Reaching New Heights

As a child, Manjot Singh ’23 was always fascinated by space. “I used to watch rocket launches growing up and was always curious about how things worked,” she said, “especially anything related to spaceflight.”

It was that childhood curiosity that drove the mechanical engineering major to pursue a career in the aerospace industry. Today, she is a crew systems and payloads launch vehicle engineer at Blue Origin.

While her interest in engineering began in childhood, it was during her time at Fairfield that Singh’s passion really took flight. As an undergraduate in the School of Engineering and Computing, she served on the executive boards of the Innovator’s Club, the Society of Women Engineers, and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. These experiences broadened her understanding of the field and allowed Singh to engage in engineering pursuits beyond the classroom.

A unique opportunity to explore space engineering presented itself one summer at Fairfield, during an undergraduate research residency when Singh worked on a project funded by both a Connecticut NASA Space Grant and an INSPIRE Hardiman Scholars Research Grant.

Under the mentorship of School of Engineering and Computing Dean Andres Leonardo Carrano, PhD, Singh researched the optimal growth conditions of root vegetables in microgravity. The NASA-funded project sought to advance deep-space manned missions by developing a 3D-printed module to reliably grow root vegetables—a difficult-to-grow but important crop that can help to fully sustain the nutritional needs of a crew in outer space.

The challenges of growing vegetables in space include maintaining water and nutrient delivery, providing optimal lighting conditions, and creating a support structure for root-zone growth in a microgravity environment. “Manjot’s passion for space exploration was first evident in this NASA project,” said Dean Carrano, “and, not surprisingly, carries through her assignments today at Blue Origin.”

As a crew systems and payloads launch vehicle engineer at Blue Origin, Singh works on the New Shepard program at Launch Site One in West Texas. In her role, she focuses on the crew capsule—the section of the rocket that carries astronauts past the Kármán Line and safely back to Earth.

“My role involves integrating systems that ensure astronaut safety and mission success, from seats and environmental controls to interface hardware,” she explained. “It’s a mix of mechanical engineering, systems thinking, and human-centered design.”

One of Singh’s proudest career moments occurred on April 14, 2025, the day of Blue Origin’s NS-31 mission. The historic launch’s all-female crew featured singer Katy Perry, CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King, Black Ops Aviation founder Lauren Sanchez, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, bioastronautics research scientist Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn.

“NS-31 was an incredible milestone and one that I am honored to have been a part of,” said Singh. Before the launch, her team was responsible for preparing the crew capsule and making sure every system was mission-ready—from seating to safety mechanisms. “Being part of such a historic and symbolic launch, especially one focused on representation and inclusion in space, was deeply meaningful, especially as a woman in the aerospace industry.”

Witnessing first-hand how the mission resonated with the public was surreal. “Engineering often happens behind the scenes,” Singh said. “To see something you’ve worked so hard on resonate with the public and especially inspire the next generation of women in STEM was an unforgettable experience. It reminds me why I chose this field in the first place: to be part of something bigger, something that pushes boundaries.”

Singh credits Fairfield for equipping her with a strong technical foundation while also teaching her how to think critically and communicate effectively—skills that are crucial in the engineering industry. “The small class sizes meant I had direct access to faculty, which helped me dive deeper into my interests,” she said. “And because Fairfield emphasizes ethics and collaboration, I graduated not only as an engineer but as someone ready to work on multidisciplinary teams in high-stakes environments.”

Looking towards the future, Singh said she is excited about upcoming crew missions and Blue Origin’s increasing launch cadence. “Long-term, I’m passionate about advancing technologies that make spaceflight more sustainable and inclusive; being part of that future is what drives me every day.”

Related Stories