Tag: Las Vegas

AIAA and Tripadvisor Launch “Destination: Space” to Open Up Space Tourism to New Audiences

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Includes First-Ever Tourist Review of Space from Dr. Sian Proctor

July 30, 2024 – Las Vegas – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and Tripadvisor have launched “Destination: Space,” a new content platform dedicated to space tourism, exploration, and education. “Destination: Space” aims to demystify space for the general public and make space tourism more accessible to all. The platform features Tripadvisor reviews and content from the growing community of astronauts who have travelled to space – sharing their unfiltered experiences of what it’s like to travel off planet Earth. These human stories draw from the ever-expanding community of more than 600 people who have travelled to space.

The announcement was celebrated during the 2024 ASCEND event in Las Vegas where more than 3,500 people in the aerospace community and adjacent industries are gathered this week.

In addition to reviews on traveling to space, “Destination: Space” includes links for the public to book actual space experiences. Enthusiasts can find travel information to visit space-related locations here on Earth, including museums and science centers, as well as where to see rocket launches, take advantage of STEM learning opportunities, and explore online space resources.

The First Review from Space
The first official review from space is provided by Dr. Sian “Leo” Proctor, renowned for her groundbreaking achievements as the first African American woman to pilot a spaceship, paint in space, and serve on the SpaceX Inspiration4 mission – the first all-civilian orbital mission. She became a commercial astronaut following her 22 years as a professor teaching geology, sustainability, and planetary science at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, Arizona, and now as a geoscience professor at the Maricopa Community Colleges in Tempe, Arizona. Her humorous yet accurate review of space appears alongside videos, photos, and the familiar Tripadvisor “bubble ratings” for ambiance, location, sleep quality, and more.

A Unique Perspective
The content at “Destination: Space” includes not only reviews but also space-inspired itineraries, interactive educational STEM programs, and more, catering to those who wish to experience space here on Earth – for fun, inspiration, and education. This additional information is provided by experts and enthusiasts working in the space community. Reviews from other space travelers – Victor L. Vescovo and Marty Allen – are included, with more to be added as increasing numbers of people explore the final frontier.

Making Space Accessible to More People
Adam Ochman from Tripadvisor commented on this exciting development, “We are thrilled to launch ‘Destination: Space,’ where we aim to bridge the gap between Earth and the cosmos, providing our community with engaging and educational content that fuels curiosity and inspires future generations of space travelers.”

“AIAA is dedicated to accelerating humanity’s future in space through fostering innovative collaborations inside and outside of the space industry. We are thrilled to work closely with Tripadvisor, a global online travel market leader, to promote space as an increasingly accessible destination,” said Brian Talbot, AIAA vice president of revenue development, marketing and communications. “With the launch of ‘Destination: Space,’ Tripadvisor joins the emerging ecosystem of non-aerospace companies and new industries that now see space as an opportunity.”

AIAA 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 aiaa.org, or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA Unveils ASCEND Diverse Dozen Op-Eds on Space Sustainability and Environmentalism

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 19, 2024 – Reston, Va. – AIAA published the 2024 ASCEND Diverse Dozen (D12) Op-Eds – a collection of unique perspectives on today’s most pressing space sustainability challenges. The 12 visionaries who comprise the D12 will present their ideas on the opening day of 2024 ASCEND, 30 July – 1 August, Las Vegas. Organized as rapid-fire lightning talks, the D12 will address burning topics from the challenges of balancing growth through responsible space sustainability to orbital debris risking human space exploration.

ASCEND is the world’s premier outcomes-focused, interdisciplinary space event designed to accelerate building our off-world future. In its fifth year, D12 is produced in partnership with astrodynamicist Moriba Jah, chief scientist and co-founder of Privateer. More than 50 people have participated in the D12 program since 2020. Read all their Op-Eds here.

This year, the D12 is supported by the Office of Space Commerce, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce helping amplify underrepresented voices as they promote messages on space sustainability.

The 2024 ASCEND D12 cohort includes startup founders, association leaders, aerospace and engineering scholars, and policy experts in the space industry. They hail from Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, the United States and its territory, Puerto Rico.

