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The recently formed Longhorn Rocket Association (LRA) is proud to be taking off to a great start. The purpose of LRA is to provide a hands-on opportunity for undergraduates in the Department of Aerospace Engineering to become familiar with designing, building, and launching amateur rockets.
The rocket group was originally started in spring of 2007 and is the only rocketry group at UT. Last semester, LRA became an official group of the Department. In November, they held their inaugural launch at Pickle Research Center. Over 20 people, including aerospace engineering students, advisors, faculty, and staff, showed up for the historic first launch, in which the group launched over 10 model rockets that they built themselves throughout the semester. The rockets ranged from 3 inches tall to one six-foot tall rocket: The Mean Machine. One of the most fascinating launches was the Comanche 3, which is a three stage rocket. Some of the rockets flew as high as 1,500 feet and each rocket came back to the ground with either parachutes or streamers that deployed from the nose cone. After each launch, the group sent out “search parties” to find the rockets that the wind carried away during landing. Despite strong winds and a bit of drizzle, the group had a very successful first launch and all members and spectators had a great launch experience. Over the past couple of months, over 30 students ranging from freshmen to seniors have met Friday evenings and Saturday mornings in the Air Systems Design Lab for their weekly “Rocket Builds”.
Last semester they started with model rockets in order to orient everyone who was new to rocket building. With their own tools, materials, glue, and hard work, they constructed multiple rockets. This semester, the group is moving on to more advanced projects. They will be building their own fiberglass rockets, made almost entirely from scratch. The rocket bodies and fins will be constructed of fiberglass, while the nose cones will be produced by rapid prototyping. The group will be involved in every stage of the process, from designing the nose cones in SolidWorks, to creating the parachutes and recovery systems, to incorporating electronic instrumentation. In addition to building the fiberglass rockets, the group will participate in a model rocket competition in April. Two of the senior rocket group members are also working on rocketry research projects which will ultimately benefit the group’s future. The members are also working on becoming certified members of the National Association of Rocketry (NAR). In addition, LRA recently volunteered at UT’s open house, Explore UT, on Saturday, March 1, where they built model rockets with children from the Austin area.
In the upcoming semesters, the Longhorn Rocket Association has set many goals. This includes fiberglass rocket competitions, competitions amongst themselves, with other universities, and hopefully a competition where the group will travel out of state for a NAR competition. The group also plans to launch a “Cricket Sat” during one of their upcoming launches. They also hope to test their rocket engines at Pickle Research Center, build high powered rockets, and calculate and build reusable rocket engines. With the efforts of all of the new and dedicated members, and with the help of Dr. Varghese as their sponsor and Dr. Hayes as their Advisor, the group has come far. The members are excited about the opportunities that lay ahead and are proud of the distance the group has come in such a short time period.
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Stephanie Wilson graduated from UT Austin with a master’s degree in aerospace engineering in 1992 after being recruited by Dr. Robert Bishop, former chair of The University of Texas at Austin’s Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics. Her master’s thesis “Substructural Controller Synthesis: A Comparison of Two Methods” drew upon both of her advisors: Dr. Bishop’s expertise in planetary exploration with emphasis on spacecraft guidance, navigation and control; and now retired Aerospace Engineering Professor Dr. Roy Craig’s expertise in structural dynamics.
Later, after she was accepted into NASA’s astronaut training program, she received the Outstanding Young Texas Ex award in 2005. The crew of space shuttle Discovery tested new equipment and procedures that increase the safety of space shuttles during the STS-121 mission to the International Space Station. It also performed maintenance on the space station and delivered more supplies and cargo for future station expansion. Prior to the trip, Wilson described some of the mission’s cargo: “We are bringing to the space station crew a variety of experiments. We have a -80° laboratory freezer that they will use to cool samples; we have a European cultivation module that they will use for their experiments; we are pre-positioning an oxygen generation system that will be used for future crews, and we are bringing them a new, Common Cabin Air Assembly for a heat exchanger in the laboratory. The old one has failed and they’ll need to replace that. We have food and clothing for them as well, and hopefully a surprise or two will be packed in there.”
Selected by NASA in April 1996, Wilson reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 1996. Wilson has been a Mission Control prime communicator with on-orbit crews and has had technical responsibilities related to space shuttle main engines, external tank and solid rocket boosters.
