Tag: Announces

AIAA Announces 2026 Regional Student Conference Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 30, 2026 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the winners of six of the U.S.-based 2026 Regional Student Conferences. The first-place winners in each of the high school, undergraduate, graduate, and undergraduate team categories (listed below) receive cash prizes.

More than 1,100 students and professionals attended across all six of the recent conferences. There were a record-breaking 389 student papers presented, most of which will be published by AIAA and available on Aerospace Research Central (ARC) later this year. This is also the first year every region hosted a high school category.

“We’re excited to see our university student members gaining real-life experiences,” said AIAA CEO Clay Mowry. “For many students, these conferences are their first opportunity to formally present their research and receive valuable feedback from industry professionals. Their creativity and passion for aerospace was on full display and the future of aerospace is bright indeed.”

“We’re grateful to the local aerospace industry and universities in the conference cities for hosting tours and sponsoring the events. The dedication from the many local AIAA section volunteers helps make these conferences a resounding success,” Mowry added.

The AIAA Foundation funds the regional student conferences, in addition to contributions from many other regional-level sponsors.

Region I Winners
High School Category

First Place: “Real-Time Detection and Active Mitigation of Command-and-Control Link Exploits in Consumer UAVs,” Joseph Park and Matthew Jablonski, Ardsley High School (Ardsley, NY)
Second Place: “AEROCOOL: Aerospike Engine Research On COOLing through Biomimicry,” Devin Wanchoo, Mazen Ben Chouikha, and Michael Obeng, Osbourn Park High School/Governor’s School at Innovation Park (Manassas, VA)
Third Place: “Feel the Beat: A Wearable Vibrotactile Device for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing,” Tanmayi Mendu, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (Alexandria, VA)

Undergraduate Category

First Place: “Free-Flight Aerodynamics of Ellipsoidal Clusters in Hypersonic Flow,” Robert Chase Latyak and Stuart Laurence, University of Maryland College Park (College Park, MD)
Second Place: “A Computational Approach to Graduate Centrifuge Profiles for Patrial Gravity Planetary Environments,” Cabell Jones, Old Dominion University (Norfolk, VA)
Third Place: “Design and Implementation of a Six-Element Autonomous Active Aerodynamics System for Formula SAE,” Duncan Kuchar, Leonard Hamilton, and Huan Xu, University of Maryland College Park (College Park, MD)

Graduate Category

First Place: “Partial Optimization of Spacecraft Sandwich Shielding from Hypervelocity Impacts,” Brandon Soto and Javid Bayandor, University at Buffalo (Buffalo, NY)
Second Place: “Overcoming the Parametric Modeler: A Native Python Approach to the Particular Risk Analysis,” Joey Vézina, Luca Leccese, and Susan Liscouët-Hanke, Concordia University (Montreal, Quebec, Canada)
Third Place: “Inverse Kinematic Solutions for the BioBot Concept’s Support Umbilical Tending Manipulator,” Romeo Perlstein, Sai Srujana Theerthala, and David Akin, University of Maryland College Park (College Park, MD)

Team Category

First Place: “Comparison of High Energy Density Fuel Additives Hybrid Rocket,” Cayden Smedley, Aidan Lennon, and Ian Keil, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Blacksburg, VA)
Second Place: “Development of a Low-Cost, High-Precision Two-Stage Airdrop Model,” William Scheirey, Paige Rust, William Kiley, and Tanner Ferguson, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Worcester, MA)
Third Place: “Design and Validation of a Gravity-Gradient Boom Arm for Hybrid Attitude Control of a PocketQube Satellite,” Leopold Zitzmann, Lucas Wing, Trout Marnell, Olivia DeMelo, Kyle Leger, Emily Hagen, Aiden Leduc, and Saurav Basnet, Wentworth Institute of Technology (Boston, MA)

Region II Winners
High School Category

First Place: “Integrated Aero-Structural Optimization of Bio-Inspired and Generative AI Airfoils with Internal Lattice Architectures,” Saahil Doshi, Cashton Isaac, and Ramana Pidaparti, Oconee County High School (Watkinsville, GA)
Second Place: “Computational Analysis of Propeller-Wing Interaction: Quantifying Lift on a NACA 4412 Airfoil,” Tejus Peri and Ansh Mishra, Alliance Academy for Innovation (Cumming, GA)
Third Place: “Real-Time Digital Twin Implementation for Predictive Maintenance of UAVs Using Embedded Sensor Fusion and Machine Learning,” Naren Pai, William G. Enloe High School (Raleigh, NC)