The 2024 ASCEND Diverse Dozen are:

Nifemi Awe, Management Consultant, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Priyanka Dhopade, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Engineering, University of Auckland
Martina Dimoska, Founder and President, International Space Alliance
Jose Figueroa, Founder, Aqua/Sky Launch Innovations
Amir Gohardani, CEO, Springs of Dreams Corporation
Kim Macharia, Executive Director, Space Prize Foundation
Isabelle Mierau, Founder, Space Debris DAO
Sumbal Mushtaq, Founder, Astralbeam Organization
Alma Okpalefe, Executive Director, World Space Week Association
Carolyn Overmyer, Director, Orion Chief Engineer, Lockheed Martin Space
Olga Stelmakh-Drescher, Chief Policy, Legal & Government Relations Officer, Exolaunch
Salman Ali Thepdawala, Ph.D. Candidate and Munich Aerospace Scholar, University of Bundesweehr – Munich

Registration for 2024 ASCEND is open. Press passes are available.

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

About AIAA
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, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

2024 AIAA David W. Thompson Lecture in Space Commerce Presented by Sir Martin Sweeting During 2024 ASCEND

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 8, 2024 – Reston, Va. – AIAA is pleased to announce the 2024 AIAA David W. Thompson Lectureship in Space Commerce is awarded to Sir Martin Sweeting, Executive Chairman, Surrey Satellite Technology, Ltd. (SSTL) and Distinguished Professor, Surrey Space Centre, University of Surrey. The lecture, “Small Satellites – The Foundation of NewSpace,” will be presented Tuesday, 30 July, 12 p.m. PT, during 2024 ASCEND, 30 July – 1 August, Las Vegas.

Sweeting’s lecture will trace 20 years of small satellites’ impact on life on Earth and look toward future developments. The emergence in the early 2000s of low cost and rapid response, yet operationally capable small satellites initiated a fundamental gear-change in the economics of space. Two decades later, small satellites are mainstream and the basis of mega constellations in low Earth orbit providing communications and Earth observation services with the private sector now playing a dominant role. Recent developments in launchers, both large and small, have accelerated this trend, often referred to as “NewSpace,” enabling far wider participation by nations and commercial companies. The next generation of launchers on the horizon will stimulate the next gear-change in space, with dramatic implications for industry and society.

In 1979, with a Ph.D. in radio engineering from the University of Surrey, Sweeting pioneered rapid-response, low-cost, and highly capable small satellites utilizing modern consumer electronics to change the economics of space. In 1985, he founded a university spin-off company, SSTL, that has designed, built, launched, and operated in orbit over 70 nano-, micro-, and mini-satellites for customers worldwide providing missions for communications, Earth observation, space science, and the demonstration of active space debris removal techniques. Sweeting was knighted in 2006 by HM the Late Queen and is a Fellow of the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Physics. He has received numerous international awards, and has been identified as one of the UK’s 20 most influential engineers. He is regarded as the “father of small satellites” that led to NewSpace.

This lectureship recognizes a prominent industry leader or senior management team who has created or grown a space-related business and generated substantial economic benefits and market value. It was endowed by Orbital ATK to commemorate the long and distinguished career of commercial space pioneer, David W. Thompson. The lecture will be delivered in person, as well as recorded and available on demand.

Registration for 2024 ASCEND is open. Press passes are available for credentialed media by request.

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

About AIAA
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 X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, and visit ascend.events or follow ASCEND on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, and Instagram.

2024 ASCEND to Feature Europa Clipper Mission in William H. Pickering Lecture

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 8, 2024 – Reston, Va. – AIAA is pleased to announce the 2024 William H. Pickering Lecture, “Europa Clipper: First NASA Mission to an Ocean World,” by Bonnie Buratti, Deputy Project Scientist, Europa Clipper Mission, 31 July, 12 p.m. PT, during 2024 ASCEND, 30 July – 1 August, Las Vegas.

As NASA’s first detailed exploration of an ocean world with an overarching goal of searching for a habitable zone, Europa Clipper is scheduled to launch in 2024. Europa is one of Jupiter’s four moons discovered by Galileo in 1610. It almost certainly harbors a salty ocean underneath a thick ice crust. This ocean has all the requirements for a habitable zone where primitive life could potentially thrive: liquid water, energy in the form of chemical potentials, and organic molecules. Europa Clipper also will study the geology, interior, and composition of Europa. Buratti’s lecture will showcase the mission’s objectives and its role in the search for life beyond Earth. This lecture will be delivered in person, recorded, and available on demand.

