AIAA PROPULSION & ENERGY FORUM – Day 1
Forum Theme: Trumpeting the Future of P&E
Day 1 Theme: Sustainability
Had we all met in New Orleans, as was originally planned, the Forum theme would make sense to you. AIAA had fun plans for Forum attendees – you were to be treated to music from a New Orleans jazz band and a discussion on the similarity between engine nozzles and trumpet horns. Due to tropical storms Marco and Laura, we may not have been able to meet in New Orleans anyhow. We're awed by the way in which we've harnessed massive amounts of energy in our jet and rocket engines, but that pales in comparison to the energy unleashed by tropical storms and hurricanes. They are disruptive at best and deadly, at worst. Our thoughts are with the peoples of the Gulf Coast and for their safety and well-being, as Marco and Laura make landfall.
Day 1 My Top Three Take-Aways (AIAA would love to hear what you took away from today – please grab a beer – like you would if you were at P&E – and take a moment to reply to this ENGAGE post):
- AIAA Forums are about collaboration and the opportunities thus afforded to us; allowing us to innovate and develop technologies that make possible all kinds of aerospace-related missions. It is dogma that because of these innovations, that we are living through a golden age in aerospace. Technologies that were the realm of science fiction writers not so long ago are opening opportunities in aviation and in space like never-before. The relatively low cost of entry in commercial space, small satellites, and unmanned aerial systems has led to increased competition and unconstrained innovation. And many of the technologies are enabling, such as AI, machine-learning, advanced manufacturing, modeling and simulation and materials development.
- A Forum 360 on Sustaining the LEO Ecosystem tackled the question of what is meant when we talk about space sustainability. In society generally, when we talk about sustainability, we often think about our effect on the environment, and ensuring that what we're doing today leaves a healthy planet to those who are to come after us. Sustainability in this discussion was very much about start of the LEO based industry and sustaining that industry as something that is viable in the future. When asked what they would do differently knowing today what we know about LEO, there was near unanimity about not having been concerned enough about space debris until relatively recently. And the space debris biggies – are spent rocket casings. Something for the Space Propulsion community to do something about – now, not later.
- Panelists on the topic of sustaining the cislunar activities generally agreed that getting to the moon and even Mars is technically feasible, but that sustaining an Antarctic like outpost on the moon in the 5 to 10 year timeframe will be necessary if we are to go and stay. The myriad things that we will need – for example, sustained communications, lighting beyond surface lighting, the utilization of in-situ resources, etc., was only slightly less interesting than the discussion of all of the human endeavors that will ultimately be needed – laws, business acumen, psychology, food preparation, health care and many more.
Quote of the Day: In thinking about the tools we've been using during the pandemic that allow us to re-think how we collaborate, the 'equity' of relationships cannot be lost. – Robert Lightfoot, in answering a question about the pandemic's effect on the way we working and on technology development
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Thomas B. (Tom) Irvine
Consultant
TBI Aerospace Consulting LLC
Cedar, MI
tbirvine3@gmail.com------------------------------