Undergraduate Category

First Place: “Aero-Acoustic Optimization and Experimental Validation of a NACA 2415 Toroidal UAV Propeller,” Abhinav Das, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Charlotte, NC)
Second Place: “Design, Manufacturing, and Testing of a Data Acquisition System for Use in the Development of Control Systems for Fixed-Wing Unmanned Aerial Systems,” Tucker Jaudon and Austin Hoff, Mississippi State University (Starkville, MS)
Third Place: “Modeling and Stability Analysis of Inertial Roll Coupling in Supersonic Sounding Rockets,” Saptak Das, Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA)

Graduate Category

First Place: “Exact Beltramian Solution of the Bidirectional Vortex Motion in a Capped Ellipsoidal Cyclonic Rocket Engine,” Patrick Eid and Joseph Majdalani, Auburn University (Auburn, AL)
Second Place: “Novel Modification of Shock-Tube Facility for Strain-Testing of Carbon Fiber Airframes Under Impulsive Shock Loading,” Jonathan Zak, Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN)
Third Place: “An Image–Based Stochastic Model for Predicting Microstructure Effects on Shock-Induced Ignition and Burn in Pressed HMX,” Philip Melton and Keith Gonthier, Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, LA)

Team Category

First Place: “Reaction Wheel Roll Stabilization and Control for an L1 High-Power Rocket,” Sebastien Martinez, Ethan Koh, Renato Dell’Osso, Rachit Gupta, Dahananjay Manikandan, Dante Midei, and Lucas Alonso-Munoyerro, Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA)
Second Place: “Integrated Design and Analysis of a Low-Cost, Motor-Driven Airbrake System for a Sounding Rocket,” Juan Alizo Ewald, Gavin Wilson, Nicholas Dagnino, Parsa Novin, Austin Applestone, Andrew Darby, and Brooklyn Schnupp, University of Georgia (Athens, GA)
Third Place: “Design of a 1000 N N2O/Paraffin-ABS Hybrid Rocket Engine for a Reusable VTVL Lander,” Michael Swoyer, Sukhmani Sethi, Matthew Xu, Veer Gudhka, Chengle Qian, Felix Gusic, Valeriy Donchev, Amaan Patel, Grace Dilgard, and Szu Heng Chen, Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA)

Outstanding Student Branch Category

First Place: “How to Plan Your Conference: the University of South Carolina’s Guide to Large Event Planning,” University of South Carolina (Columbia, SC)
Second Place: “From Rocky Top to the Classroom: K-5 STEM Outreach by the Volunteers,” University of Tennessee Knoxville (Knoxville, TN)
Third Place: “Florida Tech AIAA: Expanding Student Opportunity on the Space Coast and Beyond,” Florida Institute of Technology (Melbourne, FL)

Open Topic Category

First Place: “Applications of Quantum Optimization Algorithms in Low-Thrust Spaceflight Navigation,” Aneesh Sattiraju and Skyler Kim, Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA)
Second Place: “Comparative Analysis of Energy Absorption in TPMS vs. Honeycomb Lattices for Lunar Lander Strut Attenuation,” Gabriel Brazzeal and Kenza Rih, University of Florida (Gainesville, FL)
Third Place: “Exploring Space Medicine: Human Health Hazards in Space Exploration,” Alyssa Bice, University of Tennessee, Knoxville (Knoxville, TN)

Region III Winners
High School Category

First Place: “A Probabilistic Framework for Terrain-Aware Emergency Site Selection Under Thrust Loss,” Bhavna Jonnadula, Troy High School (Troy, MI)
Second Place: “Interaction-Induced Momentum Redistribution in Clustered Hall-Effect Thrusters Using a Reduced Prescribed-Field Model,” Venkataashish Gogineni, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (Aurora, IL)
Third Place: “Optimization of Rocker-Bogie Suspension Systems for Improved Rover Traversal Speed on Extreme Extraterrestrial Terrain,” Emilee Colton, Sumedh Pendyala, and Makayo Cheung, Oswego East High School (Oswego, IL)