Prior to NASA, she worked with Martin Marietta Astronautics Group and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
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- Written by: Kathleen Mabley
Dr. Felix Fenter began a lifelong love of aeronautics while building model airplanes as a young boy. He went on to earn three aerospace engineering degrees from UT, including the very first aerospace PhD ever awarded in 1960. While earning his PhD, he worked as a research specialist at the University’s Defense Research Laboratory (now Applied Research Laboratories) on various Navy missile and space programs.
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November 9, 2009
Aerospace engineering professor Ivo Babuska, has been named honorary member of the Czech Society for Mechanics. Babuska was recognized for his “distinctive contributions to engineering, science, research and other pursuits allied with and beneficial to the cooperation between scientific institutions and universities throughout the world.” The society also acknowledged his unique role in the education and encouragement of a new generation of scientists, and his long-term, active support of the society’s activities.
Babuska holds the Robert B. Trull Chair in Engineering.
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November 19, 2009
Stelios Kyriakides, professor in the department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at The University of Texas at Austin, was awarded the 2009 Warner T. Koiter Medalist by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) on Tuesday November 17. The Medal was awarded in a special ceremony at the ASME 2009 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition conference in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, following the delivery of the Koiter Lecture by the recipient. The Warner T. Koiter Medal, established in 1996, is in recognition of distinguished contributions to the field of solid mechanics with special emphasis on the effective blending of theoretical and applied elements of the discipline, as well as having a high degree of leadership in the international solid mechanics community. The citation for the medal reads as follows: “For world class leadership in the area of experimental solid and structural mechanics, particularly the pioneering emphasis on instabilities in solids.”
Kyriakides holds the Cockrell Family Chair in Engineering No. 10.
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November 24, 2009
On Nov. 11, 2009, Lockheed Martin presented a check to The University of Texas at Austin in the amount of $95,390, of which $50,000 will support two UT aerospace engineering student projects: the Small Autonomous Rover and the Longhorn Rocket Association. These projects provide critical hands-on experience for aerospace students as they apply classroom theory to real-world challenges. The department deeply appreciates Lockheed Martin’s continued support.
The Horizon Rover Unmanned Autonomous Vehicle project, advised by Professor Robert H. Bishop, has been under development for several years by undergraduate and graduate ASE/EM students. The objective is to develop autonomous obstacle avoidance technologies applicable to a wide range of vehicles types, from autonomous planetary surface rovers to UAS. The UT rover technology is now in its second generation with plans to improve the overall design in a third generation. Key technologies of the current generation include optimal path planning, dynamic obstacle avoidance and trajectory management. The Horizon Rover capabilities are being expanded to surface celestial navigation by fusing heterogeneous sensors suite including a star tracker, LIDAR imager, inertial measurement unit, GPS (for Earth applications), and a variety of sensors for measurement for sensing wheel velocities and heading.
The Longhorn Rocket Association (LRA), currently advised by Professor Charles Tinney, was founded in Fall 2007. In the early years of its inception, LRA members spent most of their time building hobby rockets from kits. Since then, students have become exposed to the design process and are participating in research about materials, aerodynamics, and building methods. Students are also being introduced to engineering skills such as performing trade studies and writing technical proposals. In the Spring of 2009 the LRA reached a new milestone when members designed and built two high powered amateur rockets. Their next goal is to design a rocket expected to reach an altitude of 100,000 ft (19-20 miles). The hope is that in future years the LRA will be able to collaborate with other aerospace groups like the Texas Spacecraft Lab (TSL) and carry payloads such as the picosatellites being built in the TSL.
Left: John Butler, Dan Crowley and Art McAnarney of Lockheed Martin presented the check. John Butler ’74 (BS Chemistry) is Vice President of Programs and Senior Naval Advisor at Lockheed Martin. Dan Crowley ’85 (BS Mechanical Engineering, ’91 MS Manufacturing Systems) is Executive Vice President of the Joint Strike Fighter Program. Art McAnarney is the College Relations Representative for Lockheed Martin.
