Purdue has been selected by NASA, under its Planetary Science Deep SmallSat Studies (PSDS3) program, to conduct a funded concept study for planetary small satellite missions. AAE Associate Prof. David Spencer is part of the Purdue team, led by Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Prof. David Minton, developing the mission concept named "Chariot to the Moons of Mars."

Two AAE graduate students earned a Best Student Paper award from AIAA. Samantha Alberts was the lead author on the technical paper entitled, "Experiment Design for Measuring Accommodation Coefficients for Modeling of Long-Duration Spaceflight Cryogenic Propellants." Praveen Srikanth was the co-author.

Halstead is the ninth research supercomputer built in as many years through Purdue’s Community Cluster Program. AAE Associate Prof. Jonathan Poggie uses the supercomputer in his high-speed fluid mechanics research, which aims to make supersonic flight more efficient.

AAE Professor of Practice Dan Dumbacher is co-chairing a committee to review NASA’s progress in addressing the 2011 National Research Council (NRC) decadal survey report. The “Midterm Assessment of Implementation of the Decadal Survey on Life and Physical Sciences Research at NASA” ad hoc committee will complete its review by the end of 2017.

PhD candidates Jayaprakash Suraj Nandiganahalli and Shourya Jain have been awarded fellowships for 2017-2018. Nandiganahalli received the Hugh W. and Edna M. Donnan Fellowship. Shourya Jain is the recipient of the Bilsland Dissertation Fellowship Award.

A startup with Purdue AAE ties took home the $30,000 top prize at Purdue’s 30th Burton D. Morgan Business Plan Competition. Tri-D Dynamics was founded by AAE alumnus Deepak Atyam (MSAAE '16) and current graduate student Alex Finch. The company aims to make more affordable and efficient rocket engines.

Six interdisciplinary research teams at Purdue University have received $2.7 million in grants of $450,000 each through a partnership with the U.S. Navy. Among those are projects from AAE professors Vikas Tomar and Timothée Pourpoint.

AAE professors James Garrison and Alexey Shashurin presented at the recent Purdue Technology Showcase that featured dozens of pioneering innovations. The event featured 37 Purdue University innovators describing their innovations in four minutes or less before international company representatives, investors and entrepreneurs.

AAE Assistant Professor Michael Sangid is part of a new consortium of Purdue Engineering faculty and facilities with expertise in simulation-based engineering of materials and structures that is offering partnerships with Indiana-based manufacturers.

Two AAE undergrads will receive paid summer internships under the Brooke Owens Fellowship Program. Amy Comeau and Ana Paula Pineda Bosque were 2 of approximately 30 women selected from across the country. Both students were recommended for the program by AAE Visiting Assistant Professor Sarag Saikia.