Tag: 2021

AIAA Statement on Blue Origin’s Successful New Shepard Mission

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 20, 2021 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) congratulates our corporate member Blue Origin on its successful first human flight of its New Shepard rocket today. AIAA Executive Director Dan Dumbacher made the following statement:

“On behalf of the 30,000 professional and student members of AIAA, we are excited to congratulate Jeff Bezos and the Blue Origin team on their accomplishments today! The successful New Shepard Mission NS-16 builds upon today’s anniversary when we first touched the moon and accelerates us toward where we’re going next. Blue Origin is opening up access to space travel for more people. We believe this will help extend the human neighborhood beyond planet Earth.

We commend Blue Origin for turning this mission’s seat auction into inspiration. The AIAA Foundation is honored to be among the organizations chosen to receive $1 million each to inspire future generations to pursue STEM careers. We look forward to engaging students and educators with new, innovative, and creative STEM education opportunities, as well as expanding the robust K-12 and university programs we have enabled for the last 25 years.

We are excited to build on our existing partnership with Blue Origin through our Design/Build/Launch (DBL) competition, giving high school students opportunities to develop and fly microgravity research payloads onboard future missions of New Shepard. We are proud of our recently announced 2021 DBL winners – Puneeth Bheesetty, Anna Porter Puckett, and Jaden Shawyer – from Granby High School, Norfolk, Virginia. They join our 2020 DBL winner, Eleanor Sigrest, who recently graduated as valedictorian of a dual program at Forest Park High School in Woodbridge, Virginia, and the Governor’s School at Innovation Park in Manassas, Virginia. We look forward to seeing their research payloads fly aboard New Shepard and hearing their results at an ASCEND event – a gathering of the global community focused on building humanity’s off-world future faster.

We recognize the countless aerospace industry professionals who are involved in making today’s mission a success. We salute and applaud the Blue Origin team for turning dreams into reality and helping shape the future of aerospace.”

AIAA Media Contact: Rebecca B. Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell

About ASCEND
Powered by AIAA, ASCEND promotes the collaborative, interdisciplinary, outcomes-driven community of professionals, students, and serious enthusiasts around the world who are accelerating humanity’s progress toward our off-world future! For more information, visit ascend.events, or follow ASCEND on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org, or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

NASA, SpaceX Plan Halloween Launch of Crew-3 Flight to Space Station

SPACE reports that the next NASA space station launch, which is set for Halloween, “will put four more astronauts into space on a SpaceX rocket. The Crew-3 launch is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 31 at 2:21 a.m. EDT (0721 GMT), using a Falcon 9 rocket. The launch will take place at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.” The four astronauts on the “SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft will be NASA astronauts Raja Chari (mission commander), Tom Marshburn (pilot), and Kayla Barron (mission specialist), as well as European Space Agency astronaut and mission specialist Matthias Maurer.” NASA said in a statement, “Launch on Oct. 31 would have Crew-3 arriving at the space station early on the morning of Monday, Nov. 1, for a short handover with the astronauts who flew to the station in April as part of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission.”
Full Story (SPACE)

AIAA Says the Aerospace Industry Outlook Is Cautiously Optimistic

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Survey of Industry Professionals Reveals Need for Continued Innovation and Success

September 14, 2021 – Reston, Va. – To move forward after a turbulent year, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is assessing the path ahead. In a recent survey, AIAA asked its members and the aerospace community at large—including leaders, professionals, academics, and students—to gauge overall sentiment and industry outlook, as well as challenges and opportunities. The initial findings were released today in the Executive Summary, available for download immediately. The full report, “2021 AIAA State of the Industry Report: The Health and Future Outlook of the Aerospace Industry,” will be released the week of September 27.

The report reveals perspectives of those who are driving the profession forward. The data spans the three AIAA domains—Aeronautics, Aerospace Research and Development (R&D), and Space. Top-line findings include:

  • The aerospace industry outlook is cautiously optimistic. More than 80% of respondents are somewhat and very positive about the future of the aerospace industry. Not surprisingly, the mood is more subdued in the aviation sector, with only 75% reporting a positive outlook.
  • Careers in aerospace are promising. Current professionals in the industry would recommend a career in aerospace to a young person right now—with a net promoter score (NPS) of 29.
  • Cybersecurity tops the list of challenges facing aerospace and defense. Cybersecurity stands out among the most significant challenges—those in the United States place it as one of the top two priorities for their organizations.
  • Professionals rank technologies based on where they see opportunity. The most opportunities are seen in advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence/machine learning—but space has the momentum at this time.
  • Public policy priorities for aerospace are clear. Stable funding, research investments, technology infrastructure, and an educated workforce pipeline are seen as priorities for congressional and executive branch action, cutting across industry sectors.
  • Demonstrating commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is a focus. DEI is viewed as a priority for employees, especially tied to workforce development. Despite the focus, workers are not sure employers are making the most meaningful changes.
  • COVID-19 impacts will continue as the aviation sector recovers. Pandemic-related challenges impacted business operations across sectors. Nearly 30% of aerospace professionals reported seeing changes in travel due to COVID-19 as transformational to their business operations. New levels of interdisciplinary collaboration will be required for long-term success in the aviation industry recovery.

