MIT Aeronautics and Astronautics Department
enews Vol 3, #2
October 2006

In this issue:

1. Awards and Honors
2. Comings and Goings
3. This is (Water) Rocket Science
4. Partner Launches Web Site
5. Cummings Addresses Ig Nobles
6. Flying Club Plans Activities
7. Steve Madden 1936-2006
8. Admitted Student Infor Added to Web
9. Media Flock to AA
10. MARS Gravity Program Wants to Send You Into Space
11. Send Us Your Information

 

1. AWARDS AND HONORS

It should come as no surprise to anyone in the Aero-Astro Family when Academic Programs Administrator Marie Stuppard wins another recognition for her amazing roster of service, to her department or her community. This time, Marie has received a particularly wonderful acknowledgement - she has been designated a recipient of the YMCA Black Achievers Award. In his nomination of Marie for the award, department head Professor Wes Harris wrote "Marie's achievements are not measured in high degrees, but by the caring support and advice given to our students and by the esteem in which the faculty, staff and students hold her." Among the many achievements Professor Harris cites are Ms. Stuppard's former role in co-convening the MIT Working Group on Support Staff Issues, developing the first Artists Behind the Desk art exhibition at MIT, serving on the Planning Committee of the first MIT Caribbean Student Conference, and co-chairing the Advisory Council of the School Training and Education Program (STEP) of My Turn, Inc., an organization that partners with schools and agencies to provide education and training for disadvantaged youth. As a YMCA Black Achiever, she has agreed to perform at least 40 hours of voluntary community service in YMCA youth development programs next year. A well-deserved honor, indeed.

Professor Larry Young reports that "one of our MVL Alums, Elezar Edelman (Prof. in HST) has just been elected to the Institute of Medicine! He worked with us since his freshman year, on our first Spacelab experiments." IOM http://www.iom.edu/ members are elected through a highly selective process that recognizes people who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and public health. Election is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of medicine and health.

 

2. COMINGS AND GOINGS

Peggy Udden has switched from Professor Wes Harris's office to taking on special projects for Aero-Astro Headquarters, including special event coordination. In her new role, she will also assist the professors emeritus with support for their teaching responsibilities. Peggy's new office is located in 9-335. Peggy Edwards, who formerly worked with the emeriti, will continue to support other faculty. Susan Whitehead, a new senior administrative assistant, has been retained to assist Professor Harris.

3. THIS IS (WATER) ROCKET SCIENCE

Congratulations to the winners of the Unified Engineering 2006 Water Bottle Rocket Contest, announced 30 October by Professor Ian Waitz at the conclusion of his UE lecture. First place went to partners Fuzhou Hu and Brian Malley whose vehicle reached an altitude of 77.4 meters (254 feet). The two received certificates suitable for framing and signed by Professors Waitz and Mark Drela, declaring them "(Water) Rocket Scientist, First Grade." Second place went to Luis Perna and Trip Vest with an altitude of 76.1 meters, and third place to Eric Dow and Arthur Huang whose rocket topped out at 71.9 meters. The object of the contest is to work with a partner to design, build, and test a water rocket with an objective of maximizing the height of trajectory. Winners reach the greatest average max height over their two best flights. For more on the project, including lots of great photos, visit student Lulu Liu's blog at http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/learning/majors_minors/making_things_fly.shtml

4. PARTNER LAUNCHES WEB SITE

The Partnership for AiR Transportation Noise and Emissions Reduction - the Aero-Astro headquarted aviation cooperative research organization, has debuted a new public Web site at http://web.mit.edu.ezproxyberklee.flo.org/aeroastro/partner/ The site includes information on 17 different PARTNER projects researching aviation-related noise, emissions, land use, policy, health impacts, and more. Four projects recently added to PARTNER's portfolio are en route traffic optimization to reduce environmental impact, investigation of aviation emissions air quality impacts, alternative fuels, and reduced vertical separation minimums. A number of PARTNER reports are available for download. PARTNER is an FAA/NASA/Transport Canada-sponsored Center of Excellence that fosters breakthrough technological, operational, policy, and workforce advances for the betterment of mobility, economy, national security, and the environment. Aero-Astro Professor Ian Waitz is the director.