Present to accept the check were ASE/EM Chairman and Professor, Philip L. Varghese, ASE/EM Professor and former department chairman, Professor Robert H. Bishop, and ASE/EM Professor Charles Tinney. The remainder of Lockheed’s gift benefits a computer lab in the College of Natural Sciences, and was accepted by Dean Mary Ann Rankin.
Horizon Rover graduate students present for the check presentation were Hector Escobar and Ana Guerrero. LRA students in attendance included: Stephen Seegmiller, President; Ryan Mire, Vice President; Jason Kish, Secretary; Shaina Shapiro, Treasurer; Jacob Rendon, Historian; Dan Oropeza, Assistant Vice President; Alexis Avram, Assistant Secretary; Pascual Mauricio, Assistant Treasurer; Rebekah Sosland, Member.
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February 2, 2010
Professor Raynor L. Duncombe was elected Fellow of the Institution of Navigation (ION) “for his involvement in developing the initial methods for tracking the first artificial satellites, and for his leadership in the production of almanacs and the development of the new celestial reference system in the 1970s, and for his contributions in the founding of the International Association of Institutes of Navigation.”
Election to fellow membership of ION recognizes the distinguished contributions to the advancement of the technology, management, practice and teaching of the arts and sciences of navigation; and/or lifetime contributions to The Institution.
From 1950 until 1975, Dr. Duncombe worked in the Nautical Almanac Office of the US Naval Observatory and was director of the same from 1963-1975. He was an early member of the ION and held many offices, including president.
Dr. Duncombe’s research interests include astrometry from space, space reference frames and motions of principal planets and minor planets. He specializes in orbital mechanics and dynamical astronomy.
He has served on the Cockrell School of Engineering faculty since 1976. He has 33 years of industrial experience, has published more than 200 technical articles and reports and has authored or edited five books. Professor Duncombe currently teaches the graduate course “Determination of Time”.
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Dear Alumni and Friends,
Warm greetings from W.R. Woolrich Laboratories! When I stepped in as the new chair of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, it did not take me long to realize that alumni play a critical role in maintaining the excellence of our department and I am most grateful for this support.
With state tax dollars covering only 17 percent of the Cockrell School’s annual budget, alumni support is more important than ever. That is why I am asking our alumni to meet the challenge of moving from 8 percent alumni giving in 2009 to 10 percent in 2010! And although I am not an alum, I have made my own gift to launch this campaign.
Gifts from alumni fund project-based learning that gives students hands-on experience in applying classroom theory to solve real-world challenges. Each week students come to my office asking for funding for their innovative projects. Below are a few of their requests — requests that will be difficult for me to grant without greater alumni support.
• Women in Aerospace Leadership Development (WIALD) needs funding to design and launch a research package (including a camera, altimeter and transducer) that will launch aboard Fredericksburg High School’s Red-Bird-12 ballistic/hybrid rocket. The members of WIALD are committed to recruiting more women into aerospace engineering, and believe interacting with high school students is a first step.
• The Longhorn Rocket Association needs additional funding to design and launch a rocket to break the space barrier (100,000 feet or 19-20 miles). Once the students reach that milestone, their next goal is to carry a payload, such as the picosatellites students are building in the Texas Spacecraft Lab (TSL). Compact, lightweight and relatively inexpensive, picosatellites are a wonderful way to introduce students to the real-world problems associated with building flight-capable hardware.
The stated goals of these projects are just the beginning. Our ultimate goal is to create engineering leaders who will make a difference in the world.
Members of the Longhorn Rocket Association
Future leaders like Alexis Avram benefited from Professor Cesar Ocampo’s outreach as a high school student and she began studying orbital mechanics, electrodynamics, and momentum exchange tethers. Alexis is now an aerospace engineering sophomore and an active member of the Longhorn Rocket Association. She is also planning an internship at NASA — you can read more about Alexis here.
If 200 ASE/EM alumni each donate $1,000 this year, we can fund our current student projects and know we have the funds to launch next year with real momentum. To demonstrate our personal commitment my wife Mae and I have donated $1,000, and I invite you to join with us to contribute at the most generous level possible. Remember that every gift, no matter its size, makes a real difference during these tough economic times. Our goal is 10% participation in 2010! Won’t you join us?