Buratti is Senior Research Scientist, Principal, and Fellow at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. An expert on planetary surfaces, she has held leadership roles on several NASA flight projects, including Cassini to Saturn and New Horizons to Pluto. She is a recipient of the Carl Sagan Medal for Excellence in Public Communication and the Gerard P. Kuiper Prize for outstanding lifetime achievement in the field of planetary science. She is an elected Fellow of the American Geophysical Union and the American Astronomical Society, and author of over 250 papers and the popular book, Worlds Fantastic, Worlds Familiar (Cambridge).

Named for former NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Director William H. Pickering, the lectureship honors his initiation and leadership of America’s robotic scientific space program, from Explorer I in 1958 through the development of the Viking Mars orbiters and the Voyager outer planet and interstellar missions.

Registration for 2024 ASCEND is open; press credentials are available here.

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

About AIAA
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 X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, and visit ascend.events or follow ASCEND on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, and Instagram.

2024 AIAA von Kármán Lecture in Astronautics on OSIRIS-REx Mission Presented by Dante S. Lauretta During 2024 ASCEND

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 2, 2024 – Reston, Va. – AIAA is pleased to announce the 2024 AIAA von Kármán Lectureship in Astronautics is awarded to Dante S. Lauretta, Regents Professor, University of Arizona, Tucson. The lecture, “Unlocking the Secrets of Our Solar System’s History: The OSIRIS-REx Journey,” will be presented Tuesday, 30 July, 10:45 a.m. PT, during 2024 ASCEND, 30 July – 1 August, Las Vegas.

Lauretta’s lecture delves into the challenges, discoveries, and scientific implications of OSIRIS-REx as it unveils the ancient secrets of our solar system’s history. Lauretta will discuss the mission’s planning and execution, from the spacecraft’s voyage to asteroid Bennu’s surface to the precision required to retrieve a pristine sample of this celestial time capsule and deliver it to Earth for scientific analysis. He will explore the groundbreaking findings from the returned sample, which are already revolutionizing our comprehension of solar system formation and evolution. This lecture not only showcases human ingenuity and perseverance, but also celebrates the collaborative ethos driving the forefront of space exploration.

After receiving B.S and B.A. degrees from the University of Arizona, he obtained his Ph.D. in Earth and Planetary Sciences from Washington University in St. Louis in 1997. Transitioning to Arizona State University for postdoctoral work, Lauretta embarked on crucial research analyzing the mineral composition and formation processes of meteorites and asteroids. His pivotal move to the University of Arizona in 2001 marked the beginning of his most significant contributions as a faculty member within the historic Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. Lauretta’s exceptional work in cosmochemistry led to his selection as the principal investigator for OSIRIS-REx in 2011. The mission launched in 2016. The Lockheed Martin-built spacecraft reached Bennu in 2018, collected a sample in 2020, and commenced its return to Earth in 2021. The samples landed on Earth on 24 September 2023.

Named in honor of Theodore von Kármán, a world-famous authority on aerospace sciences, this lectureship honors an individual who has performed notably and distinguished themselves technically in the field of astronautics. The lecture will be delivered in person at 2024 ASCEND, as well as recorded and available on demand.

AIAA is committed to ensuring that aerospace professionals are celebrated for their achievements, innovations, and discoveries that make the world safer, more connected, more accessible, and more prosperous. Visit AIAA’s Honors and Awards Program for more information.

Registration for 2024 ASCEND is open. Journalists from around the world are invited to cover 2024 ASCEND; press passes are available for credentialed media by request.

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

About AIAA
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, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

AIAA to Present Aerospace Excellence Awards During 2024 ASCEND

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 28, 2024 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the winners of two aerospace excellence awards to be presented during 2024 ASCEND, 30 July – 1 August, Caesars Forum, Las Vegas. Registration is open for the global aerospace community to attend. Journalists can request a Press Pass here.

