At USC LPL, graduating master’s student Jose Hernandez helps to oversee complex propulsion tests that demand precision, coordination and constant vigilance. (Photo/Emily Hesby )
At USC Viterbi’s Liquid Propulsion Lab (LPL), Jose Hernandez is helping prepare rocket engines for the moment they come alive.
Hernandez, who is graduating in May with a master’s degree in astronautical engineering, helps to oversee complex propulsion tests that demand precision, coordination and constant vigilance. He works across teams to ensure systems are ready, diagnoses anomalies when they are not, and refines the processes that keep high-risk testing environments running smoothly. In March, LPL received an award titled “Frequent Fire” from the Everyday Astronaut for its record 10 engine static fires in the year 2025. Hernandez served as the operations and safety lead for the last two campaigns at the Reaction Research Society test site in the Mojave Desert.
The work is both technical and personal to him.
“I’ve always been motivated by the idea that there’s a better way to do things, whether that’s how a system is designed or how a team operates,” he said. “I like being in environments where the stakes are high and the problems are hard, because that’s where you’re forced to grow and really understand what you’re doing.”
That mindset has shaped his time at USC. It is also what ultimately drew him to the vast unknown.
Jose Hernandez at the Reaction Research Society test site (Photo/Courtesy of Jose Hernandez)
“There’s something really powerful about space because it forces you to think beyond what’s already been done,” he said. “You’re dealing with extreme conditions, limited margins for error and problems that don’t always have clear solutions. I love that challenge, but I also love what it represents, exploration, pushing boundaries and contributing to something bigger than yourself.”
A System Under Pressure
Hernandez began his academic career in USC’s Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, earning his B.S. in 2023. From there, he carried forward a framework centered on breaking down complex systems, identifying inefficiencies and improving them.
“Industrial and systems engineering taught me how to look at any environment and ask: Where is this breaking down, and why?” he said. “Once you understand that, you can start making changes that actually matter.”
He applied that thinking in an unlikely place: restaurant kitchens.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hernandez worked as a cook in three downtown Los Angeles restaurants, navigating long hours and intense conditions. Rather than simply adapting, he began studying the environment itself, using concepts from his coursework to analyze safety culture, communication and performance.
“It made me realize that even in something like a kitchen, where everything feels chaotic, there are still systems at play,” he said. “If communication breaks down or if people don’t feel supported, you see it immediately in the output. But if you build a culture where people are looking out for each other and following good processes, everything improves, from safety to consistency to how people feel at work.”
That realization stayed with him.
Engineering at Scale
After working for Chef Jose Andres’ restaurants in the Conrad Hotel Downtown L.A., Hernandez found a setting that matched both his pace and his mindset: SpaceX.
Jose Hernandez at the Liquid Propulsion Lab (Photo/Courtesy of Jose Hernandez)
During his project in summer 2024, he worked on production and operations challenges tied to Falcon 9 and Dragon, analyzing factory layouts, identifying coordination gaps and helping improve how teams worked together on the floor. The experience reinforced what he had learned in ISE: that even the most advanced engineering organizations depend on strong systems behind the scenes.
“You can have incredible engineering, but if the way you build, communicate and execute isn’t efficient, you’re going to run into problems,” he said. “Being able to see that at a place like SpaceX was huge for me, because it showed me how everything connects.”
He continues to work at SpaceX today, this time as a cook, often for 50 to 60 hours a week on top of school. Even there, his engineering mindset manifests.
“I treat it like any other system,” he said. “You’re thinking about timing, flow, how you prep, how you move, how you communicate with the team. If something slows you down during service, you analyze it and fix it for the next time. It’s the same process, just in a completely different environment, and that’s something I’ve really come to appreciate.”
That cross-disciplinary mindset is what led him to astronautical engineering. He wanted to take the systems approach he learned in ISE and apply it to rockets and spacecraft, tackling complex problems that operate at a much larger scale but are governed by the same core principles.
From the Border to Troy
Hernandez’s path to USC began near the Mexican border, where he was born in Tijuana and raised in San Diego. His upbringing was marked by financial uncertainty following the 2008 recession, which led to his family losing their home.
A full-tuition scholarship made USC possible. What Hernandez found at Troy, he said, went beyond academics.
“USC gave me access to opportunities I didn’t even know existed when I was younger,” he said. “It’s not just the classes, it’s the people you meet, the mentorship, the way professors and peers push you to think bigger. That environment forces you to grow, but it also supports you while you’re doing it.”
He points to the flexibility to move between disciplines, the chance to work in labs like LPL and the strength of the Trojan network as defining parts of his experience.
“I’ve been able to explore different interests, fail at things, learn from them and then apply that moving forward,” he said. “Looking back, I’m really glad I chose USC. It challenged me in ways I needed, and it opened doors that changed my trajectory.”
Building a better future
Hernandez hopes to continue working at SpaceX after graduation, building on both his technical and operational experience. His goals are personal as much as professional.
Owning a home, something no one in his family has achieved, is among them.
But his broader motivation is consistent with the way he approaches everything else.
“I’ve always felt like if you’re willing to put in the work and stay curious, you can keep improving yourself,” he said. “That’s what drives me, just the idea that as long as I am consistent, I can keep getting better every day, keep learning and eventually put myself in a position where I can inspire others to do the same. It isn’t easy wearing different hats, but when I find myself in trouble, I always remember to keep my eyes on the sky and my feet on the ground.”
Published on May 6th, 2026
Last updated on May 6th, 2026