Best wishes,
Philip L. Varghese
Distinguished Teaching
Professor & Chair
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March 1, 2010
Professor David G. Hull has been selected as an Editor-in-Chief of the “Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications”, a Springer journal that has been in existence since 1967. The journal publishes papers covering mathematical optimization techniques and their applications to science and engineering.
Dr. Hull’s research focuses on the application of flight mechanics and optimization to the determination of optimal trajectories and optimal guidance laws for aerospace vehicles. He holds the M. J. Thompson Regents Professorship.
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- Written by: Tara Haelle
After seven years of work by over 150 students on a shoestring budget, the FASTRAC team will experience the ultimate gratification of any aerospace engineer on November 19: seeing the fruits of their labor launch into space
After seven years of work by over 150 students on a shoestring budget, the FASTRAC team will experience the ultimate gratification of any aerospace engineer on November 19: seeing the fruits of their labor launch into space. FASTRAC, which stands for Formation Autonomy Spacecraft with Thrust, Relnav, Attitude and Crosslink, is a pair of nanosatellites conceived, designed and built completely by UT aerospace graduate and undergraduate students. The program, sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory, began in 2003 with the goal of developing space technology that's more affordable and therefore more accessible, as well as training and educating future engineers.
With a hardware budget of only about $250,000, a drop in the bucket compared to the millions typically spent on spacecraft missions, students built two small satellites, each about the size of two car tires, which will launch from Kodiak Launch Complex in Alaska with the ability to separate from one another and then establish communication with each other for exchange information on location and attitude determination.
"This is a precursor to cooperative satellites," said Dr. Glenn Lightsey, the FASTRAC faculty adviser. "It's very progressive, forward-looking technology that the Air Force and NASA are very interested in because instead of having single humongous satellites that do everything, you can have smaller satellites that are more effective as a group than a single more expensive satellite."
Project manager Sebastian Muñoz said this launch will demonstrate that the technology they built is functional and valuable for application.
"After we launch, that's the interesting part of the project because we get to operate it from the ground station and collect the data from the different sensors to determine if the technology works or not," Muñoz said. The satellites will make their first pass over Austin the following morning, November 20, at 6:30 a.m., and the FASTRAC team will be ready. "We'll be anxiously waiting to communicate with our satellite to make sure everything checks out and everything's working," he said.
Dr. Lightsey said the big idea with the project is to get satellites working together and sharing information - a technological innovation in itself for such small satellites - but equally remarkable is that students ran this project on such a limited budget.
"That's just as innovative as developing the technology that's never been done before," he said. "If you can do technology for a fraction of the cost, then you're doing another innovation."
And the students over the past seven years have consistently risen to the challenge, despite challenges like losing one third of their work force to graduation each year.
"It's really convinced me that UT is a great school and that we have great students," Dr. Lightsey said. "If you give them an opportunity, they're really going to make the most of it."
He said the program also introduces students to field experience in a way no classroom can.
"It's a great opportunity to get a look at what it feels like to be in an aerospace company and government agency, from design to building and testing it to seeing it launch in space," he said. "As an aerospace engineer, that's what we live for, to see our stuff go into space."
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- Written by: Tara Haelle
Many of Dr. Byron Tapley’s students – whether they worked at NASA, in the military, in international space agencies or in academia themselves – have already retired, yet he is still actively working after more than half a century. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg in Tapley’s career.
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- Written by: Tara Haelle
Obviously an astronaut has much more to consider than fashion in the spacesuits they wear on spacewalks and during space travel. At a recent talk by alumnus Terry Hill (BS ASE '96, MS ASE '98), as part of Space Week Texas 2011, students learned just how much actually goes into the design of the remarkable apparel designed to sustain an astronaut's life functions and protect him or her from the many threats encountered in space exploration.
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- Written by: Tara Haelle
Although she went on to a successful career at NASA after earning her MS ASE at UT in 1987, Lisa Guerra couldn’t quite stay away from Austin.
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If you build it, it will fly - or so hoped the two UT teams headed for this year's Cessna Aircraft Company/Raytheon Missile Systems Student Design/Build/Fly Competition in Tucson, Arizona.
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- Written by: Tara Haelle
ASE students Jeremy Benavides and Tommy Vinyard are Alaska bound in a bike ride to promote cancer awareness.