2024 AIAA Hap Arnold Award for Excellence in Aeronautical Program Management

MiMi Aung, Director, Technical Program Management, Project Kuiper, Amazon
(Formerly Project Manager for Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory)
Award Citation: For exceptional project management and leadership in delivery of the first aircraft on another planet, Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, advancing planetary exploration state of the art, and providing a new Mars exploration technology.

This award is presented to an individual for outstanding contributions in the management of a significant aeronautical or aeronautical-related program or project. The presentation is scheduled for Tuesday, 30 July, 8 a.m. PT.

2024 AIAA Space Systems Award

Elena Adams, DART Mission Systems Engineer, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Elizabeth A. Congdon, DART Mechanical Systems Engineer, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Geffrey K. Ottman, DART Electrical Systems Engineer, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Evan James Smith, DART Deputy Mission Systems Engineer, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Award Citation: For outstanding achievement in the development and operation of the DART spacecraft, completing humanity’s first in-space demonstration of planetary defense technology.

This award is presented to recognize outstanding achievements in the architecture, analysis, design, and implementation of space systems. The presentation is scheduled for Wednesday, 31 July, 8 a.m. PT.

AIAA is committed to ensuring that aerospace professionals are recognized and celebrated for their achievements, innovations, and discoveries that make the world safer, more connected, more accessible, and more prosperous. Visit AIAA’s Honors and Awards Program for more information.

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

About AIAA
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 X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, and visit ascend.events or follow ASCEND on LinkedIn, X/Twitter, and Instagram.

AIAA to Recognize Excellence with Awards at the 2024 AIAA AVIATION Forum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 17, 2024 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the winners of technical and management excellence awards to be presented during the 2024 AIAA AVIATION Forum, 29 July – 2 August, Caesars Forum, Las Vegas. Registration is open for the worldwide aviation community to attend. Journalists who wish to cover the forum can request a Press Pass here.

“We are proud to recognize these accomplished individuals for their influence on aviation,” said AIAA CEO Dan Dumbacher. “From the major missions that reimagine how our nation uses air and space to the inventive new applications that enhance everyday living, these professionals leverage their knowledge for the benefit of society. Their efforts are making the world safer, more connected, more accessible, and more prosperous.”

2024 AIAA Aircraft Design Award

Paul L. Fontenrose, Vice President Engineering, Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems

Award Citation: For the design of the next evolution of the U.S. Air Force strategic bomber fleet and the world’s first sixth-generation aircraft to reach the skies.

The AIAA Aircraft Design Award is presented to an individual or team for an original concept or career contributions leading to a significant advancement in aircraft design or design technology.

2024 AIAA Fluid Dynamics Award

Mark Glauser, Emeritus and Research Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Syracuse University

Award Citation: For seminal contributions on the innovative use of multi-point low dimensional methods for understanding and control of turbulent flows.

The AIAA Fluid Dynamics Award is presented for outstanding contributions to the understanding of the behavior of liquids and gases in motion as related to need in aeronautics and astronautics.

2024 AIAA Ground Testing Award

Marvin Sellers, Subject Matter Expert, 716th TS, Axient, Inc.

Award Citation: In recognition of decades of tremendous contributions to the national ground test and evaluation community, most particularly in the advancement of pressure-sensitive paint techniques.

The AIAA Ground Testing Award is presented for outstanding achievement in the development or effective utilization of technology, procedures, facilities, or modeling techniques for flight simulation, space simulation, propulsion testing, aerodynamic testing, or other ground testing associated with aeronautics and astronautics.

2024 AIAA Losey Atmospheric Sciences Award

Duane Waliser, Chief Scientist, Earth Science and Technology Directorate, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Award Citation: For highly impactful science and leadership contributions to atmospheric and Earth system science that have progressively advanced and leveraged space-based Earth observations.

The AIAA Robert M. Losey Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the atmospheric sciences as applied to the advancement of aeronautics and astronautics.

2024 AIAA Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Award

Kumar Bhatia, Boeing Senior Technical Fellow, The Boeing Company (Retired)

Award Citation: For pioneering the use of multidisciplinary design optimization in transport aircraft and developing a rapid approach for aircraft MDO employing appropriate fidelity analyses.

The AIAA Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the development and/or application of techniques of multidisciplinary design optimization in the context of aerospace engineering.

