Christopher D. Hall

Aerospace and Ocean Engineering

VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE Blacksburg, Virginia 24061-0203 USA

AND STATE UNIVERSITY (540) 231-2314 Fax: (540) 231-9632 E-mail:

May 13, 2003

MEMORANDUM

TO:Robert Walters

FROM:Chris Hall

SUBJECT:Space in AOE

The purpose of this memo is to review the space-related teaching and research in AOE and to identify a fundamental question facing the department regarding its space activities. The fundamental question: What sort of space-related program do we want to have in AOE? There are of course short-term and long-term issues associated with this question.

HISTORY

I was hired specifically to increase the quality and quantity of space-related activities within the department. My goal was to expand the number of opportunities for undergraduate students through the design course and through participation in undergraduate research projects, while simultaneously developing opportunities for graduate students through sponsored research. One of my constraints is that my teaching load is dominated by teaching senior design, so that there are essentially no graduate courses offered in my research field, a fact which is frequently cited by top seniors bound for MIT, UMD, GT and other graduate schools. When they graduate from here they have already taken essentially all the space courses offered, and they know it.

In the undergraduate arena, I have accomplished the following:

  • Advised 17 different spacecraft design teams, with sponsorship for many of the projects coming from NASA, USAF, and industry
  • Advised many undergraduate research projects, where possible tying them to funded research projects or projects with potential for funding
  • Introduced a new course on attitude dynamics and control
  • Proposed a “space track” for the undergraduate curriculum, which was partially implemented last year. This track included a new course on the Space Environment to be offered by Joe Wang. However, he has been unable to offer such a course.
  • Initially recruited several outstanding undergraduates to stay here for graduate school
  • Established the HokieSat project and the Sounding Rocket project, as well as several other short-term undergraduate projects

In the graduate arena, I have accomplished the following:

  • Wrote winning proposals for more than $1.5 million
  • Advised five M.S. students and one Ph.D. student to completion, and am currently advising nine graduate students (these are in addition to the 27 M.S. and 3 Ph.D. students advised at AFIT)
  • Established the Space Systems Simulation Lab and the Satellite Tracking Lab

SITUATION

By creating many space-related activities I believed that the significance of space as a research and teaching field within aerospace engineering would become self-evident, and additional faculty would eventually provide some balance towards space-related areas in AE.

While the just completed round of faculty hiring was successful by some measures, I find that my effort to increase the significance of the space-related activities in the department was not successful. Furthermore, it is unclear whether any department hiring within the next several years will significantly affect the current situation. For example, the next d&c retire/hire will almost certainly be an aircraft d&c position.

I am convinced I cannot maintain a solid graduate program with no graduate courses, and I certainly cannot recruit good students from other schools if we have no graduate courses. In fact, the first batch of good VT seniors I enticed to stay here for graduate school did so believing that the space program was on its way up. Recent seniors have made it clear that they’d rather go where there’s more than one “space guy.”

THE QUESTION: What sort of space-related program do we want to have in AOE (long-term)? And a related question: What sort of space-related program can we have in AOE (short-term)?

Given the current situation, I believe the answer to the second question is that we can have a good undergraduate program, or we can have a good graduate program, but not both. I’d thought the answer to the first question was “both,” but I haven’t successfully made the case, and I don’t want to see space become more marginalized.

One extreme measure would be to omit the Space Design option for seniors. Then we could offer two more graduate courses on orbital and attitude dynamics and control, the fields that bring in essentially all of my research funding.

A less extreme measure would be for me to reduce the undergraduate design activities, eliminating the diversity of projects (fewer projects = less work) and eliminating the intensive projects altogether (Sounding Rocket, HokieSat, etc.). Giving up these projects would give me some time to devote to teaching 1-2 graduate courses per year in addition to the design course and the undergraduate spacecraft d&c course.

Another measure would be for me to decrease the level of my research activity. Unfortunately, given the declining ability to attract graduate students, this one might be self-implementing.

I’d definitely like to hear what you think about the situation and your recommendations for the future of the space-related business of the department.

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