Many students develop computer codes to model flight conditions in the Earth and Mars atmospheres. Shown is a simulation of an Apollo capsule as it hurtles through the Earth's atmosphere at 28 times the speed of sound. Results from this study can be compared to actual flight data to verify the code's accuracy. In the College of Textiles, carbon fibers are braided or woven together in the shape of bars, beams, plates, and other spacecraft components. Braided and woven carbon fiber pre-forms are impregnated with an epoxy resin and cured at high pressures and temperatures in an autoclave as shown.
Earth orbit is littered with high-velocity debris that poses a threat to future missions.
To better understand this problem, students at MMRC built a special ejector for the space shuttle cargo bay. This ejector launched six aluminum spheres that will be used to calibrate a world-wide radar network for tracking space debris. The spheres dropped out of the mechanical ejector as Discovery flew over the western part of Canada. Students and faculty have the opportunity to conduct part of their research at NASA Research Centers and participating industries. Inquiries from qualified students, faculty, and industries are invited.