Undergraduate Category

First Place: “Feasibility of Low-Cost Hypersonic Vehicles for Second-Mode Instability Data Collection,” Aditya Singh and Brandon Chynoweth, Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN)
Second Place: “Development and Optimization of Inductively Coupled Plasma Neutralizer for Electric Propulsion Applications,” David Rubin, Stephen Tushentsvo, and Alexey Shashurin, Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN)
Third Place: “Automated Processing and Classification of Lidar Point Clouds for Flight Path Modeling Software,” Kavanaugh Frank and Chad Mourning, Ohio University (Athens, OH)

Graduate Category

First Place: “Thermodynamic Cycle Analysis of Turbo-Compound Engine with High-Efficiency-Hybrid-Cycle Internal Combustion Rotary Configuration,” Chloe Amoroso and Maryam Younessi-Sinaki, Cleveland State University (Cleveland, OH)
Second Place: “Hybrid Actuator Control Allocation: A Hardware Comparison of QP and PI Allocators on an Air Spindle Testbed,” Jad Halabi, Ritwik Majumdar, and Oliver Jia-Richards, University of Michigan Ann Arbor (Ann Arbor, MI)
Third Place: “Pulse Detonation Driven Ignition of a Rotating Detonation Engine,” Ryan Timmerman and Jason Payyappilly, Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN)

Team Category

First Place: “Examination of the Viability of Reclaimed Gas Electric Propulsion for Orbit Maintenance of Crewed Space Stations,” Noah Negron, Sashvat Krishnan, Henry Poutasse, and Oliver Jia-Richards, University of Michigan Ann Arbor (Ann Arbor, MI)
Second Place: “Design, Testing, and Comparisons of a Carbon Dioxide Compressed Gas Propulsion Module for IU CubeSat Platforms,” Varun Chitiveli, Brody Booker, Max Cirino, Antonio Accardo, and Nishanth Kunchala, Ohio State University (Columbus, OH)
Third Place: “Design and Analysis of a Hydrogen-Air RDC for Power Generation Research,” Deepesh Balwani, Sumit Laha, Anjali Patel, Oluwaniademi Ogundana, and David Taranowski, Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN)

Region IV Winners
High School Category

First Place: “Feasbility of Oblique Wings in Aircraft Design and Efficiency,” Maximus Pongkorung, Atascocita High School (Humble, TX)
Second Place: “Analyzing Lift Generation in a Modified Magnus Cylinder-Integrated Airfoil for Short Take-Off and Landing,” Ajinkya Joshi, Marzia Cescon, Daniel Floryan, John Foster Dulles High School (Sugar Land, TX)
Third Place: “Velocity and Angle Compensated Turret Aiming for Simultaneous Shooting and Motion,” Arka Rebbapragada, Arun Rebbapragada, Wanni Zhu, and Stuart Otten, Newman Smith High School (Carrollton, TX)

Undergraduate Category

First Place: “Characterization of Mack Mode Instabilities in Mach 7 Flow,” Smruthi Shashidhar and Mackenzie Vargas-Lebron, University of Texas at San Antonio (San Antonio, TX)
Second Place: “Experimental Evaluation of Counter-Rotating Co-Axial Propellers with Variable Spacing and Dissimilar Shaft Speeds,” Gage Nold and Nathan Revor, Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, OK)
Third Place: “Image Processing and Time of Flight Analysis of Propagating Shocks,” Richard Otano, University of Texas – Arlington (Arlington, TX)

Graduate Category

First Place: “Configuration Aerodynamics Methodology for Conceptual Design of Hypersonic Vehicles,” Stephen Atkins, University of Texas at Arlington (Arlington, TX)
Second Place: “Design and LPV Modeling of Deployable Integrated Tensegrity Torus–Cable Domes,” Weizhi Cao, University of Houston (Houston, TX)
Third Place: “Markov Chain Monte Carlo Estimation of Satellite Ballistic Coefficients for Re-entry Prediction,” Caden Matthews, University of Oklahoma (Norman, OK)

Team Category

First Place: “FSO Communications with Liquid Crystal Spatial Light Modulators for Hypersonic and Re-entry Vehicles,” Ashlan Benson, Ruben Ooms, and Austin Eckert, Tarleton State University (Stephenville, TX)
Second Place: “”Jinx”: High Thrust-to-Weight Ratio Design for Collegiate Bi-Propellant Liquid Rocket Development,” Grace Zimmer, Haven Russell, and Emilio Mayorga, University of Texas at San Antonio (San Antonio, TX)
Third Place: “Concentration of Ozone and Cosmic Radiation in the Stratosphere,” Evan Sie, Deborah Luo, Advaith Madala, Janani Arunpraksh, and Afreeda Hossain, University of Texas at Dallas (Richardson, TX)

