Since the dawn of the space race, aerospace engineers at the Cockrell School of Engineering have been at the forefront of space research.
In 1960, professor Byron Tapley saw the opportunity to pioneer a space program that would establish The University of Texas at Austin as a national and international leader in the field, ultimately leading to the Department of Aerospace Engineering we know today. From a partnership with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab to the student-driven Satellite Design Lab, the Cockrell School continues to play a major role in space exploration.
In its January/February issue, Alcalde featured aerospace alumni who were instrumental in carrying out the Mars Curiosity Mission in “Longhorns on Mars”, accompanied by a video that took us back to the beginning of aerospace engineering at UT Austin.
This segment of the Alcalde show on the Longhorn Network looks at the evolution of the game-changing Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics and its founding father, professor Byron Tapley.
Homepage image: A rocket carrying NASA's Mars rover, Curiosity, launches from Cape Canaveral in November 2011. Photo courtesy of United Launch Alliance.
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