University of Alaska engineering researchers receive 2 of 10 Track-4 awards
October 6, 2023
Il-Sang Ahn and Getu Hailu each received $300,000 EPSCoR RII Track-4 awards to fund research and development of technologies that would aid in space exploration.
Ahn, with the UAF College of Engineering and Mines, will investigate noise-canceling techniques to reduce wind interference while taking seismic data readings on Venus. He will conduct his research at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Ohio, where he will simulate the extreme Venusian atmospheric conditions.
Hailu, with the UAA College of Engineering, will research erosive wear of 3D printed ceramic products with an undergraduate researcher and researchers at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
Powerful winds on the surface of Venus challenge the ability of future landers to take accurate sensor readings, necessitating reliable noise-canceling techniques.
Getu Hailu showing materials to be tested for space application.
Additive manufacturing techniques allow for manufacturing parts for vehicles in space, as well as many other useful applications on Earth such as creating biomedical materials. This technology involves creating an object by depositing layers of material, guided by a digital 3D model of the object that serves as the blueprint. Understanding how these materials wear over time will inform improved design.
Hailu and an undergraduate researcher will collaborate with researchers at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Track-4 Research Fellows awards provide an opportunity for early-career researchers to visit and collaborate at other research centers for two years. The program encourages partnerships across government agencies, educational institutions, for-profit and not-for-profit research organizations, and connects researchers from EPSCoR states to STEM on the national and global level.
The 10 fellows who received funding in this round of Track-4 awards will each visit a NASA research facility.