Region V Winners
High School Category

First Place: “Physics-Informed Learning of Jet Stream Variability and Aircraft-Relevant Momentum Transport Using Reanalysis Data,” Naga Sai and Dhiraj Kasam, Moline Sr High School (Moline, IL)
Second Place: “A Multi-Fidelity Framework for Trustworthy AI-Driven Transonic Airfoil Optimization with Automated Hallucination Detection,” Krithik Senthilkumar, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (Aurora, IL)

Undergraduate Category

First Place: “Reducing Sputtering on Spacecraft to Mitigate Secondary Radiation Exposure,” Anton Golovko, University of North Dakota (Grand Forks, ND)
Second Place: “Aerodynamic Shape Optimization for the DPW4 Transport Aircraft Using DAFoam,” Nicholas Barber, Iowa State University (Ames, IA)
Third Place: “Multidisciplinary Design Optimization of Adaptive Cycle Engine Aircraft using Aviary,” Marcos De Leon, Iowa State University (Ames, IA)

Graduate Category

First Place: “Online Inertia Tensor Identification for Non-Cooperative Spacecraft via Augmented UKF,” Batu Candan, Iowa State University (Ames, IA)
Second Place: “A Data-Driven Assessment of Impact Erosion Resistance Using ML and Multi Criteria Decision Making,” Debanan Bhadra, Iowa State University (Ames, IA)
Third Place: “Modeling Relativistic Effects on Clocks in Cislunar Space Along Reference Trajectories of Varying Dynamical Fidelity,” Emily Matteson, University of Colorado Boulder (Boulder, CO)

Team Category

First Place: “Use of Formal Verification Techniques for the Dynamic Degradation of the GRIFEX CubeSat.” Michael Jacks, Gustavo Abagge Luzzi, Isabella Brewer, and Erin Riley, Iowa State University (Ames, IA)
Second Place: “Multi-Rover GNC Architecture for Autonomous Searching Using Frontier Planning and Gain-Scheduled Control,” Yu Kang Kong and Vishnu Duriseti, University of Colorado Boulder (Boulder, CO)
Third Place: “Evaluation of Subsurface Probe for Investigating Cryogenic Environments for the Enceladus Underwater Robotic Observation and Property Analysis Mission,” Benjamin Forbes, Adrian Acevedo, Melanie Reym, Brandon Velarde, and Nathan Brubaker, Saint Louis University (St. Louis, MO)

Region VI Winners
High School Category

First Place: “A Heuristic Load-Balancing Algorithm for Multi-Mesh Simulations on GPUs,” Leo Sitaraman, Homestead High School (Cupertino, CA)
Second Place: “Passive Flow Control with Turbulators on the ROAMX-0201 Airfoil at Low Reynolds Numbers,” Daniel Guo, The Bishop’s School (LA Jolla, CA)
Third Place: “A Novel Method for Reorienting CubeSats Using Non-Commutative Internal Movements,” Gregory Shechter, Palos Verdes High School (Palos Verdes Estates, CA)

Undergraduate Category

First Place: “Residual Learning of Universal-Variable Corrections for Fast Lambert Transfers,” Drew Stannard-Stockton, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (San Luis Obispo, CA)
Second Place: “GPU Acceleration of 2D Panel Methods for Rapid Aerodynamic Prediction,” Gisselle Frisby, California State University, Long Beach (Long Beach, CA)
Third Place: “Two-Mode Adaptable Camber Wing Design for Subsonic Cruise Efficiency,” Samuel Thomas Joseph, San José State University (San Jose, CA)

Graduate Category

First Place: “SpaceOTTER – Space Optically Tracked Testbed for Experiments and Research,” Alexander DeBartolo, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (San Luis Obispo, CA)
Second Place: “Development of a 3 Degree of Freedom Manipulator for Use on a Planar Microgravity Testbed,” Jackson Cordova, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (San Luis Obispo, CA)
Third Place: “Design and Optimization of Repeat Ground Track Constellation for Discontinuous Regional Coverage,” Paige Jewell, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (San Luis Obispo, CA)

Team Category

First Place: “Development and Testing of an Autonomous Guided Parafoil for Small Suborbital Payload Recovery,” Nicholas Lototsky and Andrew Lana, University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)
Second Place: “Particulate Contamination Detection and Targeted Removal for Telescope Optics,” Jack Clark and Alisa Higuchi, University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)
Third Place: “Design and Construction of Water Electrolysis Propulsion System,” Nathan Huynh and JC Garcia, University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)

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

About AIAA
AIAA is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With more than 33,000 individual members from 91 countries, and over 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. Visit www.aiaa.org or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and X.