“AIAA is committed to solving the problems, developing new ideas, and applying technology in creative ways to build a better future for everyone. The findings in the ‘2021 AIAA State of the Industry Report’ affirm our key issues and provide new insights that will help us address our community’s immediate needs and priorities as we shape the future of aerospace. We will use this data to help make progress at the pace required to accelerate innovation in our three domains—Aeronautics, Aerospace R&D, and Space,” said Dan Dumbacher, AIAA Executive Director.

The “2021 AIAA State of the Industry Report: The Health and Future Outlook of the Aerospace Industry” summarizes the findings from a survey of approximately 1,000 people conducted by Edge Research on behalf of AIAA in April 2021. Respondents were from across the United States and 37 other countries. Respondents included AIAA members—current aerospace professionals, academics, students (master’s and Ph.D.)—and nonmembers.

AIAA Media Contact: Rebecca B. Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org, or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

AIAA Announces Section Award Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Awards Honor Outstanding Section Programming in a Variety of Categories

August 27, 2021 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has announced its 2020–2021 section awards winners. The section awards honor particularly notable achievements made by member sections in a range of activities that help fulfill the Institute’s mission of shaping the future of aerospace. Each of the 56 local sections throughout the U.S. and overseas offer technical programs and activities tailored to local aerospace professionals, students and educators.

Section awards are given annually in five categories based on the size of each section’s membership. Each winning section receives a certificate and a cash award. The award period covered is 1 June 2020–31 May 2021.

“Across AIAA, local sections are where the action begins. We believe that vital, active sections are essential to the Institute’s success. Congratulations to these sections for their noteworthy achievements!” said Dan Dumbacher, AIAA Executive Director.

The Outstanding Section Award is presented to sections based upon their overall activities and contributions through the year. The winners are:

    • Very Small: First Place (tie): Delaware, Daniel Nice (Northrop Grumman Corporation), section chair; First Place (tie): Vandenberg, Michelle Itzel (Axient), section chair; Third Place (tie): Adelaide, Patrick Neumann (Neumann Space), section chair; Third Place (tie): Wisconsin, Michael Carkin (Sierra Nevada Corporation), section chair
    • Small: First Place: Northwest Florida, Ryan Sherrill, section chair; Second Place: Utah, Catherine Beck (Northrop Grumman), section chair; Third Place (tie): Long Island, David Paris, section chair; Third Place (tie): Palm Beach, Randy Parsley (Pratt & Whitney), section chair
    • Medium: First Place, Tucson, Michelle Rouch (Artwork by Rouch), section chair; Second Place: Phoenix, Michael Mackowski, section chair; Third Place: Greater Philadelphia, Jonathan Moore (Lockheed Martin Corporation), section chair
    • Large: First Place (tie): St. Louis, Mark Kammeyer (The Boeing Company), section chair; First Place (tie): San Diego, Joel Perez (Solar Turbines), section chair; Third Place: Orange County, James Martin, section chair
  • Very Large: First Place: Los Angeles-Las Vegas, Chandrashekhar Sonwane (Aerojet Rocketdyne) and Jeffrey Puschell (Raytheon Intelligence and Space), section chairs; Second Place: Greater Huntsville, Nishanth Reddy Goli, section chair; Third Place: Rocky Mountain, Stacey DeFore (Lockeed Martin Space Systems)

The Communications Award is presented to sections that have developed and implemented an outstanding communications outreach program. Winning criteria include level of complexity, timeliness, and variety of methods of communications, as well as frequency, format, and content of the communication outreach. The winners are:

    • Very Small: First Place: Delaware, Zachary Gent (Northrop Grumman), membership officer; Second Place: Vandenberg, Steve Boelhouwer (Mantech International), newsletter editor; Third Place: Adelaide, Patrick Neumann (Neumann Space), section chair
    • Small: First Place: Northwest Florida, Ryan Sherrill, section chair; Second Place: Utah, Ryan Clawson, section secretary; Third Place: Wichita, Balaji Chandrasekaran Kartikeyan (Wichita State University), section secretary; Alexis Fitzpatrick
    • Medium: First Place: Tucson, Michelle Rouch (Artwork by Rouch), section chair; Second Place: Greater Philadelphia, Jonathan Moore (Lockheed Martin Corporation), section chair; Third Place: Phoenix, Michael Mackowski, section chair
    • Large: First Place: Northern Ohio, Edmond Wong (NASA Glenn Research Center), communications officer; Second Place: Atlanta, Neil Sutherland (Delta Air Lines), section chair; Third Place: San Diego, Stevie Jacobson (General Atomics Aeronautical Systems), section secretary
  • Very Large: First Place: Los Angeles-Las Vegas, Ken Lui (Ken’s Consulting), program officer, and Jeffrey Puschell (Raytheon Intelligence and Space), section chair; Second Place: Greater Huntsville, Nishanth Reddy Goli, section chair, and Alex Vasenkov (Sunergolab), publicity officer; Third Place: Hampton Roads, John Lin (NASA Langley Research Center) and Lee Mears (NASA Langley Research Center), newsletter editors

The Membership Award is presented to sections that have supported their membership by planning and implementing effective recruitment and retention campaigns. The winners are:

    • Very Small: First Place: Vandenberg, Michelle Itzel (Axient), section chair; Second Place: Delaware, Christina Larson (Northrop Grumman), communications officer; Third Place: Adelaide, Patrick Neumann (Neumann Space), section chair
    • Small: First Place: Northwest Florida, Ryan Sherrill, section chair; Second Place: Utah, Michael Miller (Northrop Gruman), membership officer; Third Place: Wichita, Wilfredo Cortez (Department of Defense)
    • Medium: First Place: Tucson, Rajka Corder (Raytheon Missile Systems), membership officer; Second Place: Greater Philadelphia, Jonathan Moore (Lockheed Martin Corporation), section chair; Third Place, Antelope Valley, Chris Coyne (U.S. Air Force), publicity officer
    • Large: First Place: St. Louis, Alex Friedman (The Boeing Company), membership officer; Second Place (tie): Orange County, Robert Welge (Robert’s Engineering Development), membership officer; Second Place (tie): San Diego, Joel Perez (Solar Turbines), section chair
  • Very Large: First Place: Hampton Roads, Richard Winski (NASA Langley Research Center), membership offier; Second Place: Los Angeles-Las Vegas, Aldo Martinez Martinez (The Boeing Company), membership officer; Third Place: Greater Huntsville, Paul Palies (University of Tennessee Space Institute), membership officer

The Public Policy Award is presented for stimulating public awareness of the needs of aerospace research and development, particularly on the part of government representatives, and for education section members about the value of public policy activities. The winners are:

    • Very Small: First Place: Delaware, Di Ena Davis, public policy officer; Second Place: Vandenberg, Michelle Itzel (Axient), public policy officer and section chair; Third Place, Adelaide, Patrick Neumann (Neumann Space), section chair
    • Small: First Place: Palm Beach, Kevin Simmons (BLUECUBE Aerospace), public policy officer; Second Place: Utah, Charlie Vono, public policy officer; Third Place: Northwest Florida, Michael Kelton (U.S. Air Force), membership officer
    • Medium: First Place: Tucson, Robert Tagtmeyer (Raytheon Missiles & Defense), public policy officer; Second Place (tie): Phoenix, Brianna Grembowski (Northrop Grumman Space Systems), public policy officer; Second Place (tie): Greater Philadelphia, Nicholas Altobelli (Lockheed Martin Corporation), communications officer
    • Large: First Place: Orange County, Kamal Shweyk (Boeing Commercial Airplanes), public policy officer; Second Place (tie): San Diego, Cesar Martin (U.S. Navy), public policy officer; Second Place (tie): Niagara Frontier, Walter Gordon, section chair
  • Very Large: First Place (tie): Greater Huntsville, Naveen Vetcha (ERC Incorporated), public policy officer; First Place (tie): Rocky Mountain, Joe Rice (Lockheed Martin Space Systems), public policy officer; Third Place: Los Angeles-Las Vegas, Jordan Chilcott, public policy officer

The STEM K–12 Award is presented to sections that have developed and implemented an outstanding STEM K–12 outreach program that provides quality education resources for K–12 teachers in the STEM subject areas. The winners are:

    • Very Small: First Place: Vandenberg, Thomas Stevens (U.S. Air Force) STEM K12 outreach officer; Second Place (tie): Wisconsin, Todd Treichel (Sierra Nevada Corporation), STEM K-12 outreach officer; Second Place (tie): Delaware, Kelly Storrs (Northrop Grumman); STEM K-12 outreach officer
    • Small: First Place: Northwest Florida, Judith Sherrill, STEM K-12 outreach officer; Second Place: Palm Beach, Shawna Christenson, STEM K–12 outreach officer; Third Place: Wichita, Minisa Childers (Aeronautix)
    • Medium: First Place: Tucson, Michelle Rouch (Artwork by Rouch), section chair officer; Second Place: Antelope Valley, Robert Jensen (Sierra Lobo, Inc), STEM K-12 officer and Jason Lechniak (NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center), section chair
    • Large: First Place: Cape Canaveral, Melissa Sleeper (Storm Grove Middle School/School District of Indian River), STEM K–12 outreach officer; Second Place: St. Louis; Jackie Blumer (Greenville Jr. High School), STEM K-12 outreach officer; Third Place: Orange County, Ed Rocha, Binay Pandey and Janet Koepke, STEM K–12 outreach officers
  • Very Large: First Place: Los Angeles-Las Vegas, Khushbu Patel, STEM K-12 outreach officer; Second Place (tie): Rocky Mountain, Susan Jannsen (United Launch Alliance), STEM K-12 outreach officer; Second Place (tie): Hampton Roads, Karen Berger (NASA Langley Research Center) and Amanda Chou (NASA Langley Research Center), STEM K-12 outreach officers; Second Place (tie): Greater Huntsville, Ragini Acharya (University of Tennessee Space Institute), STEM K-12 officer

The Section-Student Branch Partnership Award recognizes the most effective and innovative collaboration between the professional section members and student branch members.

