How can we capture the knowledge, messaging, vision, and inspiration that have transpired during the 2021 AIAA SciTech Forum and understand the impact for the future of aerospace? How do we create continuity and continue the conversation? Join the 2021 AIAA SciTech Executive Steering Committee in a townhall format Forum 360 to explore where we have been these last two weeks and where we are going.
Session Category: AIAA SciTech Forum 2021
Gold Award Girl Scouts—Engineering for Your Community
Girl Scouts who earn the Gold Award tackle real-world issues that they are passionate about and drive lasting change in their communities and beyond. Join Gold Award Alums in STEM as they discuss how they built strong foundations in engineering through community problem-solving with a diversity, equity and inclusion lens. You’ll leave inspired to approach engineering challenges in your own field from a community-first mindset. Mix of presentation/conversation, Q&A, and other audience engagement.
Transforming the Role of the UAV
For over two decades, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs) have been employed, whether high or medium altitude, for similar-type missions. These missions tend to exploit their long endurance attribute and they have seen great success. However, what has been part of their success has also generally typecast them into very specific roles. The challenge is that the missions and objectives of their customers have shifted in recent times. The benefits of using reliable and proven platforms to meet emerging objectives are numerous and multifaceted. But that’s the easy part… The hard part is meeting these same emerging objectives while being an important player, but this time, of a much bigger team.
Sponsored by:
Closing Remarks for the MLK Day Tribute
The concluding finale to the day’s tribute will be presented by Dexter Johnson, PhD – Engineer, Educator, Entrepreneur, and Minister. Dr. Johnson is the NASA Technical Fellow for Loads and Dynamics, supporting the NASA Engineering and Safety Center. Johnson also is an AIAA Associate Fellow and this year’s recipient of the AIAA Mary W. Jackson Award, recognizing his significant contributions to advancing diversity and inclusion within the aerospace and astronautics community through his AIAA collaborations with students and industry partners. He extends his expertise through his service as the NSBE Aerospace SIG Aerospace Partnership Director.
That’s not all we have for MLK Day! Please check out these additional opportunities for service and education | Learn More
Durand Lecture for Public Service
Topic: “The History and Prospects of Commercial Space Activity”
Sonic Boom and the X-59
Speakers
John M. Morgenstern
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
Sriram K. Rallabhandi
NASA Langley Research Center
Description
Lockheed Martin was awarded a contract to manufacture the X-59, a NASA experimental demonstrator aircraft designed to mitigate the adverse impact of sonic boom through advanced aircraft shaping methodologies. Initial flights and envelope expansion of the X-59 is expected to begin within the next couple of years, followed by community tests at multiple locations. This discussion highlights the vision for commercial supersonic flight, sonic boom assessments of the X-59 and details of the low-boom flight demonstration mission.
The Future of Green Propellants
This discussion highlights the successes of NASA’s Green Propellant Infusion Mission (GPIM) and what the demonstration means for the future of green propellants.
The panel of green propellant and propulsion subject matter experts from industry and government will share surprising takeaways from the mission, their perspectives about the infusion of the technology, and answer questions from the audience.
Student Programs Roundup
Learn about all the ways you can get engaged and connected as an AIAA student member to our amazing offering of programs just for students.
Plenary Session: Building on the Shuttle Legacy
Forty years ago NASA’s Space Shuttle Program began. NASA’s fourth program for human spaceflight had a mission to provide routine transportation to low Earth orbit with a reusable vehicle. Thirty years and only 133 missions later, shuttle Discovery concluded the program, arguably without completing the original vision. Or did it? Over the 30 years there were successes and failures, but the technological advancement and inspiration were to be the foundation for the next generation of commercial spaceflight.
Consider 28 January 1986 when STS-51-L lifted off from pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center and 73 seconds later the Space Shuttle Challenger and her crew of seven were lost after a catastrophic structural failure occurred. The images from that day were burned into the memories of everyone watching and the moment was a turning point in our collective drive to explore space. Thirty-five years later, many of the people that watched that day are working to ensure the legacy and promise of the Challenger mission lives on.
The conversation will explore the impact Challenger, Columbia, and the overall Shuttle Program had on multiple generations of space explorers – what lessons have we learned, how has our outlook on human spaceflight evolved, and why do the missions, specifically the Challenger crew, still resonate so strongly. Facilitated by veteran aerospace journalist Miles O’ Brien, the panel will provide insights and stories that will connect the dots to today’s human spaceflight outlook.
Materials Start-Up Panel
Start-up companies play a unique “enabler” role to vet novel research ideas and results in commercial applications and markets but are a currently untapped resource for the AIAA community. In this session, representatives from start-up materials companies will present their products, operations, and vision for future directions to enlighten and encourage the audience about potential future collaboration.
Start-up companies:
Janson Husk, Mosaic Materials — More Information
Emily Parisi, Parisi Tech — More Information
Evgenia Pekarskaya, Supercool Metals
Dan Xiang, X-Wave Innovations — More Information
Funding expertise:
Kookai Chaimahawong, Pangaea Ventures
Mark Rowland, AFWERX
Brett Jones, VU Venture Partners