Advancing the Field: Luminary Cloud Announced New Physics AI Models at AIAA SciTech Forum

FROM THE INSTITUTE
Luminary Cloud, an AIAA Corporate Member, announced the release of three new physics AI defense models designed to dramatically expedite U.S. defense technology development while at AIAA SciTech Forum 2026. “The new physics AI models are intended to complement simulation technology, and instead of giving execution times in hours, they will provide answers in less than a second,” said Juan Alonso, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder, Luminary Cloud. “This is a significant acceleration of engineering workflows, which is made possible by the very large data sets we are able to create with GPU-native physics solvers and by the revolution in Physics AI methods.”

AIAA Announces 2026 Priority Issues to Advance U.S. Aerospace Leadership

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 9, 2026 – Reston, Va. – AIAA CEO Clay Mowry announced the 2026 Priority Issues confronting the aerospace industry spanning aviation, national security, research and development, and space domains. AIAA is the world’s largest aerospace professional society representing over 33,000 engineers and 100 corporate members. AIAA’s 2026 Priority Issues are designed to inform policymakers and industry leaders on the most pressing issues affecting U.S. aerospace competitiveness, leadership and safety.

“Preserving America’s leadership position in aerospace requires the modernization of our aviation infrastructure, investment in R&D, a resilient industrial base, and clear, responsible policy frameworks that enable innovation while protecting national security,” Mowry said. AIAA’s 2026 Priority Issues reflect those hard realities in an increasingly competitive global aerospace marketplace.”

2026 Priority Issues

Aviation

Air traffic control and infrastructure modernization through sustained FAA Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) investment
Advanced air mobility and autonomous flight integration
Advanced materials and manufacturing technologies, including qualification, supply-chain, and workforce constraints

National Security

Golden Dome for America/multi-layered defense readiness, including industrial-base, supply chain, and qualification standards
Smart sustainment approaches to right-to-repair
Acquisition reform to deliver capability at the speed of relevance

Research & Development

R&D leadership and investment in laboratories and test infrastructure
Internal research and development (IRAD) incentives and tax policy
Academic ITAR and export-control modernization to protect the STEM pipeline

Space

NASA budget growth, safety, and preserving science leadership
The race to the Moon and Mars, including norms of behavior in cislunar space
Space traffic management and space situational awareness for orbital safety

AIAA will engage with Congress, the administration, state and local officials throughout 2026 to provide technical expertise, standards development, and fora to support these priorities.

Media Contact: Rebecca 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 more than 33,000 individual members from 91 countries, and over 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit www.aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on LinkedIn, Instagram, X/Twitter, and Facebook.

AIAA Announces 2026 Key Issues to Advance U.S. Aerospace Leadership

FROM THE INSTITUTE
The United States enters 2026 at a pivotal moment for aerospace. To help policymakers and the aerospace community focus on the most consequential priorities, the Institute has released its 2026 Key Issues. The Key Issues reflect AIAA’s mission as a neutral, technical convener at the intersection of government, industry, and academia. They are designed to support practical oversight, responsible modernization, and sustained U.S. leadership across the aerospace enterprise.

AIAA Announces New Student Branches

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 26, 2026 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce it has provisionally chartered five new student branches at the AIAA Council of Directors meeting during AIAA SciTech Forum 2026 in Orlando, Florida.

The five new student branches have been granted three-year provisional charters to ensure they are sustainable before being officially chartered as a student branch. The universities include:

Baylor University – Waco, Texas
South Dakota State University – Brookings, South Dakota
University of Texas Permian Basin – Odessa, Texas
Wilbur Wright College – Chicago, Illinois
Zewail City Science and Technology – Cairo, Egypt

“It’s an exciting moment as we welcome these new student branches to AIAA – totaling 268. By expanding our global network reaching more students, we are enriching our community. We’re eager to see the impact these future leaders will have on the aerospace industry,” said AIAA CEO Clay Mowry.

To find out how your institution can establish a student branch, visit aiaa.org/get-involved/university-students/student-branches.

