The partnership Focus on Curriculum Enrichment, AIAA Student Chapter, Outreach and Retention, and Student Projects
Khalifa University of Science and Technology and Boeing today announced they have reconfirmed their partnership to strengthen the university’s Aerospace Engineering curriculum through grant, and by offering hands-on projects that facilitate capacity building locally to meet the UAE’s expanding aviation industry.
The grant allows Khalifa University to support curriculum enrichment, and enable student design projects, which in 2021 included attitude determination and control system for Khalifa University’s CubeSat, design and fabrication of a shock-tube, and a supersonic wind tunnel. The grant was also used to organize a series of events by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Student Chapter, which were led by speakers from the aerospace industry and Khalifa University alumni. The grant was also used to acquire an optical breadboard with supporting frame and a satellite tool kit license.
Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University, said: “We are delighted that our partnership with Boeing for grants that support curriculum enrichment, student chapter, outreach and retention programs and student projects continues to help in building capacities in aerospace engineering in the UAE. We believe our students will gain more exposure through these initiatives and utilize their critical innovative skills to obtain space technology solutions for the future.”
Kuljit Ghata-Aura, President of Boeing Middle East, Turkey and Africa (META), said: “It is important for us at Boeing to equip the youth with the right skills to be successful in the job market. That is why our partnership with Khalifa University is designed to inspire and cultivate a global workforce for aerospace innovation by increasing access to education, accelerating skills development and enriching the educational experience for students.”
At Khalifa University, Aerospace Engineering Bachelor’s Senior Design Projects (SDPs) aim at developing student skills and cutting-edge expertise in aerospace engineering disciplines, thus enhancing student experience. As part of the ongoing Khalifa University-CubeSat Senior Design Project, the student group is currently involved in developing the CubeSat. During the fifth phase of this project, the students will be working on finalizing the design, integrating the previously designed subsystems, and conducting a demo testing.
Also part of the SDP, a small-scale shock tube apparatus is being designed, fabricated, and tested to simulate the atmospheric re-entry of spacecraft via generating hypersonic flow. This shock tube will accommodate a 5.0-Mach shockwave, which can be used to calibrate fast response instruments and study the effect of blast-wave on living organisms, in addition to the data acquisition systems and flow visualization techniques.
The first part of the funding is being used to enhance the student experience at Khalifa University through improving the Space Platform for Celestial Emulation (SPACE) laboratory, laboratory hardware and software. The grant is also used to support the technically-challenging Boeing Senior Design Project, and other projects in the department focusing on developing cutting-edge expertise in space engineering. In addition, the fund supports the students’ AIAA chapter that will facilitate in attracting high caliber students to the discipline.
Clarence Michael
English Editor Specialist
1 April 2022
