MIT Aeronautics and Astronautics Department
enews Vol 2, #2
November 2005
In this issue:
- Awards and recognition
- Mars Gravity passes design review
- ISS experiment welcomes visitors
- SPL obtains "first plasma"
- LEAN ramps up progress in Phase V
- AA challenged to beat giving record
- AA supports Hispanic Engineering Soc. confab attendance
- Flying Club now official
- GA3 concludes successful series
- AA student groups listing
- New enews feature - Web favorites
1. AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
Department Head Professor Wes Harris has been informed by the University of Pretoria in South Africa that he will be presented with an honorary doctorate by that school. Professor Harris is leading an Aero-Astro team developing joint research, community service, and education projects between Aero-Astro and U. Pretoria. The South African school is a member of the CDIO Initiative and is applying CDIO Standards to its aerospace and mechanical engineering programs.
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics has announced that it has elected Professor Ian Waitz an AIAA Honorary Fellow. The prestigious designation is conferred "only to exceptional individuals who embody the highest standards possible in the aeronautics and astronautics field." AIAA notes, "Honorary Fellow is the highest accolade that can be bestowed by AIAA ... those chosen are recognized as being individuals with long and contributory careers in aerospace."
Professor Larry Young was recognized by the Biomedical Engineering Society at its fall annual meeting as an inaugural member of the BMEW's Fellows. The newly created Fellows status is "awarded to Society members who demonstrate exceptional achievements and experience in the field of biomedical engineering, and a record of membership and participation in the Society."
Aero-Astro graduate student Thaddeus R. F. Fulford-Jones was recognized as the top graduate student presenter in the animal research category at the annual conference of the American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology. Thaddeus's poster, an offshoot of his work with the AA Mars Gravity Biosatellite Project, was titled "Ensuring Long-Term Environmental Stability of Rodent Food Substrates within an Autonomous Life Support Module."
Dr. Chuck Oman and Professor Larry Young featured prominently in a November 25, 2005 Science Magazine editorial titled, "NASA: Back to Eating Corn Seed." The editorial bemoans de-prioritization and cutbacks in NASA research, including life sciences, in the face of Moon and Mars mission hardware priorities. Oman, the former chair of NASA's Space Station Utilization Advisory Committee and a member of its Biological and Physical Research Advisory Committee, is quoted saying, "all the NASA Advisory Council subcommittees that spoke to the value of basic research are gone." Young, a NASA adviser, and former astronaut in training, adds, "NASA always uses research as justification for its large manned missions, but once they are under way the engineering, political, and fiscal factors take over and the science constituency is often cast aside." Editor-in-Chief Donald Kennedy calls upon NASA administrator Michael Griffin to "restore NASA's Advisory Council to its full membership... ask it to conduct a thorough study of which life sciences efforts are essential to the new vision; and finally, rescue the life scientists and bring them back to the science office."
Space Systems Laboratory Associate Director Ray Sedwick represented SSL in the article "Minature Star Tracker Sparks Strong Interest," which appeared recently in Space News. The article reported "widespread government and commercial interest in a miniature satellite orientation and pointing device." SSL is working under a US Missile Defense Agency contract to develop software algorithms that simplify star tracking - devices that use star positions to orient spacecraft. Sedwick is quoted saying MIT's role is "to deliver as much performance as we can without being too computationally intensive." The system on which they are working will be able to function with a database of 500-600 stars, he said, as opposed to typical star tracker databases of thousands of stars.
2. MARS GRAVITY PROJECT PASSES DESIGN REVIEW
Mars Gravity Biosatellite Project team members and industrial partner Payload System, reached its Phase II NASA Small Business Innovative Research grant Critical Design Review milestone, and passed with flying colors. Over the course of the eight-hour review, the team presented designs and prototype testing progress for the integrated Animal Support Module, including food, water, structure, and instrumentation. The presentation also detailed the team's efforts in biochemical testing of a novel urine preservation and analysis techniques. From here, project partners will move through one more round of prototype iteration before preparing two flight-qualified units for delivery to NASA at the end of next year.
3. ISS EXPERIMENT WELCOMES VISITORS
Professor Dava Newman's International Space Station experiment, MICR0-G (Microgravity Investigations of Crew Reactions in Zero-g) is collecting pilot data on the air-bearing floor in the lobby of Building 37. The MICR0-G experiment aims to develop dynamical models that predict how astronauts change their control strategies when subjected to different gravitational environments. Custom six-axis force/torque sensors are used in conjunction with a kinematic video system for data collection. Recently, MIT astronaut alum Dr. Steve Robinson visited the Man Vehicle Lab and took the air-bearing floor for a spin. Newman, project doctoral students Phil Ferguson and Leia Blumenthal, and Professor Karen Willcox, who is supervising Blumenthal, invite anyone interested to drop by and see the experiment in action. Email Ferguson at philf@mit.edu to determine best times to visit.
