September 30, 2024
8 a.m. – 5:45 p.m.
Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC)
RPI has long been at the forefront of space exploration and discovery.
Our alumni lead missions to the moon and Mars. Our faculty run experiments in microgravity, engineer flight paths and spacecraft, peer into the depths of the Milky Way, and search for the origins of life. And our students are setting their sights on crossing the Kármán Line.
At RPI’s Space Science and Technology Day, our space legacy meets the bright stars of its future.
As part of RPI’s yearlong Bicentennial celebration honoring our rich history and the exciting years to come, this event invites the community to hear from alumni, students, and researchers propelling humanity’s space endeavors. The morning session will feature talks by RPI researchers as well as a special presentation from the Rensselaer Rocket Society. The afternoon session will feature talks by RPI alumni who have made significant contributions to space exploration and the commercial space industry.
PROGRAM
8:00 a.m. – 8:50 a.m.
Breakfast - Evelyn’s Café
9:00 a.m.
Welcome - EMPAC Concert Hall
- Martin A. Schmidt ’81, Ph.D., President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
9:00 a.m. – Noon
Faculty and Student Presentations - EMPAC Concert Hall
"Astrobiology at Rensselaer – Four Decades Searching for Life’s Origins"
A discussion about Rensselaer’s distinguished history in the field of astrobiology and the outlook for our future.
Karyn Rogers, Ph.D.,
Associate Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Director of the Rensselaer Astrobiology Research and Education Center (RARE)"Future Space Instruments To Search for Life Outside the Solar System"
This talk will focus on two concepts for characterizing exoplanets to detect biosignatures: a NASA-led space telescope and a Europe-led space interferometer, both involving several optomechanical technologies never before flown in space.
Leonid Pogorelyuk, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering"Mapping Gaseous Galaxy Halos with Space Telescopes"
In this talk, Yong Zheng will introduce her research on the evolution of nearby galaxies. The presentation will also describe how galaxies form and evolve by interacting with their ambient gaseous halos and how astronomers use telescopes to observe and characterize those gaseous halos.
Yong Zheng, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy"Spacecraft Trajectory Design Leveraging Natural Pathways in Astrodynamical Systems"
Efficient spacecraft trajectory design is paramount for successful space missions, where fuel consumption plays a critical role in mission longevity and feasibility. While impulsive maneuvers offer simplicity in design, their inefficiency compared to low-thrust alternatives is a limiting factor. This talk explores leveraging invariant dynamical structures in the circular restricted three-body problem to optimize low-thrust trajectories.
Sandeep Singh, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering"The Milky Way Galaxy in Motion"
Heidi Newberg will briefly describe the components of the Milky Way galaxy and the discovery of dark matter. Her presentation will explain how smaller galaxies are falling into and being incorporated into the Milky Way, and how that process makes waves in the disk. She will further discuss how we are trying to use all of this to understand dark matter.
Heidi Newberg ’87, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy- "Ascending the Kármán Line: Design of a Two-Stage Sounding Rocket To Space"
Rensselaer Rocket Society team members will discuss their efforts to design, build, test, and fly a two-stage rocket to exceed the Kármán line, the defined boundary for space. This has not yet been achieved by students at any university.
Rensselaer Rocket Society
Noon – 1:00 p.m.
Break
1:00 p.m. – 4:10 p.m.
Invited Alumni Speakers - EMPAC Concert Hall
“George Low ’48 – His Legacy”
A brief overview of George Low, RPI Class of 1948, who played a pivotal role in the Apollo program and also served as RPI’s 14th president. This talk will focus on his continuing impact, not just on RPI, but on the nation’s space efforts.
Antoinette Maniatty ’87, Ph.D.
Professor and head, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering“Human Space Flight from Space Shuttle to Space Station and Beyond”
An accomplished astronaut, Rick Mastracchio is a veteran of three Space Shuttle missions and two ISS expeditions. He has logged more than 227 days in space and has undertaken nine space walks. His presentation will cover the early days of human spaceflight compared to living and working on the International Space Station and include a preview of future spaceflights.
Richard (Rick) Mastracchio ’87
NASA astronaut and senior director of business development for Northrop Grumman“The James Webb Space Telescope: Discovering the Universe”
While at Northrop Grumman, Norm Eng served as the senior director of vehicle engineering and products, leading all aircraft and spacecraft engineering and manufacturing. At that time, he had the responsibilities for functional management of the engineering and manufacturing personnel on the James Webb Space Telescope. His presentation will tell the inspiring story of the telescope, the most advanced space telescope ever built, and the people who made it possible.
Norm Eng ’87
Vice president of U.S. defense digital strategy for Siemens Government Technologies“The Search for Life on Mars: Recent Mission Discoveries and a Serendipitous Career”
This talk will focus on Mars missions and their exploration of the red planet. The overarching search for life has required multiple disciplines and technologies and has produced an array of discoveries that have changed our view of Mars. Michael Meyers’s early career in treasure salvaging, engineering, oceanography, and deserts brought him to the Mars Program, which is now on the threshold of bringing the first Mars samples back to Earth.
Michael Meyer ’74, Ph.D.
Retired lead scientist at NASA’s Mars Exploration and Mars Sample Return programs, and program scientist for several Mars missions“Unveiling Our Universe Through Advances in Space Technology”
Across his nearly 30-year career with NASA, Charles Norton’s work has spanned high-performance scientific computing, information and instrument systems technology, and small satellite science and technology flight missions. His talk will cover the mission and historic achievements of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and discuss how space technology will help us discover the secrets of our universe and explore our place in the cosmos.
Charles Norton, Ph.D. ’96
Deputy chief technologist at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Caltech“Boeing Space – Protecting, Connecting & Exploring Our World & Beyond”
Naveed Hussain is vice president and chief engineer for Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS), where he leads a 20,000-person international engineering organization and is responsible for ensuring world-class technical integrity for all BDS products and services. This talk will explore Boeing’s rich history of space innovations spanning the past half century across mission and exploration systems, from government and commercial satellite systems to spacecraft and human exploration in low-Earth orbit and lunar pursuits.
Naveed Hussain ’89
Vice president and chief engineer of Boeing Defense, Space & Security
4:30 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.
Panel Session and Q & A - EMPAC Concert Hall
Moderator: Karyn Rogers, Ph.D.
- Richard (Rick) Mastracchio ’87
NASA astronaut and senior director of business development for Northrop Grumman - Charles Norton, Ph.D. ’96
Deputy chief technologist at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory/ Caltech - Naveed Hussain ’89
Vice president and chief engineer of Boeing Defense, Space & Security - Michael Meyer ’74, Ph.D.
Retired lead scientist at NASA’s Mars Exploration and Mars Sample Return programs; program scientist for several Mars missions
5:15 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.
Meet the speakers - Evelyn’s Café
We thank our sponsors.
This event is partially supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. CBET-2126462.
This event is also supported in part by the following Rensselaer schools and departments:
