Aidan Piper is a senior majoring in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His involvement with L’SPACE includes serving as Project Manager for his NASA Proposal Writing and Evaluation Experience team in Spring 2025 and Deputy Project Manager of Resources for his Mission Concept Academy team in Summer 2025. These experiences encouraged him to continue with L’SPACE through LEAP as a Program Analyst Mentor.

Through L’SPACE, Aidan developed a stronger appreciation for interdisciplinary collaboration, project organization, and clear communication in early-stage mission design. As a mentor, he hopes to help students approach team coordination, technical reviews, and programmatic work with confidence while making the most of their experience in the program.

Outside of L’SPACE, Aidan is involved in conceptual aircraft design research, engineering outreach, tutoring, and student leadership at UIUC. He serves as a Course Assistant for a first-year engineering course, as well as a tutor and tour guide for the Grainger College of Engineering. In his free time, he enjoys working on RC aircraft, model rocketry, 3D printing, and other hands-on projects. He also enjoys playing golf and tennis with friends and family.