Newsletters

Top leaders from government, industry, and academia gathered at the 51st AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, New Horizons Forum, and Aerospace Exhibition, 7-10 January in Grapevine, TX for a very successful and well-attended event. The conference kicked off Monday, 7 January, with the first of several New Horizons Forum presentations. Introductory remarks by AIAA Executive Director Sandy Magnus were followed by brief remarks by the New Horizons Forum chair, John T. “Tom” Sheridan, VP for national security space at the SI Organization. Sheridan welcomed attendees to TX and noted that “our collective work has moved the world forward, helped us connect much more closely together, and allowed us to literally reach the stars,” so that “what’s to come next is up to us.” Sheridan then introduced the New Horizons Forum keynote speaker Lt Gen Larry D. James, deputy chief of staff, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Headquarters, United States Air Force.

(Pictured: Lt Gen Larry D. James, deputy chief of staff, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Headquarters, United States Air Force, addresses attendees of the New Horizons Forum at the 51st Aerospace Sciences Meeting)
Full Story >
Watch Live Streamed Sessions >
View Photos >
Watch the Sneak-Peek New Events Video Unveiled at ASM2013 >

AIAA Board of Directors has announced the Institute’s key public policy issues for 2013, addressing some of the most pressing concerns facing the aerospace community. Some of AIAA’s key public policy issues for 2013 include:

• Promoting and Incentivizing Public-Private Partnerships that Improve Technology Transition to End Users from the Nation’s Aerospace Research Laboratories
• Enabling Sustained Deep Space Exploration with a Broad Vision
• Completing Public/Private Human Earth-Orbit Access Programs in a Timely Manner
• And more...

“By bringing forth these key issues of public policy, AIAA seeks to call attention to as well as provide solutions to some of the barriers that impede our nation’s continued progress in the exploration of space, the establishment of an effective cybersecurity regime, the continued growth and relevance of our R&D capabilities, and the education of our nation’s youth in science, technology, engineering, and mathematical fields,” stated AIAA President Michael Griffin.

Full Story >

AIAA hosted a discussion on “F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Developments and Progress” Wednesday, 9 January in Grapevine, TX. The panel was held in conjunction with the 51st AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, which took place 7–10 January.

The panel presented a complete overview of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, and provided insight on the aircraft’s role in military operations. Speakers included: Tom Burbage, executive vice president and general manager, F-35 JSF Program Integration, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company; Tyler Evans, director, F135 Programs, Pratt & Whitney; Phil Edwards, program manager, 5th Generation Improvements & Derivatives, Northrop Grumman Corporation; and J.D. McFarlan, vice president, F-35 Test and Verification, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company.

(Pictured: Three F-35As on a test flight. Credit: USAF)
Full Story >

AIAA will host a March symposium on the nonmilitary uses of unmanned aerial vehicles. The “AIAA Policy Symposium: Civilian Applications of UAVs – A California Perspective” will take place 26–28 March 2013, at the Hyatt Westlake Plaza, Thousand Oaks, CA. The event is co-hosted by California State Assemblyman Jeff Gorell (R-44th District), California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, California State Senator Steve Knight (R-21st District), and California State Assemblyman Steven Bradford (D-51st District).

The symposium will engage policymakers, designers, manufacturers, and consumers in discussion about the benefits of commercial and civil governmental UAV applications. These include the role of UAVs in wildfire detection and management, pollution management, event security, traffic monitoring, disaster relief, fisheries management, pipeline monitoring and oil and gas security, meteorology and storm tracking, remote aerial mapping, and transmission line inspection.

Full Story >

AIAA applauds the satellite export control language contained in the FY 2013 National Defense Authorization Act passed last month by Congress, which restores the President’s authority to approve the export of satellite technology.

“AIAA applauds the new satellite export control language contained within the FY 2013 National Defense Authorization Act. By moving satellite export control back to the Department of Commerce’s Commerce Control List, the bill reforms key barriers hampering development of the satellite industry in the United Sates, and imperiling our community’s competitiveness in the world marketplace,” said AIAA executive director Sandra H. Magnus. “These reforms will allow the American aerospace industry to rebuild its lost market share, and to begin the intellectual exchanges needed to empower future innovations within the field of satellite technology. AIAA has always been a strong advocate for reform of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) regime, and we are happy to see those reforms come to fruition.”