Media Contact: Rebecca 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 www.aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on LinkedIn, Instagram, X/Twitter, and Facebook.

AIAA Announces 2026 Premier Award Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 16, 2025 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the 2026 recipients of the AIAA Premier Awards, recognizing the most influential and inspiring individuals in aerospace whose outstanding contributions merit the highest accolades. The winners will be recognized at AIAA events throughout the year.

“Congratulations to our premier award winners,” said AIAA President Daniel Hastings. “In honoring these remarkable pioneers, we celebrate their transformative contributions that will echo through generations of aerospace innovation. Their groundbreaking work exemplifies the relentless pursuit of excellence that defines our community as they set new horizons for what humanity can achieve in the vast frontiers of air and space.”

“I’m simply in awe of this outstanding group of award winners. These are the aerospace professionals who push the boundaries of what’s possible,” said AIAA CEO Clay Mowry. “These leaders are making sure we stay at the forefront of innovation and maintain our national leadership in aerospace. They are truly shaping the future of aerospace.”

The winners are:

AIAA Goddard Astronautics Award – Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)

AIAA Reed Aeronautics Award – Boom Supersonic XB-1 Team

AIAA Distinguished Service Award – Mark J. Lewis, President & CEO, Purdue Applied Research Institute

AIAA Engineer of the Year Award – Jenna L. Eppink, Research Aerospace Engineer, NASA Langley Research Center

AIAA Lawrence Sperry Award – Thomas C. Underwood, Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Austin

AIAA Public Service Award – Thomas Zurbuchen, Professor of Space Science and Technology, ETH Zurich

Daniel Guggenheim Medal – Charbel Farhat, Vivian Church Hoff Professor of Aircraft Structures School of Engineering, Stanford University

Award Citations

AIAA Goddard Astronautics Award

The highest honor AIAA bestows for notable achievement in the field of astronautics. It was endowed by Mrs. Goddard in the 1940s as the ARS Goddard Memorial Award to commemorate her husband, Robert H. Goddard—rocket visionary, pioneer, bold experimentalist, and superb engineer whose early liquid rocket engine launches set the stage for the development of astronautics.

Indian Space Research Organisation, honored “For the groundbreaking landing of the ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 near the lunar south pole region, to deepen our understanding of the moon and beyond.”

AIAA Reed Aeronautics Award

The highest honor AIAA bestows for notable achievements in the field of aeronautics. The award is named after Dr. Sylvanus A. Reed, aeronautical engineer, designer, and founding member of the Institute of the Aeronautical Sciences in 1932.

Boom Supersonic XB-1 Team, honored “In recognition of the historic design and development of Boom Supersonic’s demonstrator, XB-1, the first independently developed supersonic jet, which demonstrated Boomless Cruise on two supersonic flights in 2025.”

AIAA Distinguished Service Award

AIAA recognizes an individual member who has provided distinguished service to the Institute over a period of years.

Mark J. Lewis, President & CEO, Purdue Applied Research Institute, honored “For outstanding and notable contributions to AIAA at the sectional, regional, and national level over the past four decades.”

AIAA Engineer of the Year Award

The award is presented to a member of the Institute who has made a recent individual technical contribution in the application of scientific and mathematical principles leading to a significant technical accomplishment.

Jenna L. Eppink, Research Aerospace Engineer, NASA Langley Research Center, honored “For exceptional engineering and technical innovation developing Lensless Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and a simple static-pressure-tap boundary-layer transition detection technique, expanding near-body flow-physics measurement capabilities.”

AIAA Lawrence Sperry Award

The award is presented for a notable contribution made by a young person, age 35 or under, to the advancement of aeronautics or astronautics. This award honors Lawrence B. Sperry, pioneer aviator and inventor, who died in 1923 in a forced landing while attempting a flight across the English Channel.

Thomas C. Underwood, Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Austin, honored “For pioneering contributions to air-breathing electric propulsion and plasma-enabled pathways for sustainable and in situ fuel production.”

AIAA Public Service Award

The award honors a person who has demonstrated sustained and visible support for aviation and space goals.

Thomas Zurbuchen, Professor of Space Science and Technology, ETH Zurich, honored “For bold and impactful leadership through energetic public service in space science, entrepreneurship, education, and NASA space program management.”