4. SPL OBTAINS "FIRST PLASMA"
After an intense period of design and construction, a student team in Prof. Manuel Martinez-Sanchez's Space Propulsion Lab obtained its first Mini Helicon plasma at 9:19 p.m. last on November 23, 2005. Prof. Martinez-Sanchez congratulated the students and Principal Investigator Dr. Oleg Batishchev, an Aero-Astro principal research scientist, on the milestone, saying, "What makes this particularly exciting is that this was done by a group of students. It was high quality work, and extremely difficult." The team, from Aero-Astro and Nuclear Engineering includes graduate students Justin Pucci, Joseph Palaia, Nareg Sinenian, and undergraduates Zachary LaBry and Adam Shabshelovitz
The project was started earlier this year, with funding from the Air Force Research Laboratory, which has now renewed the project for another year. The Helicon plasma source will be studied at SPL as an alternative electric propulsion engine with potential application to positioning small (100-200 kilogram) satellites. It has the potential to outperform Hall and ion thrusters due to its fuel versatility, longer lifetime, and high-energy throughput. It is basis for several graduate theses, and for undergraduate student training.
Helicons are electromagnetic waves known in plasma physics, with applications ranging from computer chip making, to nuclear fusion, and, of course, space propulsion.
5. LEAN RAMPS UP PROGRESS IN PHASE V
Geoffrey Groesbeck, CTPID communications manager, sends an update on the Lean Aerospace Initiative. LAI is now well into its Phase V of operations, in which its efforts in the diffusion of lean have expanded to transforming an entire organization into a leaner, more efficient operating entity. The magnitude of this undertaking will make this phase LAI's most ambitious one to date. Along with new tools to gauge an organization's "leanness" slated for release over the next few months (e.g., the highly anticipated Enterprise Value Stream Mapping and Analysis (EVSMA) tool; additional add-ons to the Supplier Networks Toolset), a follow-up to LAI's award-winning book, Lean Enterprise Value, is also in the works. Its continuing collaborations with government (e.g., working with the USAF to help develop a future state model for its acquisition process using EVSMA), industry (e.g., a robust expansion of research-based and real-time findings across LAI's three knowledge areas: enterprise architecture; enterprise change; and product lifecycle), and academia (e.g., the growth of LAI's Educational Network to include nearly 30 institutions worldwide) have put LAI in the news of late, as did its recent, extremely successful Lean Enterprise Value Simulation and Facilitators Short Courses. LAI also had one of its largest increases in graduate students this year, many of whom will play a key role as LAI unveils its new, comprehensive synthesized research objectives.
6.AA CHALLENGED TO BEAT COMMUNITY GIVING RECORD
The Institute has launched its Annual Community Giving Campaign, and, under the guidance of Professor Annalisa Weigel, Aero-Astro has set an ambitious goal for the department of 25 percent participation. Weigel says, "If we achieve 25 percent, we will have doubled our participation over a two-year period." She also expects this will exceed participation of all other large MIT engineering and science departments. "All gifts, modest or large, are appreciated and make a difference," Weigel says. Potential donors should note that they can designate almost any local non-profit organization as their contribution recipient. To donate, visit the Community Giving web site or contact Weigel at alweigel@mit.edu. "Simply by virtue of being gainfully employed in such a supportive workplace like MIT, we are likely a thousand times more fortunate than those who receive the services our gifts fund," says Weigel.
7. AA SUPPORTS HISPANIC ENGINEERING SOCIETY MEMBERS CONFAB ATTENDANCE
The Department has agreed to provide registration and hotel stipends for 13 MIT Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Aero-Astro student members to attend the organization's National Technical and Career Conference next month. The conference introduces SHPE members to educational, technical and career opportunities, and offers networking opportunities with professionals and students from other universities. "We're very pleased to support the SHPE students," said Department Deupty Head Earll Murman. In return for the support, Murman has asked the students to meet with Department Head Wesley Harris and him after the conference to share ideas and best practices they learn that could improve Course 16 as a department of choice for Hispanic students. "I also hope that in the future when we have Department open houses for prospective students, that Course 16 members of SHPE can help as guides, buddies, or the like," Murman wrote the students.
