Sciences and Exploration Directorate

Iker Liceaga-Indart

(LEAD MECHANICAL ENGINEER)

Iker Liceaga-Indart's Contact Card & Information.
Email: iker.liceagaindart@nasa.gov
Phone: 301.286.7890
Org Code: 672
Address:
NASA/GSFC
 Mail Code 672
 Greenbelt, MD 20771
Employer: CATHOLIC UNIV OF AMERICA

Missions & Projects

Brief Bio

Iker Liceaga-Indart studied at the University of Navarra in San Sebastian (Spain), where he earned a B.S. degree in Industrial Technologies Engineering (2015) and a M.S. degree in Industrial Engineering (2017). For the period comprised between September 2016 and June 2017, he worked on his Master's Thesis at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he conceptualized and developed an interactive robotic environment for the Changing Places Research Group. He joined NASA in October 2017 as a member of the GSFC Heliospheric Physics Lab (Code 672).

Current Projects

INTERSTELLAR MAPPING AND ACCELERATION PROBE (IMAP) | Mar 2019 - Current

IMAP is a NASA heliophysics mission to study interstellar particles at the edge of the solar system. The High-energy Ion Telescope (HIT) is one of ten instruments onboard, measuring high-energy ions hazardous to astronauts and spacecraft.

  • Led mechanical work across 30+ engineers, scientists, analysts, and technicians over a 5-year lifecycle
  • Owned cost, schedule, risk, and requirements verification for the full mechanical subsystem
  • Designed full 1000+ part CAD assembly; released 120+ drawings with GD&T per NASA/ASME standards
  • Directed $200K+ in part procurements, vendor coordination, inspections, and documentation control
  • Guided ISO Class 8 cleanroom assembly of HIT flight and engineering units with NASA technicians
  • Developed mechanical verification matrix and test procedures (vibration, thermal) across five GSFC facilities
  • Supported mechanical systems integration and alignment of HIT to IMAP spacecraft at Johns Hopkins APL
  • Coordinated material screening, detector interface geometry, and coatings with science and thermal teams
  • Presented mechanical readiness and systems verification at all major reviews: PDR, CDR, PSR, and IRR
  • Received NASA Early Career Achievement Medal for technical leadership on HIT

COMPAIR INSTRUMENT - ALL-SKY MEDIUM ENERGY GAMMA-RAY OBSERVATORY (AMEGO) | Mar 2019 - Current

ComPair is a balloon-based pathfinder for NASA’s future AMEGO satellite mission, enabling validation of MeV gamma-ray detection technologies for astrophysical studies of black holes, neutron stars, and cosmic rays.

  • Lead Mechanical Engineer for ComPair instrument
  • Managing team of up to six: CAD designers, structural analyst, composites experts, and intern
  • Directing CAD design and fabrication drawings for composite instrument structure
  • Leading mechanical trade studies on design optimization, materials, and fabrication methods
  • Guiding FEM analysis and environmental test planning across design and protoflight phases
  • Defining composite layups, bonding methods, and fabrication flow with GSFC composites lab
  • Maintaining configuration management, hardware document control, and version tracking
  • Coordinating mechanical bonding interfaces with Argonne (ANL) and Naval Research Lab (NRL)

GAMMA-RAY AND ANTIMATTER SURVEY (GRAMS) – BALLOON MISSION | Jun 2024 – Current

GRAMS is a gamma-ray and antimatter survey instrument using a liquid-argon time projection chamber housed in a cryogenic pressure vessel, to be flown on a commercial stratospheric balloon platform.

  • Lead Mechanical Engineer for GRAMS cryostat, gondola, and system-level mechanical integration
  • Supervising 2 direct reports and coordinating efforts across 50+ institutional contributors
  • Leading CAD and FEM development of cryostat, avionics interfaces, and full gondola system
  • Designing cryostat to meet pressure vessel, venting, and fracture mechanics requirements
  • Overseeing procurement, inspections, and integration planning of mechanical components
  • Maintaining mechanical ICD with balloon flight provider and resolving all interface constraints
  • Developing mechanical integration procedures, drawing packages, and Master Equipment List (MEL)
  • Supporting early-phase requirements flowdown, risk tracking, and system integration reviews

PAST PROJECTS

  • The Solar Neutron TRACking (SONTRAC) spectrometer | Lead mechanical engineer | Nov 2018 - Jan 2020
  • Terrestrial Rays Analysis and Detection (TRYAD) CubeSat | Instrument design reviewer | Jun 2018 - May 2019
  • High-energy All-sky Monitor (HAM) | Gamma-ray detector concept, mechanical designer | Dec 2018 - Apr 2019
  • Mesoscale Structures Acceleration & Transport | Mission proposal, subsystem lead | Feb 2018 - Nov 2018
  • BurstCube CubeSat | Silicon Photomultiplier front-end electronics, mechanical designer | Feb 2018 - Sep 2018
  • Ionospheric Neutron Content Analyzer (INCA) CubeSat | Instrument mechanical designer | Oct 2017 - Jun 2018