Full Story >

The Young Professional Liaison position on the AIAA Board of Directors helps give AIAA a more direct link to the Institute’s young professional members, and provides insights and feedback to help AIAA create comprehensive programs to attract and retain young professionals and members in general. The Young Professional Liaison is a non-voting Board of Directors position lasting two years. The liaison will be required to attend AIAA Board of Directors meetings in January, May, and July or August each year.

More Info >

The latest publication in the AIAA collection is a special project report that contains three papers that were presented at the AIAA Atmospheric and Space Environments Conference in August 2010. They provide a summary of automated inflight icing diagnosis and forecast algorithms currently in operational use. The papers also describe steps being taken now for future enhancements including new data inputs, improved logic, development of human-over-the-loop production methods, and expansion of the domain to cover the globe. Readers can thus acquaint themselves with research and development entering into a new array of inflight icing guidance products designed to give the aviation user accurate and timely information with which to make flight-critical decisions.

Download a copy > (free for AIAA Members)

AIAA will begin to offer conference sessions compliant with the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) at select AIAA conferences, beginning with the 49th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and 11th International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, set for 15–17 July 2013, in San Jose, CA.

AIAA’s Vice President for Technical Activities, Dr. Basil Hassan, stated: “As a part of its transition to a new event model for its conferences, the AIAA Board of Directors has approved inclusion of ITAR-compliant sessions at some AIAA conferences. While the bulk of the technical sessions will continue to be fully open to all attendees, a subset of sessions will allow U.S. persons to share information that historically has not been approved for presentation at open conferences. By including such topics, AIAA will serve a wider cross section of its membership and allow conference attendees to exchange information on topics of national interest. Before fully integrating these sessions into AIAA’s new events that debut in 2014, we will beta test the inclusion and organization of these sessions at the 49th Joint Propulsion Conference in July 2013.”

Full Story >

AIAA is revitalizing how it develops and presents the conferences and exhibitions that are fundamental to its aerospace mission. AIAA Forums combine the very best of our technical conferences with exciting and wide-ranging discussions on systems integration, education, and workforce development, as well as the critical policy and regulation issues facing the industry, the U.S., and the global aerospace community.

Watch for the 2014 Forums and Exposition brochure that was mailed along with your January issue of Aerospace America. You’ll find exciting information about SciTech 2014, AVIATION 2014, Propulsion and Energy 2014, SPACE 2014, and DEFENSE 2014. Or, you can visit www.aiaa.org/forums for more information.

Full Story >
Watch the Sneak-Peek New Events Video Unveiled at ASM2013 >

The 2013 AIAA Congressional Visits Day program is set for 19–20 March in Washington, DC. Every year, AIAA members – engineers, scientists, researchers, students, educators, and technology executives – convene in Washington, DC to take part in the program. They meet with national decision makers to discuss critical industry issues in civil aeronautics, civil astronautics, and defense.

As always, our goal is to educate members of Congress, congressional staffers, key Administration officials, and other decision makers, about the long-term value that science, engineering, and technology bring to America. If you are interested in the future of your profession, the advancement of technology, the furthering of scientific research, and the strengthening of our nation’s security, this event is for you!

Register for CVD today at www.aiaa.org/cvd2013.

If you have any questions about CVD, or are looking for materials for this year’s event, please contact Duane Hyland at 703.264.7558 or duaneh@aiaa.org

The 22nd AIAA Aerodynamic Decelerator Systems Technology Conference will be held 25–28 March 2013 in Daytona Beach, FL, along with co-located conferences including the AIAA Balloon Systems Conference and the 20th AIAA Lighter-Than-Air Systems Technology Conference. The early bird registration deadline is 25 February 2013.

To register, or for the most up-to-date conference information, visit www.aiaa.org/daytona2013 or you can download the Event Preview (PDF).

The 2013 Aerospace Today…and Tomorrow symposium will be held on 6 June 2013 in Williamsburg, VA. Since 1989, Aerospace Today...and Tomorrow has provided a forum for executive discussions on how the aerospace industry is progressing from both government and corporate perspectives. This year’s theme is “Disruptive Innovation, A Value Proposition.”

To register, or to preview the 2013 agenda, visit www.aiaa.org/ATT2013.

• AIAA AVIATION Forum 2013
  12–14 August 2013
  Los Angeles
   
• AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control
  and Co-located Conferences
  19–22 August 2013
  Boston
   
• AIAA SPACE 2013 Conference & Exposition
  10–12 September 2012
  San Diego

To submit your abstract, or for the most up-to-date conference information, please visit the corresponding event web page, listed above.

