On Friday, April 26, Capitol College astronautical engineering students and faculty members celebrated Astronautical Engineering Day on campus for the second year.
The event kicked off with a meeting in the newly named “Aerospace Research Lab.” During the meeting, students and faculty members discussed the decision to rename the lab, and because it is used heavily by Capitol clubs and is multi-disciplinary in nature, those in attendance decided on the name Aerospace Research Lab.
Next, students competed in a remote control car competition, in which two teams tried to get as many of the four cars over their goal line during the allotted time. Four identical controllers were used to control the cars, each of which simultaneously commanded all four cars. Teams honed their strategy for controlling as many of the cars as possible over three rounds of competition.
Following the RC competition, senior Ty Trapps led a discussion about the NASA Academy Internship Program, which she participated in last summer. According to NASA’s website, “The NASA Academy is not a 9-5 summer internship program. It is a rigorous, immersive experience that will challenge the participants and push them outside their comfort zones.” Trapps was one of 17 students from across the world that participated in the 10-week program last summer.Finally, a representative from STK (Systems Tool Kit) came to campus and discussed the company’s new software that is used for simulation and modeling. STK software allows engineers and scientists to perform complex analyses of ground, sea, air and space assets, and share results in one integrated solution. Not only were students given a demonstration of the software, but they were also given the opportunity to obtain an STK certification free of charge.
Astronautical Engineering Day is a celebration of the department’s achievements, and allows students and faculty members to discuss various aspects of the AE degree programs. Capitol College offers a bachelor’s and master’s degree in astronautical engineering.