E31: Aerospace Propulsion | Nikolaos Gatsonis and John Blandino | Aerospace Engineering

In this episode of The WPI Podcast, we celebrate 100 years since the “Father of Modern Rocketry,” Robert Goddard (Class of 1908), conducted the first successful launch of a liquid-fueled rocket, a development that opened the door to space exploration.  Nikolaos Gatsonis, professor and head of the Department of Aerospace Engineering, and John Blandino, professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering, explain why Goddard’s 1926 launch in Auburn, Mass., was so groundbreaking. They discuss how Goddard also laid the groundwork for the future development of another form of propulsion, electric propulsion for spacecraft.  Gatsonis and Blandino describe how electric propulsion is used widely by vehicles in space today and how WPI faculty and students are conducting research and working on projects that seek to further advance electric propulsion technology, which is one way Goddard’s legacy lives on at WPI.  Related Links: WPI Digital Exhibit: Where the Space Age Began: Robert H. Goddard's WPI Student Days Department of Aerospace Engineering NASA Dawn Mission NASA EO-1 (Earth Observing-1 Mission) NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative