From Suriname to Space: Rohit Goeptar Shares His Journey to NASA

## Early Life and Migration Rohit Goeptar was born into a low‑income family in Suriname, South America, where both parents juggled three jobs yet could only secure food and shelter for their children. Around age six, his family relocated to California in search of a better future. Two years later he returned to South America with his father while his mother stayed in the United States and remarried. At age 13 he became a U.S. citizen and, together with his brothers, moved back to California to live with their mother.

## Military Service and Technical Training At 19, Goeptar enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, serving six years as a technical operator. During a deployment to the Philippines he helped install communication systems that allowed disaster‑stricken residents to contact loved ones after a devastating typhoon.

> “I was lost, the Marine Corps gave me an opportunity,” Goeptar recalled.

## Personal Hardships His life was marked by tragedy: he lost two fathers to suicide and endured a brief first marriage that left him homeless on the streets of Kissimmee, Florida, for six months. Despite these setbacks, he eventually found stability.

## Path to NASA A pivotal figure in his resurgence was his future wife, who told him, “Your brain works in mysterious ways.” She completed college applications on his behalf, leading him to apply to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. While raising three children and pursuing simultaneous degrees in computer engineering and electrical engineering, Goeptar received a call in spring 2025 while driving to pick up his son from school. A Kennedy representative had seen his résumé and requested a quick interview. He pulled over, answered the impromptu interview, and two weeks later attended an in‑person interview. Another two weeks later he earned a contractor badge at America’s premier spaceport.

## Role at Kennedy Space Center Initially hired as an intern under the Expendable Launch Vehicle Integrated Support (ELVIS) contract, Goeptar transitioned to part‑time work while completing his studies at the University of Central Florida (UCF). He became a full‑time employee at the beginning of 2026 and was recently selected, along with other ELVIS contractors, to become a civil servant.

In his capacity with NASA’s Launch Services Program, he focuses on electromagnetic interference, electromagnetic compatibility, and radio‑frequency analysis. His responsibilities include: - Ensuring that avionic boxes and any electrically powered equipment do not interfere with other systems throughout a mission. - Verifying that independent subsystems remain compatible when integrated. - Conducting model radio‑frequency link analyses for rockets and science payloads, whether for NASA or commercial partners, to guarantee uninterrupted ground communication.

During his short tenure at Kennedy, Goeptar contributed to the Sentinel‑6B, JPSS‑4 (Joint Polar Satellite System), and IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe) missions.

## Notable Contributions Within a year, he identified an analytical gap: the team’s launch‑vehicle analysis omitted the pitch, yaw, and roll motions that occur after liftoff, reducing accuracy. He presented a revised model to his team lead, which now aligns NASA and partner data more precisely.

> “There is no greater feeling, being able to serve. It’s more than serving the public, it’s serving our country. It’s serving the future of our country,” Goeptar said, tears in his eyes.

## Future Goals and Education Goeptar’s 11‑year‑old son, a self‑declared NASA enthusiast, receives much of the credit for his father’s achievement. “One day he wants to become an astronaut,” Goeptar said, smiling. “I told him I will guide him until the day that I die. Maybe my last mission could be the one my son flies on. I’m not going to stop until that day happens.”

Continuing his academic pursuits, Goeptar has been accepted into master’s programs in electrical engineering at both Johns Hopkins University and the University of Central Florida.

## Learn More Readers interested in NASA’s current missions can explore additional information on the agency’s official website.