• Brooke Owens Fellow, Class of 2026

• University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Mechanical Engineering, ‘27

• Mentor: TBD

• Brookie Mentor: TBD

Kelly Behlen is a junior attending the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities as a Mechanical Engineering student with a focus on structural design and space systems. Through her involvement with the UMN Small Satellite Research Laboratory (SSRL), she has contributed to multiple aerospace missions including FOXSI-4, EXACT, IMPRESS, and several others. Across these projects, she has supported the design, testing, and structural integration of spacecraft hardware, gaining hands-on experience translating engineering concepts into flight-ready systems.

Kelly previously interned at Vast Space, where she worked on both the Secondary Structures and Interiors team and the Manufacturing team supporting development of the Haven-1 commercial space station. In these roles, she contributed to structural hardware development, testing efforts, and the creation of manufacturing processes and procedures for spaceflight components. This summer, Kelly will work with Aerospace Fabrication and Materials on thermal engineering projects, continuing to expand her experience with spacecraft systems and materials in demanding environments.

Beyond her formal roles, Kelly has supported fellow engineering students through clubs, projects, competitions, and mentorship, helping others develop their technical skills and confidence as engineers. She has also presented on spacecraft engineering and student space missions at a range of public and professional venues, including the Bell Museum, the 54th Annual Solar Physics Conference, SEDS SpaceVision Denver, the MN State Fair’s NASA Exhibit, and the NASA Minnesota Space Grant Symposium. Earlier in her academic career, she served on Student Council and was selected to travel to Washington, D.C. to represent her fellow students in discussions with members of the Board of Education and Congress.

As a leader, Kelly helps shape the direction of the UMN SSRL as a member of the Executive Team and Structures Lead. In these roles, she contributes to decisions guiding the development of multiple instruments and satellite missions. She has also taken on a leadership role within SEDS UMN as president of the chapter, where she focuses on educating and strengthening her fellow students’ interests in space-based engineering and physics missions.

Kelly hopes to spend her career developing structures and mechanical systems for spacecraft and orbital infrastructure. She is driven by the belief that humanity is entering an era in which living and working beyond Earth may become a permanent reality, and that the next generation of exploration will depend not only on bold vision, but also on the engineers who design and build the hardware that makes those ambitions possible.