    • Very Small: First Place: Adelaide, Patrick Neumann (Neumann Space), section chair; Second Place: Vandenberg, Evan Agarwal, university liaison; Third Place: Wisconsin, Michael Carkin (Sierra Nevada Corporation), section chair
    • Small: First Place: Northwest Florida, John Fay (Torch Technologies), education officer; Second Place: Twin Cities, Kristen Gerzina (Northrop Grumman), section chair; Third Place: Utah, Michael Stevens (Northrop Grumman), programs officer
    • Medium: First Place: Tucson, Alexis Hepburn (Raytheon Missiles and Space), career and workforce development officer, and Rob Michalak (Paragon Space Development); Second Place; Greater Philadelphia, Jonathan Moore (Lockheed Martin Corporation), section chair; Third Place: Phoenix, Michael Mackowski, section chair
    • Large: First Place: San Diego, Joel Perez (Solar Turbines), section chair; Second Place, Albuquerque, Svetlana Poroseva (University of New Mexico), university liaison; Third Place, Atlanta, Neil Sutherland (Delta Air Lines), section chair, and Aaron Harcrow, membership officer; St. Louis, Charles Svoboda (The Boeing Company), education officer
  • Very Large: First Place, Los Angeles-Las Vegas, Khusbu Patel, STEM K-12 officer; Second Place: Rocky Mountain, Dan Scantland; Third Place: New England, Umanga Balasuriya (Charles River Analytics), university liaison

The Young Professional Activity Award is presented for excellence in planning and executing events that encourage the participation of the Institute’s young professional members, and provide opportunities for leadership at the section, regional, or national level. The winners are:

    • Very Small: First Place: Adelaide, Mahdy Alhameed (University of Adelaide), young professional officer; Second Place: Wisconsin, Michael Carkin (Sierra Nevada Corporation), section chair; Third Place: Delaware, Taylor Coleman, young professional officer
    • Small: First Place: Northwest Florida, Alexandra Straub (U.S. Air Force), young professional officer; Second Place (tie): Savannah, Alessandra Carno, young professional officer; Second Place (tie): Utah, Justin Wettstein (Northrop Grumman), young professional officer
    • Medium: First Place: Tucson, Michael Hotto (Raytheon Technologies), young professional officer; Second Place: Antelope Valley, Joseph Piotrowski (NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center), young professional officer; Third Place: Greater Philadelphia, Jonathan Moore (Lockheed Martin Corporation), section chair
    • Large: First Place: St. Louis, Stephen Clark (The Boeing Company), young professional officer; Second Place: Orange County, Bradley Williams (Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems), young professional officer; Third Place (tie): Niagara Frontier, Walter Gordon, section chair officer; Third Place (tie): Northern Ohio, Dan Londrico, young professional officer
  • Very Large: First Place: Los Angeles-Las Vegas: Brett Cornick, Aakash Nareshkumar (RoviSys) and Ken Lui (Ken’s Consulting), young professional section officers; Second Place: Rocky Mountain, Alexandra Dukes (Lockheed Martin Space Systems) and Tyler Walston, young professional officers; Third Place: Hampton Roads, Michelle Lynde (NASA Langley Research Center) and Brett Hiller (NASA Langley Research Center), young professional section officers

The Outstanding Activity Award allows the Institute to acknowledge sections that held an outstanding activity deserving of additional recognition. The winners are:

    • Very Small: Wisconsin, Michael Carkin, section chair. Rocket Science for Future Engineers. This program focused on female K-12 students from the underserved areas of Wisconsin education. Hands-on demonstrations, visual aids, and real-life spaceflight examples provided a foundation for bringing these students face-to-face with space-related science, designed hardware, technology, and their potential benefits with the hope of increasing interest in aerospace- and space-related fields that lead to study at the university level followed by an aerospace career. Teams built a high-powered rocket, made use of the established AIAA rocket science curriculum (workbooks, and RockSim simulation software), and built a high-powered rocket for the purpose of launch of a small research payload. Areas such as chemisty, computer-aided design, problem-solving, electronics, and graphic design were included in this initiative.
    • Small: Utah, Catherine Beck, section chair. Wasatch Aerospace and Systems Engineering Mini-Conference. The AIAA Utah Section and the INCOSE Wasatch Chapter partnered to create the inaugural “Wasatch Aerospace and Systems Engineering Mini-Conference,” a two-day event that highlighted the work of industry and academic professionals, students, and retirees. The theme of the conference, “Celebrating the Creativity of Engineers,” highlighted the interconnectivity that exists between creativity and engineering. There were 21 presentations given over the two days by speakers from across the country, with cash prizes in each category. Giveaways were sent to all conference attendees that highlighted local artists and businesses as well as corporate sponsors. Attendees could work on an optional technical competition – either a coding challenge titled “Remote Controls” or a Lego challenge titled “W.F.H. (Winning From Home).” There was a “Geeks Who Drink” Trivia Night on Thursday night including door prizes from local artists. All of this was completed via Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There were approximately 65 total attendees.
    • Medium: Tucson, Michelle Rouch, section chair. Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 14 Mission. In 2020 many organizations had to cancel their in-person Apollo 13 50th anniversary celebration. The Apollo 14 50th anniversary lunar mission occurred 13 January–9 February 1971. On 8 February 2021, on the eve of the Apollo 14 splashdown anniversary, section members and nonmembers had a section meeting with special guest, Jack Roosa, who shared stories about his father, Stuart Roosa, Command Module pilot during the Apollo 14 mission. Although this event was virtual, attendees were offered prizes of gift cards, free admission for the members’ next field trip to Pima Air & Space Museum, and other door prizes.
    • Large: Northern Ohio, Christine Pastor-Barsi, section chair. Young Aerospace Visionaries Contest. To ignite or strengthen interest in STEM, particularly as it relates to the field of aerospace, students were invited to use their imaginations to push the boundaries of what is possible in the future to create a visual depiction of their futuristic vision of air or space travel technologies. Each visual submission was accompanied by a written essay describing the student’s vision, providing rationale for it, and giving some background about their interest in the field of aerospace. There were different grade ranges for project judging. A total of 26 applications were received from 7 different counties, 11 different schools and 1 home school student. Awards for the top three submissions included monetary awards, admission to the Great Lakes Science Center, and the option to attend the section’s Annual Picnic for engagement with section members and recognition.
  • Honorable Mention: Niagara Frontier, Walter Gordon, section chair. An Inside Look at the F-35A.

