Galileo did not invent the telescope, but he did engineer it into a precise scientific instrument. By grinding and refining his own lenses to increase their magnification, he was able to make observations that challenged the longstanding belief in a stationary earth. In astronomy, as in many other …
A team of five undergraduate researchers from the University of Notre Dame’s College of Science and College of Engineering earned a gold medal at the iGEM Grand Jamboree in Paris, France. iGEM—the International Genetically Engineered Machine competition—is an annual global event that …
Black, windless, silent—low earth orbit seems empty. Yet as anyone launching a satellite in this region knows, powerful, invisible forces are at work. Gravity pulls the satellite towards earth, solar radiation generates its power, and earth’s magnetic field guides its trajectory. IrishSat, …
Mars is cold, dusty, and full of radiation—too dangerous, too far away, and too expensive for astronauts. But rovers—smart, mobile robots—can move like mini explorers across the Red Planet’s surface, taking pictures, analyzing soil samples, and studying the atmosphere. Building a …
Balance is everything when it comes to designing airplanes. One false miscalculation in the placement of the plane’s center of gravity (CG)—its invisible pivot point—and even the most beautifully designed plane can zigzag, stall or nosedive. Each year, Notre Dame seniors in Aerospace …
Antarctica provides NASA with the advantages of being in space—at a fraction of the cost. Each year, from December to January, the agency’s Balloon Program Office (BPO) launches scientific balloons into Antarctica’s stratosphere, taking advantage of this icy continent’s remote location and …
When the farm fields surrounding the airstrip in Bremen, Indiana, were still untouched by green, Notre Dame seniors in Aerospace Design awaited their turn to subject their carefully crafted radio-control planes to the relentless force of gravity and the capricious winds of spring. Each of …
IrishSat’s payload guidance and recovery system, Iris, was one of two undergraduate projects selected by NASA for a test flight aboard its balloon-borne astronomical observatory. On August 19, Iris ascended 120,000 feet above the New Mexico desert — a milestone in the development of IrishSat's …
For migrating birds and students taking Aerospace Senior Design, spring is a time for flight. In this two-semester capstone class, students design and build a wide array of radio-controlled airplanes. Securing the internal components before test flight of fiber-glass fuselage and foam wing …
IrishSat's high-altitude balloon project, IRIS v3, was just selected by NASA as one of six finalists in the NASA FLOATing DRAGON design competition! Teams compete to design a system that can deploy a node from 120,000 feet and autonomously steer it to a safe waypoint on the ground. Notre …