Regan O’Neill has always dreamed of helping humanity reach Mars, and now she’s one step closer. The Clemson University junior and mechanical engineering major was awarded the prestigious Brooke Owens Fellowship, a highly competitive program that connects top students with aerospace industry leaders. As the first Clemson student to receive the honor, O’Neill will spend the summer as an engineering intern on the special projects team at Analytical Mechanics Associates, where she plans to focus mainly on nuclear propulsion research.
O’Neill has been fascinated by space since she was in middle school in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, when she had the chance to speak with astronaut and biochemist Peggy Whitson. That early spark led her to take on leadership roles in NASA-recognized high school projects, including designing a radiation-blocking helmet and a blood-capture system for Blue Origin.
At Clemson, she’s continued chasing her spaceflight ambitions. She worked with a research team led by professor Steve Kaeppler to develop mechanical systems for a probe gathering data in the ionosphere that launched aboard a sounding rocket in August 2024. In November, she’ll head to Norway for another rocket launch, this time to study the northern lights, which if she’s lucky, will take lift-off right on her 21st birthday.
Written by David Brandin
Adapted from https://news.clemson.edu/fellowship-helps-regan-oneills-aerospace-career-take-flight/
