University of Washington - William E. Boeing Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics

Undergraduate researchers Senna Keesing (Aero & Astro), Marc Alwan (CSE) and Kyshawn Savone-Warren (ECE) are carrying out research for the Control and Trustworthy Robotics Lab (CTRL) for an NSF grant exploring how specialized eyeglasses and spatial sensors could help autonomous vehicles and robots better understand and adapt to individualized human comfort levels. Co-PIs are A&A Assistant Professor Karen Leung and Anat Caspi, PhD, director for the UW Allen School's Taskar Center for Accessible Technology. Access the full story: https://lnkd.in/gS2HZAaJ

Congratulations to Ayaz Ahmed on his MS Thesis Defense! Says Professor Mehran Mesbahi, "Ayaz's innovative research uses origami structures on spacecraft to modulate differential drag for orbital maneuvers. He proposes novel actuation mechanisms and control systems for this technology, which will enable more efficient small satellite operations."

Govind C. is a PhD student to watch! Says faculty adviser Behcet Acikmese, "Govind's research makes complex mathematical calculations faster and more efficient, advancing our ability to solve real-world problems in spacecraft navigation, supply chains, and financial planning. His innovative work sets new standards for speed and reliability in computational optimization."

Aero & Astro Alumni! Please join the UW Career Center @ Engineering (CC@E) Air & Space Mentor Mixer in the brand-new Interdisciplinary Engineering Building (IEB)! Tuesday, May 13, 2025 4:30pm - 5:30pm   Students will engage with you in one-on-one and small group conversations. You’ll be able to share insights and information about your industry role to help students identify how different engineering majors align with their interests and career goals. Students will also gain valuable networking insights on “how to work a room” and “how to begin conversation.” AND you get to experience our new building! RSVP: https://lnkd.in/gcSw7HsU

A&A Ph.D. candidate Skye Mceowen has won the prestigious Graduate Student Paper Competition at the recent 2025 AIAA SciTech Conference for Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC). Traditional optimization methods for trajectory design often require extensive manual tuning of parameters - a time-consuming process that can be unreliable when conditions change. Mceowen's Auto-SCvx algorithm addresses this fundamental challenge by automatically adjusting its parameters as it solves problems, eliminating the need for manual tuning while improving reliability across different scenarios. Read more about her award winning algorithm at https://lnkd.in/g5BVZdBD.

Mira Tipirneni is developing computational models to predict rain erosion on aircraft surfaces—a critical challenge that traditionally requires extensive and costly physical testing. Her research aims to create digital tools that could significantly reduce the industry's reliance on conventional methods like the Whirling Arm test. Read more about this worked that earned her the Varanasi Fellowship: https://lnkd.in/grRksSUV

Are you interested in our professional programs in aerospace? Join our next info session on Zoom on Monday, March 10! Hear more and ask questions about our Master of Aerospace Engineering or one of our certificates: - Modern Aerospace Structures - Aerospace Composite Structures - Aerospace Control Systems ℹ️ For more info: https://lnkd.in/gCUJkWid 📆 To add to calendar and access zoom link: https://lnkd.in/gBy9qfbM Let your colleagues know!

IMECE 2025 has an Aerospace Technology track! Paper submissions are due by March 4! Spread the word to colleagues . . .

Graduate students Kuang-Ying"Eddie" Ting and Kenneth Wiersema recently presented not one, but three papers at the #AIAA #SciTech conference! Their research, part of the NASA-funded #SCALOS (Supersonic Configurations at Low Speeds) project, is making significant contributions to supersonic flight. And this is on top of the two papers Eddie presented with John Berg (see previous post). Here's a summary of their work: Comprehensive Wind Tunnel Testing: Eddie and Kenneth, along with their co-authors, conducted extensive low-speed wind tunnel testing at the University of Washington’s Kirsten Wind Tunnel. This involved a large number of runs between 2020 and 2024. Their work contributes to a substantial database of experimental data which is critical for understanding the performance of future supersonic aircraft. Mapping the Configuration Design Space: Their research aimed to "map the configuration design space" by examining a wide array of shapes that are key to future efficient supersonic long-range aircraft. This included variations in wing planforms, tail geometries, fuselage and canard geometries, and engine locations, as well as high lift devices. Focus on Lateral-Directional Aerodynamics: One of their papers specifically focused on the lateral-directional aerodynamics of these configurations, highlighting the impact of different design parameters on low-speed performance and stability. This is crucial for the take-off and landing phases of flight. CFD Validation: Another paper detailed how they used STAR-CCM+ RANS CFD modeling to simulate the wind tunnel tests. This involved simulations of models both inside and outside of the wind tunnel to assess the influence of the test environment and the model support system on aerodynamic behavior. A gradual build-up of model components, such as the low-tail and T-tail configurations, was undertaken and compared to wind tunnel results. The use of CFD modeling was demonstrated in order to estimate the test-based characteristics of other configurations, by using test results and CFD-based configuration changes. Importance: The data generated by this research is intended to guide designers in identifying critical shape parameters for supersonic aircraft and provide realistic test cases for CFD analysts. This will fill the gap in subsonic, low-speed data for supersonic passenger aircraft. Their work is vital for advancing the development of next-generation supersonic aircraft and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Huge congratulations to Eddie and Kenneth and their co-authors Reza Soltani, Chester Nelson, and Eli Livne! #AerospaceEngineering #SupersonicFlight #WindTunnelTesting #CFD