Captain Kristin “Beo” Wolfe, commander and demonstration pilot for the U.S. Air Force F-35A Demonstration Team, gave an inside look at this unmatched fifth generation fighter. The F-35A Lightning II is without question the most capable multirole fighter aircraft in the world, combining stealth, sensor fusion, and unmatched situational awareness.

    • Very Large: Rocky Mountain, Stacey DeFore, section chair. “A Night Amongst the Stars” 2020 Honors & Awards Recognition Drive-In. The Rocky Mountain Section invited guests to honor awardees, Fellows, and Associate Fellows in the first-ever Drive-In Awards. The program was broadcast on a 26’ LED screen with audio delivered via a designated FM radio frequency. Immediately following the program, guest were treated to a showing of “Apollo 13.” All necessary precautions for social distancing were followed according to Colorado state guidelines. Awardees drove up to the front of the stage and were celebrated by the audience through headlight flashing and car horns.
  • Honorable Mention: Greater Huntsville, Nishanth Reddy Goli, section chair. Alabama Quiz Bowl State Championships. In support of the State Champioships for the Alabama Academic Quiz Bowl, the section hosted the two large, traditionally in-person tournaments – one for middle school and one for high school – through Zoom sessions and Buzzin.live, an online buzzer system. The section and other partners sponsored the tournaments by providing support in the form of funding, volunteers, technical expertise, and even a tournament director to handle all the logistics and coordination associated with live, online tournaments.

AIAA Media Contact: Rebecca B. Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org, or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

Virgin Orbit On Track to Launch LauncherOne In Last Week of June

Fox Business reports that Virgin Orbit “announced Tuesday that its upcoming orbital mission, dubbed ‘Tubular Bells, Part One’…is on track to launch in the last week of June.” The company “said that its rocket, LauncherOne, has been shipped to Mojave Air and Space Port in California where final preparations are underway.” LauncherOne’s “payload will include satellites from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Space Test Program, SatRevolution, and the Royal Netherlands Air Force.” Last week, Virgin Orbit “conducted a successful cryoload test, where LauncherOne was filled with liquid oxygen propellant and fully pressurized to flight-like levels.” The company “will now move forward with a ‘wet dress rehearsal,’ where it will run through all combined launch operations up until takeoff.”
Full Story (Fox Business)

AIAA and the Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Space ISAC) Enter Cooperative Agreement

May 20, 2021 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and the Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Space ISAC) have entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) enabling the two organizations to collaborate on aerospace and space cybersecurity endeavors. The two organizations will cooperate to build the knowledge foundations of space cybersecurity. The Space ISAC brings cybersecurity situational awareness and operational excellence and AIAA offers its long history of convening and promoting aerospace expertise, knowledge, and leadership.

“AIAA is committed to bringing cyber protection to the heart of the aerospace industry. It is becoming more and more essential to address cybersecurity on an ongoing basis in the mainstream of our core processes – from the design and development of new space systems, to manufacturing and production, to operations,” said Dan Dumbacher, executive director of AIAA. “We look forward to our continued work with the Space ISAC, to use its frontline role in the cyber defense of aerospace to foster open dialogue and cooperation around this topic.”

The Space ISAC facilitates collaboration across the global space industry to prepare for and respond to vulnerabilities, incidents, and threats; to disseminate timely and actionable information among member entities; and to serve as the primary communications channel for the sector with respect to this information. Space ISAC is the only all-threats security information source for the public and private space sector. It will be the most comprehensive, single point source for data, facts and analysis on space security and threats to space assets. Space ISAC will also provide analysis and resources to support response, mitigation, and resilience initiatives.

Erin Miller, Space ISAC Executive Director, commented, “Space ISAC and AIAA coming together in partnership is a wonderful complement. Our initial collaboration efforts began in 2020 on the first ever ISAC-led tabletop exercise for the space sector. We are formalizing our partnership now and anticipate the impact will be seen through efforts in workforce development, education, space sector cybersecurity awareness, and more.”