AIAA is pleased to announce the 2013 AIAA Fellows and Honorary Fellows. Presentation of the new Fellows and Honorary Fellows will take place at the AIAA Aerospace Spotlight Awards Gala, Wednesday, 8 May, at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, in Washington, DC.

Full Story >

A number of distinguished lectures were presented at the 51st AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, which took place 7–10 January at the Gaylord Texan Hotel and Convention Center, Grapevine, TX (Dallas–Fort Worth area).

(Pictured: Gen John R. Dailey (USMC, Ret.), Director, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC, receives the 2013 Durand Lectureship in Public Service Award, presented by AIAA VP Public Policy, Carol Cash. Gen Dailey provided the keynote address titled A Useable Past: Rediscovering Forgotten Approaches to Meet 21st Century Challenges for the 9th Public Policy Luncheon, which took place Monday, 7 January. Click Image for larger version.)
Full Story >

The AIAA Foundation has announced the winners of the 2013 AIAA Foundation Educator Achievement Awards. The AIAA Foundation presents the Educator Achievement Awards every two years to classroom teachers who have demonstrated exemplary efforts in exciting students in grades K–12 about the study of mathematics, science, and related technical studies, and in preparing them to use and contribute to tomorrow’s technologies.

Full Story >

AIAA honored achievements in academic, literary, and technical fields at an awards luncheon on Tuesday, 8 January 2013, in conjunction with the 51st AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting,
7–10 January 2013, in Grapevine, TX. For more information on these awards, or on the AIAA Honors and Awards program, please contact Carol Stewart at carols@aiaa.org or 703.264.7623.

Full Story >

May health and happiness be yours, now and throughout the New Year!

What two feats were accomplished in space for the first time in history in January 1969?

See Answer >

The January 2013 issue of Aerospace America is now available online for AIAA members. Don’t miss this month's feature article, "SST Research – Breaking New Barriers,” in which author J.R. Wilson discusses how the goal of creating a commercially viable SST has proven elusive even though manned supersonic flight was first achieved over a half-century ago. Wilson reminds readers that only two such aircraft saw regularly scheduled passenger service, that technical problems and environmental concerns put an end to them, and suggests that “recent progress in addressing the main problem, noise, means a successful SST could be within reach.”



To access the January issue of Aerospace America visit www.aiaa.org/myaiaa, log in, and navigate to “Access Publications & Materials” to select “Aerospace America.”

An AIAA Fellow has recently published a book that will be of interest to AIAA members and others. Catch a Rocket Plane provides vignettes of actions taken by the aerospace sector over the last 60 years. Dr. Brodsky, a 64-year member of AIAA, participated as a pioneer in the successive blossoming of the Atomic Age, the Guided Missile Age, and the Space Age. Catch a Rocket Plane is the sequel to Dr. Brodsky’s previous book, On the Cutting Edge. Either book can be obtained from various distributers online.

11 January 2013
General William Neil McCasland's Presentation at AIAA New Horizons Forum Highlighted
Hewlett Packard Blogs – Who is Required for Effective Knowledge Sharing and Other Lessons Learned

10 January 2013
AIAA Executive Director Sandra H. Magnus Featured in WoW Blog
WoW Blog – Sandra Hall Magnus: AIAA Leader and Former Astronaut

More AIAA in the News >

The AIAA Member Spotlight for January, 2013, shines on Dr. John Blanton, Principal Engineer, GE Power and Water, an AIAA member since 1978, and an AIAA Associate Fellow since 1993. Throughout his membership with AIAA, Dr. Blanton has been actively involved in the Institute’s affairs. He has served two terms on the AIAA Board of Directors, been Chair of two AIAA Sections, served on numerous standing and technical committees of the Institute, and is currently Chair of the Associate Fellow Grade Committee.

Like so many of our members, Dr. Blanton stated that his inspiration to become an engineer was driven both by world events and by inspiring teachers, explaining: “I grew up with the cold war and the space race and my early heroes were people like Chuck Yeager, Werner Von Braun, and the NASA astronauts. I loved planes, rockets, trains and cars, and my parents encouraged my interests with visits to airports, train stations, and museums.

(Pictured: Dr. John Blanton)
Full Story >

Contact the Editor of AIAA Momentum–News to Accelerate the Aerospace Profession.
Submit story ideas.