Materials for Extreme Environments

News

HVIL Attends 72nd Meeting of the ARA

Posted on by

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!

Posted on by

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

Posted on by

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

Lockheed Martin Visits the HVIL

Posted on by

Pictured left to right: Dr. Waruna Kulatilaka, Taylor Broten (LMCO), Peter Yip (LMCO), Nathaniel Bass, Paul Mead, Sidney Davis, Gavin Lukasik, Jacob Rogers, Dr. Thomas Lacy, Khari Harrison.

On January 13th, Lockheed Martin (LMCO) Hypersonics Portfolio Program Manager, Taylor Broten, and Senior Hypersonics Research Engineer, Peter Yip, from the LMCO Advanced Technology Laboratories (ATL) visited the Hypervelocity Impact Lab (HVIL). The purpose of this visit was to discuss internship and full-time employment opportunities with students for internships. Peter and Taylor also observed a series of HVI tests as part of an ongoing LMCO and HVIL research project.

Gravitics Visits the HVIL

Posted on by

Gravitics Team and the HVIL led by Thomas Lacy at the Center for Infrastructure Renewal.

In February 2023, Gravitics engineers Mark Miner and Jennifer Scozzari visited the Hypervelocity Impact Laboratory (HVIL) at the Center for Infrastructure Renewal Center on the RELLIS campus. The focus of the visit was to perform preliminary testing and discuss future collaborations between Gravitics and the TAMU HVIL.

NASA JSC Team Visits HVIL at the CIR

Posted on by

NASA JSC Team and the HVIL led by Thomas Lacy at the Center for Infrastructure Renewal.

In January 2023, NASA JSC team led by Drs. Eric Christiansen, the Hypervelocity Impact Technology (HVIT) lead, and Heather Cowardin of the Orbital Debris Program office toured the Hypervelocity Impact Laboratory (HVIL) at the Center for Infrastructure Renewal Center on the RELLIS campus recently.

The focus was road mapping research collaborations between NASA and the TAMU HVIL related to hypervelocity impact testing and analysis of shielding concepts for micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) and other hypersonic vehicle applications.

HVIL Experiment Featured in Aerospace America Article

Posted on by

High-speed imaging methods demonstrate new diagnostic capabilities

In January, researchers at Texas A&M University developed a suite of state-of-the-art laboratory testing and advanced in-situ optical diagnostic tools for analyzing near-space weather encounters of projectiles traveling at hypersonic speeds. When objects travel at hypersonic speeds through the air, atmospheric weather effects including rain, snow, ice and suspended particles can cause severe damage to surfaces and material systems and influence boundary layers, changing the overall flight path. Solid and liquid particle interactions on materials systems at hypersonic speeds are poorly understood and also difficult to predict by complex computational models. The Texas A&M activities simulated real-world phenomena by firing hypervelocity projectiles through particle fields, as well as impacting simultaneously launched fine particles on selected material targets… read more