Next Seminar:
Mr. Peter Siebold
Project Engineer and Test Pilot
Scaled Composites
Wednesday March 16, 2005
3:00 P.M.
Georgia Institute of Technology
Student Success Center - Clary Theater
In June of 2004, SpaceShipOne became the world's first privately-funded reusable manned space vehicle. In the span of three years, a small tightly knit group of engineers and technicians lead by visionary aircraft designer, Burt Rutan, developed a space program to compete for the $10M Ansari X-Prize. An overview of the design, development and flight test is presented from the perspective of test pilot and design engineer. Issues relating to aerodynamics, simulation, navigation, guidance and control, and vehicle handling qualities will be presented with specific concentration on the development of a full-mission simulator and loosely coupled Global Position System (GPS) / Inertial Navigation System (INS) navigation and vehicle management system.
Peter Siebold has worked for Scaled Composites in Mojave, CA, for eight years and is currently in the position of Project Engineer and Test Pilot. Over the duration of the three-year SpaceShipOne manned space program, he was responsible for the development and testing of the SpaceShipOne navigation and guidance system, mission control and telemetry systems, and vehicle/mission simulator. His other duties on the SpaceShipOne program included being one of the Test Pilots, personally flying two unpowered glide flights and one rocket powered flight of SpaceShipOne, as well as many White Knight launch aircraft system development flights.
The Lockheed Martin Avionics Integration Seminar Series in the School of Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Tech was established through a gift from the Lockheed Martin Corporation. Planned as a means to facilitate technology transfer in the increasingly pervasive application of electronics, hydraulics, feedback control, and digital data processing to aircraft and spacecraft design, these lectures, inaugurated in March 2000, are intended to be of interest to students, faculty and practicing engineers. The lectures are part of a larger program to enhance higher education in avionics integration at Georgia Tech sponsored by the Lockheed Martin Corporation.