Aerospace building rendering

Aerospace hub is on the rise

May 1, 2018

On a sunny Colorado day, workers in fluorescent hard hats zip across a crowded job site, their breath visible in the cold air. As the Flatirons tower in the background, concrete is being poured, arc welder sparks pulse against steel, and a 100-foot crane lifts supplies into position. Construction of...

An asteroid

Asteroids

June 8, 2017

THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING OUR SOLAR SYSTEM CHUNKS OF SPACE ROCK HURTLING TOWARDS EARTH putting humanity in mortal danger makes an entertaining asteroid-inspired movie. While that scenario could actually happen someday, there are equally important reasons to study asteroids other than their potential to be threatening. As the bits and...

Catalyze CU

The Perfect Launch Pad

June 5, 2017

The group visits a farming cooperative in Rivas to discuss sustainable initiatives The group poses with villagers who have formed a community solar committee Matthew Tabor, Emily Eggers and Myranda Prentiss talk to a tabacoo farmer about her new building and land FOUR ENGINEERING STUDENTS FROM CU-BOULDER PACKED their bags...

Diana Loucks

Returning the Call

June 2, 2017

DIANA LOUCKS WAS ABOUT TO SERVE A YEAR-LONG STINT as chief of Space and Special Programs for Regional Command, South, in Afghanistan when she got a call. Would she be willing to get a doctorate and then become the first female academy professor in physics and nuclear engineering at West...

Rob Sherwood

Living the Dream(Works)

May 10, 2017

Where would Shrek be without Donkey? Mr. Peabody without Sherman? Or Po the Kung Fu Panda without his trusty mentor, Master Shifu? At DreamWorks Animation, bringing those beloved duos to life requires collaborations of another kind. As manager of strategic alliances, CU Engineering alumnus Rob Sherwood cultivates partnerships with technology...

Kaitlin Engelbert

Three Buffs awarded Brooke Owens Fellowship

May 10, 2017

The Brooke Owens Fellowship Program is a highly competitive, paid internship and mentorship program designed to honor the memory of Brooke Owens, a space industry pioneer and accomplished pilot. Owens’ career took her to NASA, the X-Prize Foundation, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the White House. Her enthusiasm and passion...

Jupiter's moon

Shooting for Jupiter's Moon

May 5, 2017

Europa space probe wins international recognition As solar system destinations go, Europa is as tantalizing as it is inhospitable. The smallest of Jupiter’s four moons is encased by a miles-thick icy shell and bombarded with radiation levels fatal to any human. But scientists also believe that a vast liquid ocean...

CubeSat

CubeSat of the Year

May 5, 2017

A new era in space exploration What does it take to create a satellite and send it to space? A lot of work, and until very recently, a decadelong time frame and $100 million or more. That’s all changing, and to say it’s been a radical shift almost understates the...

CU drone, yellow, flying in the sky

Dreams for the Sky

April 20, 2016

CU drones target severe storms to improve tornado forecasts. Brian Argrow, professor in aerospace engineering sciences , approached Eric Frew, associate professor of aerospace engineering sciences, about his interest in using unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to study severe storms. “It was fascinating and I knew I was on board,” says...

Mark Matossian working in his lab

Matossian's Search

April 1, 2016

As an Apollo generation kid in the Washington D.C. area, Mark Matossian (AeroEngr MS ’93, PhD ’95) remembers watching the live moon landings on television, then wandering outside at night squinting at that very same celestial body, trying to see the lunar module. “That time ignited…wonder,” says Matossian, head of...