Aeronautical and astronautical engineering

A hop, skip and a jump on the moon — and beyondTeam envisions robotic spacecraft that can explore hard-to-reach areas on the moon and other planetary bodies by hopping.

3 Questions: Nicholas Roy on deploying drones in U.S. skiesMIT robotics expert discusses the logistical hurdles of regulating unmanned aircraft for civilian use.

Liebeck to receive Guggenheim MedalAeroAstro professor's award one of aerospace's highest

Fly the eco-friendly skiesMIT-led team designs airplanes that would use 70 percent less fuel than current models.

NASA chief defends Obama’s space planIn MIT visit, Charles Bolden touts proposed expansion in R&D funding

Sheila Widnall named to Toyota North American Quality Advisory PanelInstitute Professor will advise Japanese carmaker as it seeks to address quality and safety issues.

The pull of artificial gravityMIT researchers say a centrifuge on the International Space Station — hinted at in Obama’s NASA proposal — would be a boon for physiological research

In Profile: Missy CummingsFormer U.S. Naval fighter pilot aims to improve how humans and computers interact.

Covert to receive AIAA highest awardAeroAstro professor emeritus named recipient of the Reed Aeronautics Award.

Professor Emeritus Norman D. Ham, helicopter rotor design expert, dies at age 80

The 2010 Kambourides Fellow: Chad LiebermanThe third-year AeroAstro graduate student has been awarded the Kambourides Fellowship in Computational Engineering

Unraveling black hole spinRetrograde spin of supermassive black holes may create jets that control galaxy evolution

3 Questions: David Mindell on Obama’s NASA proposalMIT space researcher predicts that if adopted, Obama’s proposed budget and policy will lead to more joint human-robotic space exploration

Powering cube satellitesAn electric propulsion technology for miniature satellites aims to give them more mobility — and may eventually allow them to take on deep-space missions.

Mass High Tech names Newman among "Women to Watch"

Professor Young gives Portuguese students a glimpse into future Mars missionsMIT Professor and former astronaut Laurence R. Young recently traveled to Lisbon to describe possible future Mars missions to an overflow crowd at a Lisbon high school, on behalf of an MIT Portugal Program outreach project.

Team predicts satellite could locate hundreds of Earth-sized planetsResearchers say proposed satellite could represent astronomy’s ‘next big leap’ — one that may help find signs of life elsewhere in the universe.

Three AeroAstro faculty honored by AIAAProfessor Widnall and Liebeck are two of three elected as 2010 AIAA Honorary Fellows. Professor Dugundji named AIAA Fellow.

Reporter’s Notebook: Where do we go from here?At MIT forum, former Lockheed Martin CEO Norman Augustine and other aerospace experts discuss the future of human spaceflight.

Flight of fancyUsing an autonomous mini-helicopter, an MIT team stunned the Association for Unmanned Vehicles International by solving one of its notoriously tough challenges on the first try.

Of Note: Astronaut Mike Massimino speaks at MIT on Wednesday, Oct. 28

Widnall receives NAE Bueche AwardThe National Academy of Engineering presents MIT Institute Professor and Professor of Aeronautics Sheila E. Windall (‘60, MS ’61, PhD ’64) its Arthur M. Bueche Award for expanding engineering opportunities for women and minorities.

Testing a satellite's potentialThirty-three MIT students who have been developing a satellite in the Space Systems Product Development course are using MIT Lincoln Laboratory's Environmental Test Laboratory to evaluate their design.

3 questions: Ben Weiss discusses what a wet moon might meanThe planetary scientist explores the implications of the recent discovery of water on the lunar surface.

AeroAstro's Castonia named USAF Cadet of the YearAeroAstro student Cadet Col. Ryan W. Castonia has been named U.S. Air Force Cadet of the Year by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz.

In Profile: Maria ZuberPlanetary scientist is driven by the thrill of exploring uncharted territory

Hidden waves pack a big punchThomas Peacock sheds light on an odd but powerful phenomenon of sea and sky