The two organization have already begun collaborating. In 2020, the Space ISAC staged a cybersecurity tabletop exercise for space industry executives at AIAA’s ASCEND event, a global gathering of 3,000 aerospace professionals and others who are focused on accelerating our off-world future faster. Both organizations also value the importance of infusing the  global space industry with content to educate industry professionals and students and will identify opportunities to leverage AIAA’s extensive educator outreach programs.

“Digital technology has made aerospace safer, smarter, and more connected than ever. We must now establish cybersecurity as a priority on par with safety. We look forward to working with the Space ISAC to expand cybersecurity awareness throughout the aerospace community and supply chain,” Dumbacher concluded.

Through the MOU, the Space ISAC and AIAA intend to cooperate on learning opportunities and explore other areas of mutual concern.

AIAA Media Contact: Rebecca B. Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell
Space ISAC Media Contact: Erin Miller, [email protected], 303-596-4370 cell

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org, or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

About Space ISAC
The Space ISAC is the only space-dedicated ISAC and is made possible through the investment of its board and founding members. Leaders in the space industry, cybersecurity sectors, academia, and FFRDCs comprise the founding board of Space ISAC. It includes Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: KTOS), Booz Allen Hamilton (NYSE: BAH), MITRE, SES, Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT), Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC), Parsons Corporation (NYSE: PSN), Purdue University, the Space Dynamics Laboratory, the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, the Aerospace Corporation, and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. Each board member has a role in fulfilling the mission of the ISAC.

In 2017, the Science & Technology Partnership Forum conceived Space ISAC in response to recognized information-sharing gaps within the cybersecurity and space community. The goal of the Space ISAC was initially to enhance the community’s ability to prepare for and respond to vulnerabilities, incidents, and threats; disseminate timely information, and serve as the primary communications channel for the sector. The Forum shared this vision at the 34th Space Symposium in April 2018. In September 2018, the White House published the White House’s National Cyber Strategy. This strategy stated that “the Administration will enhance efforts to protect our space assets and support infrastructure from evolving cyber threats,” while working “with industry and international partners to strengthen the cyber resilience of existing and future space systems.”

The establishment of the Space ISAC was announced in April 2019 during a session at the 35th Space Symposium and is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, co-located with the National Cybersecurity Center (NCC). NCC serves as the executive, operational, and administrative function of the Space ISAC.

Space ISAC joined as an official member of the National Council of ISACs in 2020.

AIAA, NASA to Host Discussion On Mars Perseverance Rover Technology February 10

India EducationDiary reports that AIAA and NASA “will host a moderated webinar to discuss technology innovations with NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover during a virtual event at 10 a.m. EST Wednesday, Feb. 10.” The event “will livestream on NASA’s website and on YouTube through AIAA’s event landing page.” During the event, NASA “science, technology, and engineering experts involved with the mission will share more about how technology developments have enabled a return to Mars and will advance exploration of it in the future with both robots and astronauts.”
Full Story (India EducationDiary)
Learn More (AIAA)

AIAA Announces Election of Trustees and Treasurer to Board of Trustees

March 24, 2021 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the election of at-large members of its Board of Trustees and AIAA treasurer. They begin their three-year terms in May 2021.

Three new Members-at-Large were elected:

  • Frank L. Culbertson Jr., Capt. USN (Ret.)
  • R. Steven Justice, Generation Orbit
  • Todd Mosher, Amazon

An AIAA Treasurer was also elected:

  • Annalisa L. Weigel, Fairmont Consulting Group

AIAA Media Contact: Rebecca B. Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270.

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org, or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

Blue Origin to Auction Off Seat for July Flight to Space

ABC News reports that Blue Origin “said Wednesday it has opened an online auction for one of six seats aboard the New Shepard, its suborbital vehicle designed for space tourism, for the July 20 flight.” After “completing 15 consecutive missions to space and back with New Shepard, the company said it is ready to fly its first civilian passenger from its remote Van Horn, Texas, launch site.” The flight “will last between 10 and 12 minutes, during which the capsule will pass” the Karman Line – “the internationally recognized line of space.” After passing the Karman Line, “the astronauts will be able to unbuckle their seatbelts and float in zero gravity for about three minutes,” according to Blue Origin Director of Astronaut and Orbital Sales Ariane Cornell.
Full Story (ABC News

Blue Origin Schedules New Shepard Suborbital Test Flight for Wednesday

Spaceflight Now reports that Blue Origin is planning to launch its New Shepard booster and crew capsule on a suborbital test flight at 11:15 a.m. EDT Wednesday. The launch will take off from Blue Origin’s “expansive desert launch site north of Van Horn, Texas.” Blue Origin said that the test flight is a “verification step for the vehicle and operations prior to flying astronauts.” Blue Origin “said its employees will perform ‘astronaut operational exercises’ before and after the test flight Wednesday.”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)

Soyuz Launches New Crew to ISS

Space News reports that a Russian Soyuz spacecraft bringing Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitsky and Pyotr Dubrov and American astronaut Mark Vande Hei to the International Space Station arrived April 9, “a few hours after launching from Kazakhstan.”  The Soyuz 2.1a rocket launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 3:42 a.m. ET and docked with the station’s Rassvet module at 7:05 a.m. ET, following “a two-orbit approach to the station.” The trio is expected to “remain on the station through at least October as part of the Expedition 65 crew.”
Full Story (Space News)

AIAA to Recognize Technical Excellence in Aerospace at the 2021 AIAA Propulsion and Energy Forum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 23, 2021 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the winners of technical excellence awards to be presented during the 2021 AIAA Propulsion and Energy Forum, which will be held online 9-11 August. The awards ceremony will be held online Wednesday, 11 August, 1300-1430 hrs ET, and is open to all with free registration.

