The 73rd Meeting of the Aeroballistic Range Association (ARA) will be held at the Stella Hotel in Bryan, Texas, from August 11-16, 2024, hosted by Texas A&M University. For more details, visit the meeting’s website.
News
TAMU HVIL Welcomes UT Longhorns to the SEC!
The TAMU HVIL used its two-stage light gas gun (2SLGG) to subject the University of Texas mascot Bevo to 3 km/s (6,700 mph) hypervelocity impacts by 1.5 mm diameter aluminum spheres. The impact event was captured at 1,000,000 frames per second. No longhorns were harmed in the making of this film.
UT Longhorns, welcome to the SEC!
Jacob Rogers Successfully Defends His Dissertation
HVIL researcher Jacob Rogers successfully defended his dissertation on March 8, 2024. Jacob’s dissertation committee included Thomas Lacy (chair), Justin Wilkerson (co-chair), JN Reddy, Waruna Kulatilaka, Ned Thomas (not pictured), and Brian Schuster (not pictured). The title of his dissertation is “Ultra-High Strain Rate Impact Behavior in High Molecular Weight Thermoplastics.”
Khari Harrison Successfully Defends His Dissertation
HVIL researcher Khari Harrison successfully defended his dissertation on January 12, 2024. Khari’s dissertation committee included Thomas Lacy (chair), Justin Wilkerson, Waruna Kulatilaka (not pictured), and George Pharr (not pictured). The title of his dissertation is “Investigations into the Hypervelocity Impact Response of High-Temperature Composite Materials for Thermal Protection Systems and Hot Structures.”
Paul Mead Successfully Defends His Dissertation
HVIL researcher Paul Mead successfully defended his dissertation on January 12, 2024. Paul’s dissertation committee included Thomas Lacy (chair), Justin Wilkerson (co-chair), JN Reddy (not pictured), and Hiroko Kitajima (not pictured). The title of his dissertation is “A Study of Hard and Soft Materials Subjected to Ballistic and Hypervelocity Impact.”
HVIL Featured in Atomic-6 Space Armor Video
HVIL Attends 72nd Meeting of the ARA
During the week of September 10th, 2023, Jacob Rogers represented the TAMU Hypervelocity Impact Laboratory (HVIL) at the 72nd Meeting of the Aeroballistic Range Association (ARA) in Tokyo, Japan (hosted by Hosei University, Kyushu Institute of Technology, and JAXA). Since its founding in 1961, the ARA has functioned as a hub for institutions involved in research and development centered around guns and similar launching mechanisms. The organization’s membership currently comprises 51 organizations, covering nearly the entire spectrum of work in this specialized field, along with significant participation from adjacent sectors.
The 73rd Meeting of the ARA will be hosted by Texas A&M University on August 11-16, 2024 at the Stella Hotel in Bryan, Texas.
HVIL Completes 500th Experiment!
On August 23, 2023, Texas A&M University’s Hypervelocity Impact Laboratory (HVIL) completed its 500th experiment. The HVIL remains committed to advancing academic, private, and government research efforts, with applications in national security, defense, and space exploration.
HVIL Collaborates on HVI Test Campaign with the University of North Dakota
Over the summer, the HVIL group hosted a team from the University of North Dakota (UND) for a series of hypervelocity impact (HVI) tests. These experiments were conducted to aid the Advanced Research Moon Operations and Resiliency (ARMOR) project, which is spearheaded by PhD candidate Jacob Yates and supervised by Professor Emeritus James Casler from UND’s Space Studies Department. Yates is concentrating his research on assessing the risks posed by meteoroid ejecta in upcoming lunar activities. His study employs two distinct types of ejecta debris to test materials that could be used in future moon missions.
“Having a state-of-the-art lab that specializes in impact analysis at the hypervelocity speeds is a real benefit for research teams like ours. The HVIL team were great and professional in facilitating our equipment and logistics requirements for our test program” – Jacob Yates, UND
DoD SMART Scholarship Awarded to Max Murtaugh
Congratulations to J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering PhD student Max Murtaugh on receiving the Department of Defense’s SMART Scholarship. To learn more about Max, see his bio here.