News About AIAA SciTech Forum

Organizations made announcements and shared news during the 2024 AIAA SciTech Forum. Read more below.

Congratulations to the Class of 2024 AIAA Associate Fellows! We were thrilled to host their induction ceremony at AIAA SciTech Forum. This distinguished group has made significant and lasting contributions to the aerospace profession. They are truly shaping the future of aerospace.

AIAA welcomed Northrop Grumman (NGC) as an AIAA Corporate Partner. This leadership position underscores NGC’s commitment to technical excellence in aerospace. NGC is elevating its influence and industry presence as we work together to improve workforce development, advocate on behalf of the community, and purposefully collaborate to realize far-reaching benefits for their employees today and into the future. Congratulations to the Northrop Grumman team! Read more on LinkedIn.

NASA released its space-based solar power study. Could space-based solar power be the answer to reducing U.S. greenhouse emissions? Erica Rodgers, NASA Office of the Chief Technologist, posed the question during the forum in the context of NASA’s mission to innovate for the benefit of humanity. Download the study to read NASA’s ideas.

Elysian Aircraft, a start-up company based in Delft, Netherlands, unveiled its battery-electric aircraft design and technology. Its two technical papers described findings and plans, challenging traditional thinking on electric power. Read more on this from the reporting team at Aerospace America.

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory showed off an unconventional robot—EELS—that could one day go where no robot has gone before. We heard from JPL’s Hiro Ono on Instagram about how EELS was inspired by a desire to descend below the surface of planets and moons, and maybe one day look for signs of life.

One of the hot topics at AIAA SciTech Forum is artificial intelligence. AIAA announced its new AIAA Aerospace AI Advisory Group today as the Institute works to advance the appropriate use of AI technology, particularly in aeronautics, aerospace R&D, and space. The group will provide input and clear guidance on how AIAA can harmonize and accelerate the implementation of AI in support of its strategic goals. Read about the inaugural group members and more on the AIAA website.

Collins Aerospace showed off the newest spacesuit in the Exposition Hall. They have leveraged their expertise in spacesuit design to equip NASA astronauts on their next missions to the International Space Station, Gateway, the moon, and Mars. Take a look at it on Instagram.

The Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets (JSR) turned 60! AIAA is proud of JSR’s industry leadership and is impressed that it received the highest number of citations ever during 2023, proving JSR is continuing its influence as we shape the future of aerospace. Read more on LinkedIn.

The AIAA Council of Directors elected Dan Jensen, Rolls-Royce Corporation, as Speaker of the Council. He will serve a 3-year term. Dan is an AIAA Associate Fellow and has been an active AIAA volunteer leader through the years, holding numerous leadership roles that eminently qualify him to take on this new position. Dan will begin his term in May 2024. Congratulations Dan! He succeeds Allen Arrington, HX5 Sierra at NASA Glenn Research Center, who served as Speaker of the Council since 2017. Thank you Allen for your remarkable leadership and many years of service to the Institute! We look forward to more fully acknowledging this leadership transition during the AIAA Spring Business Meetings.

NASA leaders shared more on their agreement announced on Sunday, 7 January with the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The space centre will provide an airlock for Gateway, humanity’s first space station that will orbit the Moon. The lunar space station will support NASA’s missions for long-term exploration of the Moon under Artemis for the benefit of all.

Forum attendees saw the launch of AIAA Corporate Member ULA’s Vulcan Centaur rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in the distance. The mission is sending Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander to the moon. Read AIAA's statement on our website.