Education

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | Cambridge, US | 2016 - 2017

M.S. Thesis, Industrial Engineering (visiting student)

Grade: 10/10 | Honor Distinction Degree


University of Navarra (UNAV) | San Sebastian, Spain | 2015 - 2017

M.S. Industrial Engineering

GPA: 9.7/10


University of Navarra (UNAV) | San Sebastian, Spain | 2011 - 2015

B.S. Industrial Technologies Engineering

GPA: 9.07/10

Awards

NASA Early Career Achievement Medal | NASA Agency Honor Awards | 2025

STAR of Tomorrow Award | Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers | 2023

Luminary Honoree - Career Achievement Award | Great Minds in STEM | 2022

Nova 111 List - Highest potential Spanish professionals under 35 (Engineering & Energy) | Nova Talent | 2021

"laCaixa" Foundation Scholarship - Graduate Studies in North America | $40K | "laCaixa" Foundation | 2017

Global Internship Program Scholarship | $1K | Caja Rural | 2016

Credit to Academic Excellence Scholarship | $6K | University of Navarra | 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

Academic Excellence Scholarship | $3K | Basque Government | 2011, 2012

Extraordinary Baccalaureate Award of the Basque Country (GPA: 10/10) | $1K | Basque Government | 2011

Professional Societies

SHPE - Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers

2023 - Present

AIAA - American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

2020 - Present

NASA GSFC Speakers Bureau

2020 - Present

NASA HACE - Hispanic Advisory Committee for Employees

2019 - Present

ECUSA - Spanish Scientists in the United States of America

2017 - Present

Other Professional Information

Languages: Spanish, English, Basque, German


NASA Laboratory Operations Courses - Goddard Space Flight Center


  • Radiation Safety - Ionizing Radiation Producing Devices | Feb 2021
  • Hazard Communication Training Program | Dec 2020
  • Code 540 Cleanroom Certification Training | Dec 2020
  • Federal Records 101 | Nov 2020
  • Oxygen Deficiency Hazard | Nov 2020
  • Hazardous Waste Management | Sep 2020
  • Electrical Safety Awareness | Sep 2020
  • Machine Guarding for Operators | Nov 2019
  • Lifting Devices and Equipment | Nov 2019
  • Compressed Gas Safety | Jun 2019
  • Cryogenic Safety | Jun 2018
  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) | Oct 2017


Licenses & Certifications


  • Media Training - NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) | Sep 2021
  • PADI - Open Water Diver Certification | Jan 2021
  • CPE - Certificate of Proficiency in English (C2) | Cambridge Assessment English | Jan 2014
  • EGA - Certificate of Proficiency in Basque (C1) | Basque Government | Jun 2010


Co-Authored Papers and Presentations



Outreach & STEM Engagement (Volunteering)


  • Story and Art Contest Judge | ECUSA - Spanish Scientists in the United States of America | May 2025
  • NASA "Power to Explore" Student Challenge Judge | Future Engineers | Feb 2023
  • Becarios Knowledge Day Talk | "la Caixa" Foundation | May 2022
  • NASA "TechRise" Student Challenge Judge | Future Engineers | Dec 2021, Nov 2022
  • Career Development Session Panelist | Boston Higher Education Resource Center | Jul 2021
  • Loudoun and Montgomery County Science Fairs (AIAA Judge) | Mar 2021
  • Career Day Presentation | Heather Hills Elementary School | Mar 2021
  • Engineering Academy Talk | Northbridge High School | Mar 2021
  • Spanish Class STEM Talk | Powell Elementary School | Feb 2021
  • BoSTEM Bite Size Virtual Talk | United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley | Jan 2021
  • NASA Lunch Webinar (Spanish) | ECUSA - Spanish Scientists in the United States of America | Jun 2020
  • 72nd Annual Prince George's Area Science Fair Judge | Charles Herbert Flowers High School | Mar 2020
  • Gitomer Learning Festival Talk | Krieger Schechter Day School | Feb 2020
  • Guest Speaker (Spanish) | University of Navarra - Ayete Residence Hall | Oct 2017


Media Appearances


Contact Us

Jocelyn Lynch
Project Support Specialist
301-286-6066
jocelyn.m.lynch@nasa.gov
Ellie Jeffries
Project Support Specialist
301-286-6066
ellie.jeffries@nasa.gov

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