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March 29, 2004 Volume 28, Issue 29 |
Codes helping NASA design future shuttles
Research engineers at Mississippi State are providing unique, high-performance computer codes to help U.S. space officials design safer and more efficient rocket-propelled vehicles of the future.
A team from the university's Computational Simulation and Design Center is working closely with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to accurately and effectively simulate combustion problems and high-speed atmospheric flight. The team is led by Dr. Ed Luke, an assistant professor of computer science and engineering.
Coordinating primarily with the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., and Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, the MSU researchers are developing state-of-the-art computer codes, known as LOCI and CHEM. The software allows NASA to quickly evaluate and synthesize complex numerical modeling configurations, which are needed to simulate and automate rigorous testing procedures for spacecraft design.
"Several NASA engineers have been using software developed by our group to perform simulations in the evaluation and redesign of the space shuttle fuel tank in the wake of the space shuttle Columbia mishap," said Luke, who holds three engineering degrees from MSU, including a 1999 doctorate in computational engineering.
"NASA Marshall also has been using the codes in the simulation and design of several rocket system components," he added. "We currently are expanding our research effort to provide NASA with next-generation rocket-system simulation capabilities."
Research team member Dr. Pasquale Cinnella, professor and graduate coordinator for the Aerospace Engineering Department, predicted the special computer codes may allow MSU to "lead the field in accuracy and reliability for physically complex problems.
"In order to go to the Moon and Mars, we will need more work focused on rockets and rocket engines," he added. "For Mars, we also need more research on how to negotiate its atmosphere at high speeds when entering. We are having good results."
NASA has provided grants totaling more than $1.1 million and the National Science Foundation has given another $300,000 to support the project. The grants are channeled through MSU's SimCenter, a unit of the ERC.