5. CUMMINGS ADDRESSES IG NOBLES

Professor Missy Cummings had the honor of presenting a "24/7 Lecture" at the recent Ignoble Prize Ceremony and Lectures http://www.improbable.com/ig/, held at MIT. The lectures are named for the fact the presenters are asked to explain his or her subject twice: first as a complete technical description of not longer than 24 seconds, and then as a "clear summary that anyone can understand, in seven words." Professor Cummings topic was "automobile safety." The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think. The prizes are intended to celebrate the unusual, honor the imaginative, and spur people's interest in science, medicine, and technology. Her summary: Don't talk, don't check email, just drive

6. FLYING CLUB PLANS ACTIVITIES

Grad student Chris Sequeira alerts all that the MIT Flying Club has extended its t-shirt design contest until November 22. He notes other upcoming Club events include a fall fly-out, a barbeque, and a movie night. "Those interested in keeping up with event announcements are encouraged to join the Flying Club mailing list at http://mailman.mit.edu.ezproxyberklee.flo.org/mailman/listinfo/mitflying/ ." Visit the Flying Club Web site at http://web.mit.edu.ezproxyberklee.flo.org/mitflying/ For a list of other Aero-Astro student clubs, point your browser to http://web.mit.edu.ezproxyberklee.flo.org/aeroastro/about/groups.html

7. STEVE MADDEN 1936-2006

Department head Professor Wesley Harris writes, "It is with due respect and empathy that I inform you of the death of alum Steve Madden. Steve made many contributions to our Department as well to the advancement of ideas and projects at the Draper Laboratory." Aero-Astro Senior Lecturer Dr. Richard Battin told The Boston Globe that Dr. Madden was responsible for tracking the precise mathematical location of the moon, knowledge that allowed lunar -bound craft to successfully deploy, land, and return. "He was certainly one of my prized students," Dr. Battin said. ``He was a delightful human being." More information about Steve appears in several newspaper obituaries available online including http://www.townonline.com/lexington/obituaries/view.bg?articleid=592708. Our sincere sympathies to Nancy Madden during this time of bereavement.

8. ADMITTED STUDENT INFO ADDED TO WEB

A new page featuring information of interest and importance to newly admitted Aero-Astro students has been added to the department Web site. The page includes information and links related to housing, medical, computing, international student, parking and transportation, orientation, registration, and student organization/club. The new page is posted in the site's Graduate Admissions area at http://web.mit.edu.ezproxyberklee.flo.org/aeroastro/admissions/grad/admittedinfo.html Thanks to Student Coordinator Beth Marois of the Aero-Astro Student Services Office for providing the information.

9. MEDIA FLOCK TO AA

As always, when the media need an interesting story, or poignant comment on an aerospace news item, they turn to MIT Aero-Astro. In recent days, crews and reporters from several Discovery Channel programs (including a producer who also is involved with the popular program "Mythbusters," ABC, and The Boston Globe visited Professor Jon Howe's lab in Building 41 to learn about his UAV research http://web.mit.edu.ezproxyberklee.flo.org/newsoffice/2006/flyingrobots.html. Discovery Channel also visited the Space Systems Lab to see Professor Dave Miller's SPHERE's work. http://web.mit.edu.ezproxyberklee.flo.org/aeroastro/news/magazine/aeroastro-no2/2005millerd.html. Following the October 11 crash of Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle's small aircraft into a building in New York City, several Aero-Astro faculty were contacted by media for comments and insight. On October 24, individuals from Professor Ian Waitz's Partnership for AiR Transportation Noise and Emissions Reduction gave an extensive interview to Aviation Week, which was interested in a new group that plans to research alternative fuels for aviation. And, a zero-g environmental simulation project that Professor Larry Young and others are conducting for NASA was covered in an October 23 New York Time story. If you're interested in participating in Professor Young's project, you have until November 12 to apply for consideration. You could earn $6,100. The catch - it's a 41-day study that includes spending most of the time lying on a bed with your feet higher than your head, and a daily one-hour, 30-rpm spin on a centrifuge bed.

10. MARS GRAVITY PROGRAM WANTS TO SEND YOU INTO SPACE

Students at MIT and Georgia Tech are paying their own way into space, and they're offering to take you along for the ride. Rosie Combs-Bachman of the Aero-Astro Mars Gravity Biosatellite Program says that the students have created a novel means to pay for their own spacecraft:" placing photos, logos and other images on their proposed Earth-orbiting research satellite. The student-driven satellite design team has launched a new Web site, http://yournameintospace.org/ (featured on the MIT home page on October 30) that will allow organizations and individuals to make tax-deductible donations to support the project. In return, donors can post images and messages on the satellite, which will be launched into orbit in 2010. Donors also have the unique option of flying their images inside the spacecraft and having an actual piece of space hardware returned to them at the mission's end.

The Mars Gravity Biosatellite Program is a collaborative venture between students at MIT and the Georgia Institute of Technology. The satellite will orbit the Earth for five weeks to study how Martian gravity -- about one-third that of Earth -- will affect the body. The students aim to raise the estimated $30 million required to design,implement, launch, and operate the mission.

11. SEND US YOUR INFORMATION

If you have events, honors, activities, or other information you'd like to see in the next issue of Aero-Astro enews, please send to wlitant@mit.edu - we'd be please to include it!!!!

Past issues of the enews are posted at http://web.mit.edu.ezproxyberklee.flo.org/aeroastro/news/enews/archives.html

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