Background
Major Nick Carter graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) as a distinguished graduate and top graduate in Aeronautical Engineering. He then went on to graduate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with an S.M. in Aeronautics and Astronautics, where he researched lifecycle analyses of microalgae-derived jet fuels and micro-UAVs deployed from military flare canisters. Nick then graduated from Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training in Wichita Falls, TX. From there, he flew as an Aircraft Commander in the C-17A in the Pacific Command out of Anchorage, Alaska. Nick then flew the T-38C as the fighter-bomber fundamentals lead instructor pilot in Columbus, MS. During this time, he deployed as an air defense liaison to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In 2022, Nick was selected as a USAFA Faculty Pipeline PhD student officer by the Air Force. He is currently planning on researching the high-fidelity simulation of hypersonic flows for detection and air defense applications.
Professional Works
- Carter, N.A., Environmental and Economic Assessment of Microalgae-derived Jet Fuel. Cambridge, Massachusetts: S.M. Thesis, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012.
- Vasudevan, V., Carter, N.A., Stratton, R.W., Jersey, G.R., “A Model-based Assessment of the Energy Balance and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Closed Photobioreactor Systems for Algal Biofuels Production,” Environmental Science and Technology, 2013.
- Hileman, J.I., de la Rosa Blanco, E., Bonnefoy P.A., and Carter, N.A., "The Carbon Dioxide Challenge Facing Aviation," Progress in Aerospace Sciences, 2013.
- Carter, N.A., Stratton, R.W., Bredehoeft, M.K., andHileman, J.I., "Energy and Environmental Viability of Select Alternative Jet Fuel Pathways," in 47th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference & Exhibit, San Diego, California, 2011.
- Carter, N.A., Hsu, C.Y.; Stephensen, E., McLaughlin, T., L., Chris, Sumerei, C. "Flow Over A Backward-Facing Step Under Controlled-Plasma, Actuator-Induced Perturbations," in 40th Fluid Dynamics Conference and Exhibit, 2010.
- Elgowainy, A., Han, J., Wang, M., Carter, N. A., Stratton, R., Hileman, J., "Life-Cycle Analysis of Alternative Aviation Fuels in GREET," Argonne National Laboratory, Chicago, 2012.
Rating: Senior Pilot
Flight Hours: 1700+
Aircraft Flown: T-6, T-38C, C-17A