8. FLYING CLUB GAINS OFFICIAL STATUS
The newly reconstituted and revived MIT Flying Club has gained initial full recognition status from the MIT Association of Student Activities, reports president Chris Sequeira. In the next several weeks, Flying Club executives will create a constitution and begin planning events for the spring semester. The club aims to give members of the MIT community interested in aviation a forum to meet with other like-minded individuals to discuss aviation and become involved in flying activities. Email flying-exec@mit.edu for more information.
9. GA3 CONCLUDES SUCCESSFUL FALL SEMINAR SERIES
Garrett Barter, outgoing president of the Graduate Association of Aeronautics and Astronautics writes that this fall's Graduate Seminar series brought together graduate students, faculty and staff in both an academic and social setting. The monthly event comprised an hour-long seminar showcasing student research from one of the Aero-Astro labs, followed by a one hour social. By highlighting ongoing student research, the seminar opened the door to possible collaboration opportunities. The first seminar series, held in October, featured the research of Draper Labs and three of its students, Geoff Huntington, Cristin Smith and Phil Springmann, who spoke on the topics of satellite formation flight, control of lunar descent and the design of a lunar lander display. The November event featured the Aerospace Computational Design Lab and three speakers, Theresa Robinson, Todd Oliver and David Willis, who discussed variable fidelity optimization, higher order CFD and panel methods for flapping flight. The seminar series will likely continue in the spring exhibiting the research of other Aero-Astro laboratories.
10. AA STUDENT GROUPS LISTED
In the process of creating a new Aero-Astro Web site, expected to debut soon, a list of Aero-Astro student groups has been created for the site. Rather than wait for the site to be posted, we share the groups and contacts listed at this time to encourage students to explore their many exciting offerings. These teams, groups, and clubs offer excellent opportunities for activities with peers who share common interests and enthusiasm. Students are welcome to contact any of the organizations listed below. Some of the groups also welcome department alumni, staff, and faculty.
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, MIT Chapter
The MIT AIAA chapter is a student-run organization that coordinates many activities geared towards students majoring in aeronautics and astronautics. These activities include an internship colloquium, research talks, company visits, student-faculty social events, and a paper airplane contest.
Graduate Association of Aeronautics and Astronautics
GA3 is the Aero-Astro graduate student group. It promotes graduate student well being, advocates student interests, and fosters a sense of community within the department. GA3 sponsors numerous events including lectures and seminars, and social activities.
Intramural Sports
contact: dankwon@mit.edu
Aero-Astro is an MIT Intramural Sports affiliate. The department fields teams in soccer, football, hockey, softball, basketball, and other sports. Participation is free.
Mars Gravity Biosatellite
International student collaboration to design, build, and fly a complex research satellite for investigating the effects of Martian gravity levels on mammalian physiology.
MIT Flying Club
contact: flying-exec@mit.edu
The MIT Flying Club, headquartered in Aero-Astro, "seeks to motivate, encourage, and facilitate affordable, hands-on experience in full-scale flying for the academic community."
MIT Mars Society
The MIT Mars Society pursues the exploration and human settlement of the planet Mars through public outreach, technical projects, and community organization.
MIT Rocket Team
The MIT Rocket Team formed in 1998 in an effort to become the first student group to launch a rocket into space. Its paramount goal is to make tangible steps toward decreasing the cost of space access while providing a fun, hands-on educational project for students.
Tech Model Aircrafters
contact: mikelg@mit.edu
Tech Model Aircrafters focus on hands-on experience with radio-controlled aircraft models (fixed-wing, helicopter, etc.) and foster model construction skills.
11. NEW E-NEWS FEATURE – WEB FAVORITES
With this issue, we start a new feature: Web Favorites - favorite Web sites that include information that others in the department may find of use. The sites don't have to be related to aerospace; they should be interesting, informative, and of broad interest to people in the department. If you have a favorite Web site that you'd like to share with the Department, send the URL to Bill Litant with a very brief explanation of why you like it.
To get the ball rolling, we offer the Web site Refdesk.com. To quote from LibrarySPot, "Refdesk.com offers an unbelievably comprehensive and amazingly navigable catalog of Web resources. If you're on an information mission, the Facts Subject Index and Facts Encyclopedia are good places to begin. Newsjunkies should not miss First Things First - a long, long list of major media sources. For a Yahoo!-style directory of the same sources, see My Virtual Newspaper. Refdesk.com also offers an excellent gateway for power searchers at My Search Engines. You'll find 260 engines categorized by name, service and type." Aero-Astro folks may find the aviation resources and space/astronomy areas of particular interest.
CONTRIBUTE TO THE E-NEWS
Please share your news with the rest of the Aero-Astro community by contributing to the e-news. Awards, events, new research - it's all of interest. Send your suggestions to wlitant@mit.edu.
