The Draper Scholars Program emphasizes empowering students in 16 key research areas to make the greatest impact. We encourage applicants to align their research with these topics.
Hypersonics
Over the past 15+ years, Draper has supported the nation’s reinvigorated interest in hypersonic technologies and systems. Building on Draper’s core expertise for guidance, navigation, and control (GNC), current efforts leverage the full breadth of the Laboratory’s expertise and include: (a) hypersonic vehicle avionics, (b) hypersonic vehicle GNC, and (c) hypersonic mission engineering, command and control. Specific technology interests for each of the categories are detailed below.
Technical Point of Contact
Research Interests
Hypersonic Vehicle Avionics Technology Interests
- EO & RF sensors that can be used to localize potential targets. Includes novel solutions for Radio Frequency (RF) and/or optical apertures that can survive and operate in hypersonic environments as well as associated targeting algorithms.
- Techniques that enable receipt or transmission of RF signals during hypersonic flight, including plasma flow control approaches, omnidirectional, beam nulling and/or beam steering technologies and clutter and noise rejection technologies.
- Transmit and receive radio technologies that can receive and send offboard messages or waveforms and/or can be used for electronic warfare purposes.
- Micro/nano sensors imbedded in the structure and/or propellant to enable better understanding of the systems aging and potential resulting degradation.
- High-density power sources that are minimally toxic and highly storable.
Hypersonic Vehicle Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) Technology Interests
- Navigation sensors (e.g. IMU and alternate navigation devices) and algorithms that enable operation in dynamic and contested environments.
- Guidance and control algorithms that enable hypersonic flight while minimizing resulting stresses on the airframe and/or minimizing propulsion energy losses.
- Guidance or control algorithms that maximize vehicle capability to penetrate adversary air defenses.
- Miniature actuators that can be employed to affect aerodynamic control either locally or globally.
Hypersonic Mission Engineering, Command and Control Technology Interests
- Algorithms that enable detection and tracking of high-speed flight vehicles using current and future sensors and sensor modalities and advanced data processing techniques.
- Algorithms for prediction of future target trajectory for agile, non-cooperative, high-speed vehicles.
- C2 Decision Aid technologies that enable processing of detection, tracking and targeting signals, target typing and data assimilation such that human leadership can quickly absorb incoming information and quickly make actionable plans and courses of action. This includes hardware and software, display approaches, display set ups, data aggregation techniques, automated information processing, etc.
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