Space Week Launches at South

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Posted on February 28, 2019

Bob Lowry

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Move over Mardi Gras week. It’s time to talk about SPACE!

March 4-7, the University of South Alabama will be the launch pad for Space Week, highlighting opportunities for students interested in pursuing careers that could literally be out of this world.

The week takes off with a unique drone flying competition on Monday, March 4, from 1-5 p.m. The unique part is that it’s being held indoors! Using a course/track setup by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the event is open to all students and faculty that want to fly the drones through the course. “It will be similar to racing remote control cars, but instead it will be with flying small drones,” said Lauren Bassler, an officer with the USA student chapter of Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society. The competition will take place in Shelby Hall room 4207.

Two USA engineering faculty with extensive ties to NASA will speak with students and faculty about their research experiences. Dr. Carlos Montalvo, assistant professor of mechanical engineering/aerospace engineering, will hold a research workshop Monday from 12:30-1:30 in Shelby Hall room 2214 and Dr. Grant Glover, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, will host a research workshop on Thursday, March 7 from 12:15-12:45 in Shelby Hall room 4205. All students and faculty are welcome to both events.

Speaking of NASA, several experts from their Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) will also be speaking during the week:

• Tia Ferguson, director of the Space Systems department in the Engineering Directorate at MSFC, will talk Monday from 6-7 p.m. in Shelby Hall room 2119. Among other duties, her department is involved in the development of the new Space Launch System, or SLS, rocket that will launch humans to the moon and beyond.
• Frankie Jernigan works as an aerospace engineer at MSFC. She currently serves as a Team Lead in the Spacecraft & Auxiliary Propulsion Systems Branch for the Auxiliary Propulsion Systems Team. Her talk is Wednesday, March 6, 2-3 p.m, Shelby Hall room 2218.
• And from 5-7 p.m. on Wednesday, Julie Bassler, manager of the SLS Stages Office at MSFC, will share the excitement of working on the rocket that will enable America’s return to human deep space exploration. Joined by several of her team members, attendees will learn about NASA’s exploration plans and the unique capabilities of SLS, and hear about some of the engineering challenges in building and testing the core stage of the rocket. This event will take place in Shelby Hall room 2119.

The concluding session of USA’s Space Week will feature former astronaut Larry DeLucas from 6:30-8 p.m., Thursday, March 7 in the Student Center Ballroom. DeLucas, a payload specialist, was a member of the crew of space shuttle Columbia in its 1992 Spacelab mission. Over a two-week period, the crew conducted experiments relating to materials processing and fluid physics. At mission conclusion, DeLucas had traveled more than 5.7 million miles in 221 Earth orbits and had logged more than 331 hours in space.

Due to seating limitations, guests are asked to register by Friday, March 1.

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