, and innovation.
During Exhibition, Paul will:
Observe learner rocket launches
Review fuel and propulsion decisions
Ask technical questions
Provide engineering-level feedback
Model how experts analyze performance, reliability, and risk
This is what real-world learning looks like.
Our learners are not completing worksheets about rockets — they are designing, defending, testing, and refining real propulsion systems with authentic feedback from someone who has built them professionally.
We are grateful for Paul’s willingness to invest in the next generation of engineers and problem-solvers. Experiences like this raise the bar. They help our heroes see that their work matters beyond the Studio walls.
We can’t wait to share the results.
About Paul Vaughan
Paul Vaughan, P.E., is a Mechanical and Aerospace Engineer with more than 23 years of experience spanning commercial propulsion and airframe repair, military threat weapons forensics, and deep space plasma propulsion research. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Mechanical Systems and Materials; specializing in materials, processes, and advanced repair technologies. He is currently the Lead Engineer on Pratt & Whitney’s Engine Life Management Team for the Geared Turbofan located at Delta Air Lines’ Technical Operations Center, where he previously spent 19 years as a Principal Engineer in the Materials and Processes and Advanced Analysis organization. In that time, he is credited with the commercial introduction of two separate FAA approved technologies for aircraft maintenance.
Paul also serves as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy Reserve as an Aerospace Engineering Duty Officer for the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, as a specialist in Threat Weapons Effects ranging from space warfare to conventional kinetic threats. He attended undergraduate studies at The University of Alabama in Huntsville, with graduate work at Rensselaer Polytechnic University.