Daniel Guggenheim Medal

The Medal was established as an international award honoring an individual who makes notable achievements in advancing the safety and practicality of aviation. Jointly sponsored by AIAA, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), SAE International, and Vertical Flight Society (VFS), the Medal recognizes contributions to aeronautical research and education, the development of commercial aircraft and equipment, and the application of aircraft to the economic and social activities of the nation.

Charbel Farhat, Vivian Church Hoff Professor of Aircraft Structures School of Engineering, Stanford University, honored “For pioneering advances in the computational mechanics of fluid–structure interaction, transforming simulation methodologies and enabling major breakthroughs in aircraft design and optimization.”

Contact: Rebecca 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 www.aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA SciTech Forum 2026 Adds Prominent Speakers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 12, 2025 – Reston, Va. – AIAA will kick off SciTech Forum 2026 with opening remarks from America’s most experienced astronaut, Peggy Whitson, Vice President of Human Spaceflight, Axiom Space. The event is scheduled 12–16 January, Hyatt Regency Orlando. Other daily plenary speakers will cover the latest innovations transforming aerospace, including:

Jonathan Arenberg, Fellow and Chief Mission Architect for Science and Robotic Exploration, Northrop Grumman, shares insights from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope
Arbi Karapetian, Director, Innovation and Technology, Formula 1, brings nearly 30 years of aerospace experience to reveal how innovation fuels performance across industries
Jason Levin, SVP of Engineering for Air Dominance & Strike, Anduril, showcases lessons learned in developing its Collaborative Combat Aircraft, Fury
Craig Martell, CTO, Lockheed Martin, and Ylli Bajraktari, President and CEO, Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), discuss the challenges and opportunities of next-gen artificial intelligence

AIAA SciTech Forum is known for setting the pace of innovation and connection for the year. This year’s inspirational theme, “Breaking Barriers Together: Boundless Discovery,” will envision the possibilities for aerospace’s future. Other notable speakers include:

Camille Alleyne, Founder and CEO, Arusha Space, LLC
Carissa Christensen, CEO, BryceTech
Todd Citron, CTO, The Boeing Company
Greg Ombach, Senior Vice President, Airbus
Will Roper, CEO, Istari Digital, and former Assistant Secretary of Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, U.S. Air and Space Force
Brad Rothenberg, CEO, nTop
Ryan Tseng, President, Co-founder, and Chief Strategy Officer, Shield AI
Danica Vallone, CEO, Making Space

The new Career Accelerator Program for university students will deliver an intensive day of career advice and tools from AIAA Corporate Member hiring managers and recruiters, plus confirmed speakers:

Hillary Coe, Chief Design and Marketing Officer, Vast
Amy Medina Jorge, Educator and Blue Origin commercial astronaut
Joan Misner, Social Media Influencer @YourFemaleEngineer

Registration with the best pricing is available through 15 December. For the most up-to-date program information, visit SciTech.aiaa.org. Journalists can request media credentials at [email protected].

Media Contact: Rebecca 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 www.aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on LinkedIn, Instagram, X/Twitter, and Facebook.

Space Force Announces SpaceX, ULA Assigned to First Set of Key Launches Beyond FY27

Breaking Defense reports, “The Space Force announced today that it has assigned the first seven future launches under its National Security Space Launch Program (NSSL) program for critical missions: five to SpaceX and two to United Launch Alliance (ULA). NSSL Phase 3 Lane 2 launches carry high-value, must-go payloads and/or those headed to orbits that are more difficult to achieve. The Space Force is using firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery contracts for these types of launches.”
Full Story (Breaking Defense)

Space Force Announces ATLAS Space Domain Awareness Software Now Operational

Breaking Defense reports, “The Space Force announced today that its software-centric program for managing, processing and disseminating space monitoring data, the Advanced Tracking and Launch Analysis System (ATLAS), has been accepted as ‘operational.’ The move paves the way for the service to finally rid itself of its dysfunctional 1980s-era computer system called the Space Defense Operations Center (SPADOC), which as been used to keep tabs on satellites, spacecraft and dangerous space junk even after nearly two decades of failed replacement efforts.”
Full Story (Breaking Defense)

Space Command Headquarters to Move from Colorado to Alabama

CBS News reports, “President Trump announced Tuesday afternoon that U.S. Space Command headquarters is moving from Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Huntsville, Alabama. In 2018 he had signed an order reestablishing U.S. Space Command, after it had been absorbed in 2002 into U.S. Strategic Command. Its main goal is to find ways to defend U.S. interests in space.”
Full Story (CBS News)