2024 AIAA Piper General Aviation Award

Noel Duerksen, Consultant

Award Citation: For contributions to general aviation safety and ease of use including the first certified envelope protection system and the first certified autonomous emergency landing system in general aviation.

The AIAA Piper General Aviation Award is presented for outstanding contributions leading to the advancement of general aviation by an individual or group.

2024 AIAA Plasmadynamics and Lasers Award

Kurt A. Polzin, Chief Engineer, Space Nuclear Propulsion, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

Award Citation: For seminal modeling of pulsed inductive plasma accelerators providing both a fundamental understanding of underlying physics and practical approaches to optimization of energy deposition.

The AIAA Plasmadynamics and Lasers Award recognizes an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the understanding of the physical properties and dynamical behavior of matter in the plasma state and lasers as related to aeronautics and astronautics.

2024 AIAA Thermophysics Award

Greg F. Naterer, Vice President, Academic and Research, University of Prince Edward Island

Award Citation: For significant contributions to heat transfer in multiphase flows, thermochemical processes, and thermal design using entropy and the second law of thermodynamics.

The AIAA Thermophysics Award is presented for an outstanding singular or sustained technical or scientific contribution by an individual in thermophysics, specifically as related to the study and application of the properties and mechanisms involved in thermal energy transfer and the study of environmental effects on such properties and mechanisms.

Media Contact: Rebecca Gray, APR, [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, and follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

2024 ASCEND to Accelerate Our Off-World Future with Axiom Space, Boeing, DARPA, Lockheed Martin, NASA, Northrop Grumman, NRO, ULA, and U.S. Space Force

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 7, 2024 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) today announced dozens of speakers who will appear at its upcoming ASCEND event, 30 July – 1 August, Caesars Forum, Las Vegas. ASCEND is the world’s premier outcomes-focused, interdisciplinary space event designed to accelerate building our off-world future.

Powered by AIAA, ASCEND serves as the nexus for addressing the most important opportunities and challenges that come with increased activity in space today. Over 200 industry luminaries from across the civil, commercial, and national security space sectors, adjacent industry representatives, and next-generation thinkers from around the world are scheduled to speak. Confirmed speakers include:

A.C. Charania, Chief Technologist, NASA
Carissa Christensen, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, BryceTech*
Debra Emmons, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, The Aerospace Corporation
Barbara Golf, Strategic Advisor for Space Domain Awareness, Space Systems Command, Los Angeles Air Force Base, U.S. Space Force (USSF)
Janet Grondin, CEO, Stellar Solutions
Matt Kozlov, Managing Director, Techstars
Michael López-Alegría, Chief Astronaut, Axiom Space
Sandra Magnus, TraCSS Chief Engineer, MITRE/Office of Space Commerce*
Tom Marshburn, Chief Medical Officer, Sierra Space
Rob Meyerson, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Interlune*
Maj. Michael Nayak, USAF, Program Manager, DARPA
Shawna Pandya, Director, International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS)*
Nelson Pedreiro, Vice President, Advanced Technology Center, Lockheed Martin Space
Mark Peller, Senior Vice President, Vulcan Development and Advanced Programs, United Launch Alliance (ULA)
Christopher Scolese, Director, National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)
Lt. Gen. John Shaw, USSF (Ret.), Former Deputy Commander, U.S. Space Command
Lauren Smith, Senior Program Manager, Satellite Refueling, Northrop Grumman*
Lee Steinke, Chief Operating Officer, CisLunar Industries
Melanie Stricklan, Executive Director, Space Workforce 2030, Space Foundation
Mandy Vaughn, CEO and Founder, GXO
Kurt Vogel, Associate Administrator, Space Technology Mission Directorate, NASA
Kelly Weinersmith, Co-Author, A City on Mars
Matthew Weinzierl, Senior Associate Dean and Chair, MBA Program; Joseph and Jacqueline Elbling Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School*
Noelle Zietsman, Vice President and Chief Engineer, Boeing Exploration Systems*

*Member of the 2024 ASCEND Guiding Coalition

Many more speakers will be announced as they are confirmed. In addition, hundreds of technical papers and collaborative sessions are scheduled, featuring expert researchers and innovators that anchor the event with the long-term thinking required to build a sustainable off-world future.

“This year, we’re co-locating ASCEND with the AIAA AVIATION Forum in one venue. These two signature AIAA events will deliver full technical programs, visionary discussions, and industry networking our community counts on. With a central Expo Hall serving as the bridge between both events’ communities, we believe attendees will be energized by this unique experience. We look forward to welcoming thousands of aerospace professionals and students from across the aerospace sector,” said AIAA CEO Dan Dumbacher.

Registration for the 2024 ASCEND event is open. Early bird rates end on 10 June. Journalists from around the world are invited to cover 2024 ASCEND; press passes are available for credentialed media by request. For more information, visit ascend.events, or follow ASCEND on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

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 aiaa.org, or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

2024 AIAA AVIATION Forum to Bridge the Gap Between Visionary Concepts and Technological Reality

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 6, 2024 – Reston, Va. – AIAA announced its five-day program for the 2024 AIAA AVIATION Forum, 29 July – 2 August, Caesars Forum, Las Vegas, in pursuit of a sustainable and high-tech aviation future. The event will feature an extensive lineup of aviation leaders and innovators as speakers, panelists, and presenters, along with over 1,800 technical papers focused on the theme, “From Vision Through Velocity…Transitioning Technology into Reality.”

“We look forward to welcoming the worldwide aviation community to the 2024 AIAA AVIATION Forum – the epicenter for researchers, engineers, and pioneers driving innovation in aviation. A distinguished group of thought leaders will help lead our discussions about new capabilities on the horizon that will take us further, faster, safer, and cleaner,” said AIAA CEO Dan Dumbacher.

From the main stage, attendees will hear how 2024 will be a landmark year with certification of electric aircraft, flight testing of supersonic aircraft, expanding use of automated and autonomous systems, and the continued progress of significant military programs. The keynote speakers and panelists represent industry, government, and academia across the aviation community. Confirmed speakers include:

Christine Andrews, Hybrid Electric Systems Leader, GE Aviation
Yemaya Bordain, CCO, President of Americas at Daedalean AI
A.C. Charania, Chief Technologist, NASA
Ravi Chaudhary, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations, and Environment
Perry Comeau, Head of Flight Operations & Chief Test Pilot, National Research Council Canada
Ferguson “Juice” Dale, Owner, Semper Sky LLC
Bruce DeCleene, Director, Office of Senior Technical Experts, FAA
Graham Drozeski, Chief Technology Officer, Aurora Flight Sciences
Keoki Jackson, Senior Vice President and General Manager, The MITRE Corporation
Jimmy Kenyon, Center Director, NASA Glenn Research Center
Nils Larson, NASA X-59 Project Test Pilot, NASA
Mary Lombardo, Vice President, Advanced Technologies, Collins Aerospace
Jeff Luckett, President, UPS Flight Forward
Hendrik Meyer, Research Associate, DLR
Dan Newman, Chief Technology Officer, Advanced Air Mobility, Honeywell
Linda O’Brien, Vice President and Chief Engineer for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
David H. Robbins, Director, Infrastructure/Resiliency, Houston Airports System
Amanda Simpson, Founder and CEO, Third Segment
Ben Stabler, Chief Technology Officer, Heart Aerospace

The technical program will feature presentations on the latest innovations spanning 20+ aviation and aeronautics research topics, including fluid dynamics, applied aerodynamics, air transportation systems, thermophysics and heat transfer, multidisciplinary design optimization, and many more.

Attendees also can focus on electric aircraft during the AIAA/IEEE Electric Aircraft Technologies Symposium (EATS). This event is designed for electrical, propulsion system, and aerospace engineers to discuss electrified propulsion technologies for future aircraft.

“This year, we’re co-locating AIAA AVIATION Forum with ASCEND in one venue. These two signature AIAA events will deliver full technical programs, visionary discussions, and industry networking that our community counts on. With a central Expo Hall serving as the bridge between both events’ audiences, we believe attendees will be energized by this unique experience,” added Dumbacher.

Registration for the forum is open. Early-bird rates end on 10 June. Journalists who wish to cover the forum can request a Press Pass here. For the most up-to-date program information, visit aiaa.org/aviation

Media Contact: Rebecca Gray, APR, [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, and follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Transitioning AAM Into Reality at AIAA AVIATION Forum

By AUVSI News

Originally published by AUVSI

The 2024 AIAA AVIATION Forum will be held 29 July–2 August in Las Vegas, and this year’s event aims to bridge the gap between visionary concepts and tangible technological reality.