“Technical advances are the foundation for the next innovations in aerospace,” said AIAA Executive Director Dan Dumbacher. “We applaud these winners and we are grateful for their creativity and dedication to shaping the future of aerospace.”

In addition to these technical awards, AIAA will be recognizing winners of the Best Professional Papers, Best Student Papers, and Student Paper Competitions during the forum.

The following aerospace professionals will be recognized for their outstanding contributions in their field, having been chosen by their peers from related AIAA technical committees.

J. Philip Drummond, NASA Langley Research Center, is being presented with the 2021 AIAA Air Breathing Propulsion Award for his pioneering contributions to high-speed air-breathing propulsion, his leadership in aerospace engineering, and for his continuous contributions to AIAA.

Stephen D. Heister, Purdue University, is being presented with the 2021 AIAA Wyld Propulsion Award for continuous leadership in advancing rocket propulsion engineering through state-of-the-art computational and experimental research and decades of mentorship of students.

Yiguang Ju, Princeton University, is being presented with the 2021 AIAA Propellants and Combustion Award for outstanding contributions in studies of near-limit combustion, plasma assisted combustion, micro combustion, and cool flames.

Kai Hong Luo, University College London, is being presented with the 2021 AIAA Energy Systems Award for groundbreaking contributions to multiscale multiphysics modeling and simulation that have transformed energy system analysis, prediction, design, and optimization through research, innovation, education, and leadership.

Robert J. Walters, Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles Directorate, is being presented with the 2021 AIAA Aerospace Power Systems Award for significant technical contributions and leadership in the area of space photovoltaic technology development and solar cell radiation damage research.

 

AIAA Media Contact: Rebecca B. Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org, or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

AIAA to Recognize Technical Excellence in Aerospace at the 2021 AIAA AVIATION Forum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 23, 2021 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the winners of technical excellence awards to be presented during the 2021 AIAA AVIATION Forum, which will be held online 2-6 August 2021.  The awards ceremony is scheduled for Friday, 6 August, 1300-1430 hrs ET, and is open to all with free registration.

The following aerospace professionals will be recognized for their outstanding contributions in their field, having been chosen by their peers from related AIAA technical committees.

Harold E. Addy Jr., NASA Glenn Research Center, is being presented with the 2021 AIAA Losey Atmospheric Sciences Award for exceptional achievements and leadership in advancing aviation safety and the state of art of atmospheric research through experimental ice accretion and aerodynamic studies.

David L. Carroll, CU Aerospace LLC, is being presented with the 2021 AIAA Plasmadynamics and Lasers Award for scientific enhancement and innovation of high energy lasers and plasma-driven devices, entrepreneurial aerospace leadership, and education of scientist engineers.

Rodger E. Farley, Farley Flight Aerospace LLC, is being presented with the 2021 AIAA Otto Winzen Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of a lifetime of achievements in applying aerospace mechanics to the dynamic response of aerospace vehicles from spacecraft to aircraft and balloons.

Ephraim J. Gutmark, University of Cincinnati, is being presented with the 2021 AIAA Aeroacoustics Award for his pioneering and outstanding contributions to the application of aeroacoustics practice to achieve quiet aircraft engines and new understanding of voice production and treatments.

Mark D. Maughmer, Pennsylvania State University, is being presented with the 2020 AIAA Aerodynamics Award for foundational developments in airfoil and wing design, advancement of novel airfoil, and contributions to rotorcraft aeromechanics.

Charles Meneveau, Johns Hopkins University, is being presented with the 2021 AIAA Fluid Dynamics Award for advancing both the theoretical and practical understanding of turbulence through groundbreaking modeling techniques and applications of large-eddy simulation.

Scott A. Morton , DoD HPCMP, is being presented with the 2021 AIAA Aerodynamics Award for a career devoted to extending the application of CFD to challenging unsteady aerodynamic phenomena, such as transonic flutter, complex vortical flowfields, and maneuvering flight.

Guillermo Paniagua, Purdue University, is being presented with the 2021 AIAA Ground Testing Award for significant contributions in aerothermal high speed flow instrumentation and novel wind tunnels to support the aerospace industry, outstanding service to AIAA, dissemination, and mentorship.

Pipistrel Velis Electro (award accepted by Paolo Romagnolli and Tine Tomažič, Ajdovščina, Slovenia) is being presented with the 2021 AIAA Aircraft Design Award for creating the world’s first certified electric aircraft leading the marketplace in a new era of green aircraft design and technology.

Zhuomin Zhang , Georgia Institute of Technology, is being presented with the 2021 AIAA Thermophysics Award in recognition of outstanding contributions to microscale and nanoscale thermophysics and the understanding of interactions between thermal radiation and micro/nanostructured materials.

 

In addition, the following AIAA members have provided sustained, significant service and contributions to the Institute and will be presented with the AIAA Sustained Service Award.

Willem A. Anemaat, DARcorporation, is being presented with the 2021 AIAA Sustained Service Award for extensive service to AIAA through work on technical committees, national awards, publications, and conferences and forums.

Terry J. Burress, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, is being presented with the 2021 AIAA Sustained Service Award for continuous and exemplary service to the AIAA South Central Region and the Modeling and Simulation Technical Committee, including strengthening the membership and the technical excellence of the Institute and its committees in both formal and informal leadership roles.

David W. Levy, Sierra Nevada Corporation, is being presented with the 2021 AIAA Sustained Service Award for sustained service as AIAA Wichita Section and Aircraft Design Technical Committee Chair, Design/Build/Fly Competition Contest Administrator, and Drag Prediction Workshop Organizing Committee.

Dimitri N. Mavris, Georgia Institute of Technology, is being presented with the 2021 AIAA Sustained Service Award for 40 years of continuous meritorious service to AIAA in technical, honors and awards, publications, and international activities.

AIAA also will recognize winners of the Best Professional Papers, Best Student Papers, and Student Paper Competitions during the forum.

AIAA Media Contact: Rebecca B. Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org, or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

2021 AIAA SciTech Forum Moves to Fully Virtual Event Held 11–15 January

Accelerating Innovation Through Diversity

August 26, 2020 – Reston, Va. – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) announced that AIAA SciTech Forum, held 11–15 January 2021, will be fully online.

The world’s largest event for aerospace research, development, and technology, AIAA SciTech Forum brings together more than 5,000 participants from around the world, representing hundreds of government, academic, and private institutions.

In 2021 the forum will explore the role and importance of diversity in advancing the aerospace industry. The diversification of teams, industry sectors, technologies, design cycles, and perspectives can all be leveraged toward innovation.

AIAA SciTech Forum is a hub of aerospace innovation, offering more than 2,500 technical presentations on over 50 research topics that represent the vanguard of advancement in the industry, such as:

  • Fluid Dynamics
  • Applied Aerodynamics
  • Guidance, Navigation, and Control
  • Structures
  • and much more.

Planning remains underway for an exciting program of speakers, including business leaders and innovators. Students and professionals at all levels will appreciate the robust opportunities for networking and career growth offered at AIAA SciTech Forum; this preeminent gathering of aerospace industry leaders celebrates the resiliency and creativity that defines the aerospace community. For 2021, AIAA SciTech will move online with not only its extensive, high-quality programming but also with new opportunities for technical networking, engagement, and learning as well as the ability to later revisit and expand upon the content of the event.

AIAA looks forward to future in-person events and remains committed to the health and safety of all attendees at its forums and programs. The Institute continues to transform its events into rewarding virtual experiences, taking advantage of continually evolving platforms to welcome a broad representation from the global aerospace community.

The online AIAA SciTech Forum takes place 11–15 January 2021. For the most up-to-date information, please sign up for AIAA SciTech Forum emails.

Media contact: Brian Talbot, [email protected], 703.980.4132

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit  aiaa.org, or follow AIAA on  Twitter,  Facebook, or  LinkedIn.

Weather Expected to be 90% “Go” for SpaceX’s Saturday Launch

Florida Today reports that forecasters from the US Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron said Wednesday that they expect 90% “go” weather conditions for SpaceX’s Saturday launch of 60 Starlink satellites atop a Falcon 9 rocket. The mission is scheduled to launch “during a 10-minute window that opens at” 7:24 a.m. EST. Conditions “in the Atlantic Ocean for drone ship booster recovery were listed as ‘moderate.’”
Full Story (Florida Today)

Boeing Received More Orders in 2021 than Airbus

Reuters reports that The Boeing Company “bounced back to win the traditional annual order race against Airbus SE (AIR.PA) on an adjusted basis, but its European rival remained the world’s largest planemaker based on the number of jets delivered, data showed on Tuesday.” Shares in Boeing “rose around 2% after the closely watched data showed it ended 2021 with 535 net orders after cancellations and conversions that were partially offset by regular accounting adjustments. Gross orders were 909.”
Full Story (Reuters)

Lockheed Martin Exceeds its 2021 F-35 Delivery Goal

Breaking Defense reports that Lockheed Martin “delivered three more F-35s than planned in 2021, handing over a total of 142 Joint Strike Fighters to US and international customers as the company continues to rebound from the coronavirus pandemic.” In a statement to Breaking Defense, Bridget Lauderdale, Vice President of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Program, said that the company “was able to exceed its goal of 139 F-35s for 2021 due to the ‘efforts and dedication’ of its suppliers and workforce ‘combined with the efficiencies of digital engineering.’” Lockheed Martin spokesman Brett Ashworth said that the “three additional jets delivered in 2021 will count towards this year’s production goal, which remains at 151 to 153 jets.” Meeting its delivery goal for 2021 is a “good news story for Lockheed, which was forced to slow F-35 production in summer 2020 after COVID-19 upset the jet’s global supply chain.”
Full Story (Breaking Defense)