A Day in My Life as an Astroscale U.S. Project Manager
Meet Andrew Benham – an Astroscale U.S. Project Manager
Hey! My name is Andrew and I’m a recent graduate of CU Boulder where I received my Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering with minors in Leadership Studies and Engineering Management. I started my journey with Astroscale U.S. as a Program Management intern in 2021 and now work full-time as a Project Manager. Astroscale U.S. was the perfect fit for me because it’s one of the few places in the world where engineering and policy come together to help implement new technologies in a responsible and effective manner. Outside of work I enjoy the typical Colorado outdoor activities, riding my motorcycle, and hanging out with friends. I hope you enjoy spending the day with me!
July 18th, 2023
6:50 am: Rise and grind
This is my at-home desk set-up where I opt to take some of my early-morning calls before commuting to the Denver office. Today is the weekly systems engineering status call with Astroscale Israel. This team is building the Rendezvous and Docking payload for the Astroscale Life-Extension In-Orbit (LEXI) Servicer.
8:30 am: Catch the bus to work
I catch the 8:30 a.m. 21 RTD bus from the Denver University Station and get to work around 8:45. On my quick commute I typically listen to music and review my calendar for the rest of the day.
8:50 am: Grab some coffee
My go-to coffee is a mocha with an extra shot of espresso, two splashes of creamer and two packets of sugar. Many other employees gather around this area throughout the day to get their favorite coffee drink or perhaps a cup of hot chocolate.
9:00 am: Back to work
After coffee, I make my way to my desk to get started on some more work for my next meeting. My desk is decorated with some patches & stickers from various trips and conferences, a Space Buff pin, and brass coins gifted by my grandpa that commemorate major spaceflight activities. I sit next to Ben Joseph and Ian Thomas, two of our other Project Managers.
11:00 am: Time for another meeting
I meet with Arielle Cohen – a U.S. Flight Software (FSW) Engineer – and Sean Fao – the U.S. FSW team lead – in our Mission Operations room to discuss the schedule for FSW’s Minimum Viable Product (MVP). MVP is an approach to development that prioritizes software releases to achieve the minimum functionality needed to operate LEXI post-launch.
12:30 pm: Quick lunch break
Lunch today is Buffalo Chicken Pizza from one of my favorite joints – Sexy Pizza. This pizza was ordered for the whole staff during the Lunch n’ Learn featuring Mike Lindsay – the CTO of Astroscale Holdings – and everyone is appreciative of the leftovers. I opt to eat at my desk most days but can also be found catching up with people over lunch in the kitchen.
2:30 pm: Call with potential vendor
Our Senior Director of Engineering – Jeff Schloemer – joins me for a meeting with a vendor that is pitching members of our team a new software that could potentially support our future endeavors.
3:30 pm: A fond farewell
Today we had a special celebration for a departing member of the team. I joined my colleagues upstairs in the Mezzanine for drinks and good conversation. We discussed our favorite local pizza restaurants, my great new haircut, and much more.
4:30 pm: Whiteboarding session
After some fun at Social Hour, I take to the whiteboard to continue brainstorming some improvements to our workflows for technical baseline management. This process helps visualize how information and updates flow across the program and ensures that all groups are on the same page with the most up-to date information.
5:00 pm: Review session with Sophie
Before I head home I make sure to stop by Sophie’s desk to review the content we gathered today. Sophie is the Astroscale U.S. Marketing Intern and is great at working closely with all our departments. We had a blast capturing a Day in My Life!
5:30 pm: Done for the day
After a good mix of work and play, I finish up for the day and catch the bus back home. I’ll spend the rest of the night relaxing and watching TV. My current go-to show is The Bear. See you guys next time!