Starr Ginn, Advanced Concepts and Partnerships at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center, served on the forum’s Guiding Coalition. AUVSI met with Ms. Ginn to learn more about NASA’s participation at AIAA AVIATION Forum and the Agency’s vision for how Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) will transform aviation’s role in the everyday movement of people and goods.

Ginn’s Background and AAM Expertise
Ms. Ginn has 27 years of experience conducting one-of-a-kind flight tests. Since 2011, she has played a critical role at NASA Armstrong to develop a roadmap for the AAM ecosystem. In her current role, she builds long-term strategies for complex system integration in partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense and industry.

She recently led the planning, development, and execution of the Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign (AAM NC) series, which consists of flight testing an experimental AAM ecosystem of novel eVTOL and cargo vehicles, infrastructure, and airspace management technologies in the context of increasingly complex safety scenarios enabled by automation.

In parallel to her work on electric propulsion and energy storage, she has also pushed research and certifiable automation software architectures to increase the safety of crewed and uncrewed aircraft.
In addition, she is a proponent for encouraging young women to get into aviation and mechanical engineering careers. As she works with university students and interns at NASA, she says, “It’s exciting to see when they learn about this new area of opportunity” with AAM careers.

Big-Picture View for the AAM Ecosystem
NASA has been working continually on UAM Research Roadmaps assessing where industry is and making sure NASA is providing research to assist them in the near term, mid-term, and long term.

The Agency’s objective is to safely support operations at scale in the National Airspace System (NAS). Ms. Ginn explains her vision of tens of thousands of air taxis and cargo aircraft operations in existing airports and new locations that are closer to urban areas. Reaching this vision will require a lot of new certifiable automation, new airspace tools and routes, and increased digital communications that integrate into the very safe airspace system the U.S. has today.

In the nearer term, Ms. Ginn sees NASA being able to help in a variety of areas, including:

Piloted eVTOL operations and safety systems
Studying human-machine interaction
Making operations more efficient at current airports
Supporting portable charging infrastructure to support electric flight before large-scale charging infrastructure investments are possible
Determining efficient routes and how we can decrease an IFR approach area

In the longer term, Ms. Ginn says NASA is conducting research on automation. More research on 1:N operations and how they will push the envelope of NASA’s vision for UAM. She described how industry is doing a “crawl, walk, run approach” to certification, starting with piloted cargo operations with 2 pilots. Eventually, as the industry transitions to increasing levels of autonomy, there will be opportunities to increase efficiency – but there will also be challenges to prove safety and compliance via detect-and-avoid and flight path management.

AAM Certification, Automation, and Software Considerations
Considering what’s ahead for software and automation, Ms. Ginn says, “I would really like to look at how multiple algorithms being operated at same time, and how automation software can determine which of those algorithms is eminent or most important to safely avoid a hazard.” Software for ground collision avoidance, air collision avoidance, geofencing, and object avoidance like towers are all using different kinds of algorithms relying on different sensors. Ms. Ginn is interested in how software architecture determines which algorithm is needed to protect the vehicle at any given moment and how the system switches between different inputs and algorithms prioritization.

Ms. Ginn emphasizes that autonomy software must verifiable, deterministic, and predictable to be safe enough to fly in the NAS. This will be a challenging and complex state of operations for both NASA and industry to achieve.

This year’s AIAA AVIATION Forum will host discussions on how AI can help keep pilots or aircraft safe – beyond just those on the vehicle. The session will explore ways that AI is being used across the entire aviation ecosystem, from ATC to pilot training, as well as the software concepts behind these types of AI.

Register now for AIAA AVIATION Forum
2024 AIAA AVIATION Forum will feature participation from every NASA site, with representatives sharing AAM research on different use cases, from regional cargo operations to urban air mobility operations, to different types of aircraft configurations and control systems. In addition to AAM, NASA experts will also discuss hypersonics, supersonics, and sustainability.

Register for the event here and save before the Early Bird deadline on June 10th.