An American Naturalist: Expedition: RASC-AL 2012

RASC-AL 2012

Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts - Academic Linkage

Hosted by NASA and the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA)

The Harvard Aerospace Engineering Team in attendance
(left to right: Julie Xie, Jeff Iuliano, space suit model, me, Kyle Flanagan)

Overview

Hosted by NASA and NIA, the RASC-AL competition is held every year. The Harvard team was chosen to compete at the national conference in Florida as a finalist. We presented a novel mission design that enables both robotic and human exploration of near earth objects (i.e. asteroids).

SPECIAL THANKS
Harvard Professor of Astronomy and Physics, Dr. Douglas Finkbeiner, graciously agreed to serve as our adviser for the competition. His expertise in cosmology and astrophysics, as well as experience in computing and complex analytics, have been invaluable to the team. A leader in his field, Professor Finkbeiner also showed us the softer side of a scientist's life. After many hours of mission presentations, Professor Finkbeiner would kick back with us, playing football on the beach, building an epic sand Colosseum, and going to eat at a local diner at 1 am.

The team:

Julie Xie: A mechanical engineer by training, Julie just graduated from Harvard and will be entering a masters program in aerospace engineering at MIT. Her background is as diverse as it is focused. Having designed lunar landers and advanced robots before, Julie contributed her expertise to the design of the Ghost Lander and shuttle systems.

Jeff Iuliano: A rising senior at Harvard, Jeff studies physics with a particular interest in theoretical models and quantum theory. Working as a researcher at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophyiscs this summer, Jeff brought his skills in modeling and computing, in addition to his knowledge of mission designs and factors.

Kyle Flanagan: Interested in renewable energy, dark matter, and theoretical physics, Kyle brought computational and theoretical modeling muscle to the team. His background in quantum field theory and propulsion mechanics provided insight into the various fuels and propulsion mechanisms the mission would use.

Oliver Luo (not present at the conference): Studying both physics and visual arts at Harvard, Oliver offered a new perspective in the process of bringing abstract designs and ideas to life. His animations and graphic designs received much praise from the judges and fellow competitors at the conference.

Todd Sheerin (not present at the conference): Todd Sheerin, Team Lead Emeritus, was testing next generation flight rockets in Houston, TX during the time of the conference and was thus unable to accompany us to Florida. A physics major, Todd is the longest serving member on the Harvard Aerospace Engineering Team. Having led the team last year, Todd brought much institutional and technical knowledge to the project. His interests in aerospace engineering and its applications to astrophysics have led him to pursue graduate studies at MIT.

The Trip

The trip to Cocoa Beach, FL was productive and inspiring. We met teams from Germany, Penn State, Georgia Tech, University of Maryland, and a whole host of others. Throughout the conference, we discussed our ideas and mission plan with mission directors, lead engineers, and industry experts. The learning experience was unparalleled and we walked away with a deeper understanding of the challenges that face the future spaceflight.

The team. (From left to right) Jeff, me, Professor Finkbeiner, Kyle, Julie

(and yes, Professor Finkbeiner is 6'6")

During the conference, we had the opportunity to tour the Kennedy Space Center and see just how large the thrusters and rockets actually were. It seemed that 95% of the rocket was fuel and only a fraction of what was left was actually space for instruments and people. While at the KSC, we watched a short documentary on the history of the center. While unabashedly patriotic, it really made me feel proud to be an American. Standing in the control room right before the launch of Apollo, Discovery, Endeavor, etc. is an experience that is beyond words. And what's more, to be part of the group that designs and builds the missions, technology, and the rockets made me feel like a part of the history, a fellow contributor to the overall mission of exploring the skies.

Our badges to the Kennedy Space Center

For those who saw the latest Transformers movie, you might recognize this launch pad. And yes, this is the epic launch pad that launched Apollo and other missions.