Howdy, I'm

Tristan Forks

About Me

My name is Tristan Forks, and I am an aerospace engineering student at Texas A&M University. I grew up in Boerne, Texas, a small town just outside of San Antonio.


I love space. All things space—stars and galaxies, human exploration and settlement, rocket design and propulsion, human systems and integration, and any other sector of the industry that you can think of.


Now you’re probably asking, “Why is an aerospace engineering student with little interest in web development coding a website from scratch?” Well, with this website, I am aiming to grow my personal brand, marketing myself as more than just my education and schooling, but as a young professional making an impact on the continuously growing industry. I enjoy challenging myself in new ways, so learning HTML and CSS to code my own website sounded like the perfect side project.


Please explore my website, learn more about me, and connect and reach out!

Experiences

Aggie Research Programs (Jan 2024 - May 2024)


During my time in the Aggie Research Program, I did research with doctorates in the Texas A&M Department of Geophysics analyzing Martian rocks from scans preformed by the PIXL intstrument on Perseverance. I wrote multiple python scripts to calculate the detection angles of the various surfaces on Martian rocks based on data recieved by the PIXL instrument and then display 2D heatmaps visualizing the context of the data. I also read, summarized, and presented multiple white papers to the team of engineers and physicists to help keep them up to date on developments in the field.


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Extracurriculars

Space Professional Society (SPS) | Founder & President


Through partnership with the US Space Force Assoication, I am developing and founding the 2nd ever university chapter of the Space Professional Society at Texas A&M. This society aims to bring together every person interested in a career in space—engineers, political scientists, business leaders, and anyone and everyone else. While founding the TAMU chapter of SPS, which will officially launch in the spring, I will also be serving as Vice President of the national SPS organization.


This opportunity is one that I am looking forward to putting all my effort into, as I believe that anyone who is interested in being involved in the space industry can make a significant impact, utilizing and applying whatever skills they have.


Books I'll be reading soon

Blog

Eric Sundy and His Thoughts on the Future of the Space Industry

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Eric Sundby here at Das Greenhaus. Eric serves as the Executive Director of the US Space Force Association (USSFA), a nonprofit organization committed to advocating for the Space Force and keeping the public informed. Eric also co-founded and currently serves as the CEO of TerraSpace, a mining technology startup looking to speed up the process of mineral analysis and lower the overall cost of operation for mining companies. Eric is also pursuing a PhD in Aerospace Sciences from the University of North Dakota. While interviewing Eric...


Joshua Todd and His Experience as a Space Entrepreneur

I recently had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Joshua Todd, the founder and CEO of The Word Astronaut, a technical communications and marketing company. Joshua has had a lot of high level experience in his industry, and has been working on developing and building The Word Astronaut since the beginning of this year. While interviewing him...