Aeronautics and Astronautics

MIT PhD candidates Katie Hahm (left) and Nithin Reddy (right) hiked Skyline Trail in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, this summer with a friend, Steven Viola. They both spent the summer interning at Amazon Robotics through the MechE Alliance's I2P Program and traveled to Amazon headquarters in Seattle.

An immersive experience in industry

Through the MechE Alliance’s Industry Immersion Program, graduate students get hands-on experience working on projects across a range of industries.

September 19, 2019

MIT researchers are training a pair of generative adversarial networks, or GANs, to mimic the land, sea, and cloud textures seen in satellite images with the goal of eventually visualizing real-world sea-level rise. It’s one of many artificial intelligence research projects made possible by IBM and Google-donated cloud credits.

What a little more computing power can do

Commercial cloud service providers give artificial intelligence computing at MIT a boost.

September 16, 2019

The Redemption of Vanity, is a work of art by MIT artist in residence Diemut Strebe that has been realized together with Brian L. Wardle, Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Director of necstlab and Nano- Engineered Composite aerospace STructures (NECST) Consortium and his team Drs. Luiz Acauan and Estelle Cohen. Strebe’s residency at MIT is supported by the Center for Art, Science & ...

MIT engineers develop “blackest black” material to date

Made from carbon nanotubes, the new coating is 10 times darker than other very black materials.

September 12, 2019

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite is inspected before its launch in April 2018. Approximately 250 MIT scientists and engineers are included as recipients of the NASA Silver Achievement Medal for their role in the TESS mission.

TESS team is awarded NASA's Silver Achievement Medal

The honor recognizes the "stellar achievement" of the people behind the exoplanet-seeking satellite.

September 12, 2019

Building on the legacy of the Apollo program, MIT faculty, staff, and students are working toward the next great advances in space flight — ones that could propel humans back to the moon, and to parts still unknown.

Taking the next giant leaps

Fifty years after the first moon landing with Apollo 11, the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics looks to the future of space exploration at MIT.

September 5, 2019

MIT’s Task Force on the Work of the Future has released a report that punctures some conventional wisdom and builds a nuanced picture of the evolution of technology and jobs.

MIT report examines how to make technology work for society

Task force calls for bold public and private action to harness technology for shared prosperity.

September 4, 2019

Hyperloop II holding their Innovation Award at the 2019 SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition.

Overcoming obstacles with an electric hovercraft

MIT team places first among U.S. universities at 2019 SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition.

August 28, 2019

The MIT-TU Delft autonomous race car completed 9.9 laps with a minimum speed of 4 meters per second at the 2019 Formula Student Germany (FSG) competition.

MIT-Delft University of Technology team places third in Formula Student Germany driverless competition

Teams were scored on speed, construction, performance, and financial planning at one of the world’s largest student engineering competitions.

August 16, 2019

The Lorelei Ensemble performs in "Songs from Extrasolar Spaces: Music Inspired by TESS" on July 30 in MIT's Kresge Auditorium.

The music of the spheres

MIT hosts "Songs from Extrasolar Spaces," a musical melding of art and science inspired by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).

August 9, 2019

Optimus Ride has already deployed its autonomous transportation systems in the Seaport area of Boston, in a mixed-use development in South Weymouth, Massachusetts, and in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, a 300-acre industrial park.

Optimus Ride’s autonomous system makes self-driving vehicles a reality

MIT startup’s unique approach to improving human mobility is helping it gain traction in a competitive landscape.

August 9, 2019

Jack Kerrebrock's accomplishments included serving as faculty leader of the Daedalus Project, which developed an aircraft that still holds the world record for human-powered flight.

Jack Kerrebrock, professor emeritus of aeronautics and astronautics, dies at 91

Former department head and associate dean of engineering was an international expert in the development of propulsion systems for aircraft and spacecraft.

July 31, 2019

Jaume Plensa sculpture, "The Alchemist" on MIT's campus

School of Engineering second quarter 2019 awards

Faculty members recognized for excellence via a diverse array of honors, grants, and prizes over the past quarter.

July 30, 2019

Oliver de Weck (left) and Reza Rahaman are co-directors of the Bernard M. Gordon-MIT Engineering Leadership Program.

New leadership for Bernard M. Gordon-MIT Engineering Leadership Program

Faculty and industry co-directors will focus on implementing new directions for program.

July 22, 2019

Left to right: MIT professors Eytan Modiano, Erin Kelly, and Ju Li.

Portraits of mentoring excellence

Committed to Caring honors professors Modiano, Kelly, and Li, and calls for nominations.

July 18, 2019

The computer system and software that controlled the Apollo 11 spacecraft — called the Apollo Guidance Computer and designed by the MIT Instrumentation Lab team — helped push technology forward in many ways. The computer itself was the first significant use of silicon integrated circuit chips.

Behind the scenes of the Apollo mission at MIT

From making the lunar landings possible to interpreting the meaning of the moon rocks, the Institute was a vital part of history.