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American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics#History

{{Short description|Professional society for the field of aerospace engineering}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2020}}

{{redirect|AIAA}}

{{primary sources|date=December 2016}}

{{Infobox organization

| name = American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

| logo = 240px

| type = Professional Organization

| founded_date = January 31, 1963

| founder =

| location =

| origins = Merger of the American Rocket Society and the Institute of the Aerospace Sciences

| key_people = Daniel E. Hastings (President)
Daniel Dumbacher (Executive Director)

| area_served = Worldwide

| method = Industry standards, Conferences, Publications

| revenue = US$21 million (2009)

| endowment =

| num_volunteers =

| num_employees =

| num_members = 30,000 (2015)

| owner =

| homepage = {{url|http://www.aiaa.org/|www.aiaa.org}}

| dissolved =

| footnotes =

}}

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is a professional society for the field of aerospace engineering. The AIAA is the U.S. representative on the International Astronautical Federation and the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences. In 2015, it had more than 30,000 members among aerospace professionals worldwide (a majority are American or live in the United States).{{Cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-space-station-privatize-20180302-htmlstory.html|title=A former NASA astronaut says it wouldn't be so bad to transfer the space station to private management|last=Netburn|first=Deborah|website=Los Angeles Times|date=March 2, 2018|access-date=2018-03-27}}{{Cite web|url=https://spacefellowship.com/news/art52576/this-week-on-the-space-show.html|title=This Week On The Space Show {{!}} International Space Fellowship|website=spacefellowship.com|language=en|access-date=2018-03-27}}{{Cite web|url=http://aviationweek.com/future-aerospace/aviation-week-network-announces-20-twenties-winners-2018|title=Aviation Week Network Announces 20 Twenties Winners for 2018|website=aviationweek.com|language=en|access-date=2018-03-27|archive-date=September 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928081927/http://aviationweek.com/future-aerospace/aviation-week-network-announces-20-twenties-winners-2018|url-status=dead}}

History

The AIAA was founded in 1963 from the merger of two earlier societies: the American Rocket Society (ARS), founded in 1930 as the American Interplanetary Society (AIS), and the Institute of the Aerospace Sciences (IAS), founded in 1932 as the Institute of the Aeronautical Sciences. Paul Johnston was the first executive director of the organization. Jim Harford took his seat after 18 months. The newly-formed structure gathered 47 technical committees and one broad technical publication, the AIAA Journal. The AIAA Student Journal was also launched in 1963. The merger also led to the sale of the organizations' former headquarter buildings, and the relocation in the Sperry Rand Building.{{cite web|url=https://www.aiaa.org/SecondaryTwoColumn.aspx?id=5531|title=The Merger – 1963|website=Aiaa.org|access-date=9 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203102054/https://www.aiaa.org/SecondaryTwoColumn.aspx?id=5531|archive-date=3 December 2013|url-status=dead}}

In 1967, the Technical Committee on Space and Atmospheric Science launched a study to capture the opinion of its members in California on the UFO phenomenon.{{cite web|url=http://www.ufoevidence.org/documents/doc592.htm|title=UFO Reports from AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics) Members|website=Ufoevidence.org|date=May 1974|author=Peter Sturrock|access-date=9 July 2018}}

Activities

= Journals =

As a major activity, AIAA currently publishes several technical journals. The AIAA Journal is published on a monthly basis and serves as the flagship journal of the society. In January 2015 the Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics became the second AIAA journal published on a monthly basis. The other journals are published bi-monthly and have more specialized topics:{{cite web|title=Journals|url=http://aiaa.org/content.cfm?pageid=167|access-date=22 October 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111021095111/http://aiaa.org/content.cfm?pageid=167|archive-date=21 October 2011}}

AIAA's flagship magazine Aerospace America was started in 1990{{cite web|title=List of journals and magazines |url=https://www.ebsco.com/m/ee/Marketing/titleLists/a9h-journals.htm|publisher=Ebsco|access-date=8 April 2023}} and is distributed monthly to all members, and is published online in digital format. AIAA also produces several series of technical books ranging from education to progress in advanced research topics.

= Competitions =

AIAA annually holds design competitions and Design/Build/Fly competitions to provide a real-world design experience for engineering students, both undergraduate and graduate, by giving them the opportunity to validate their analytic studies.{{Cite web|url=https://www.aiaa.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/2018-student-benefits-and-scholarship-brochure.pdf|title=AIAA Student Participation}}

= Conferences =

AIAA hosts many conferences and smaller events throughout the year. The largest of those is the AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition ("AIAA SciTech"). Others include AIAA Aviation and Aeronautics Forum and Exposition ("AIAA Aviation"), AIAA Propulsion and Energy Forum and Exposition ("AIAA P&E"), and AIAA Space and Astronautics Forum and Exposition ("AIAA Space").{{Cite web|url=https://www.aiaa.org/EventsLanding.aspx?id=79&taxIDs=434|title=Events : The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics|website=www.aiaa.org|access-date=2018-03-27}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.aiaa.org/EventsLanding.aspx?id=79&taxIDs=434|title=Conferences : The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics|website=www.aiaa.org|access-date=2018-03-27}}

= The AIAA Foundation =

AIAA currently has over 6,500 student members in 160 active student branches, including 12 foreign student branches. The student branches host annual conferences.

The AIAA Foundation is devoted to the education of both practicing and future aerospace professionals. The AIAA Foundation funds numerous scholarships for both undergraduate and graduate students. Undergraduate scholarships range from $2,000 to $2,500. Graduate scholarships are $5,000 or $10,000.{{Cite web|url=http://www.aiaa.org|title=Home : The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics|website=www.aiaa.org|access-date=2018-03-27}}

Awards and lectureships delivered

= Awards =

  • Goddard Astronautics Award: AIAA's highest award for astronautics, endowed by Esther Kisk-Goddard in commemoration of her husband Robert Goddard's pioneering efforts that led to the development of the fields of astronautics.{{cite web|title=Honors and Awards|url=http://aiaa.org/pdf/inside/AIAA_HA_Brochure.pdf|website=AIAA|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811062409/http://aiaa.org/pdf/inside/AIAA_HA_Brochure.pdf|archive-date=2011-08-11}}
  • Reed Aeronautics Award: AIAA's highest award for aeronautical science and engineering, named for Dr. Sylvanus Albert Reed, pioneer of the use of metal in propeller blades.
  • Holt Ashley Award for Aeroelasticity: Given every four years for those who have contributed significantly to the area of aeroelasticity, named after famous aeroelastician Prof. Holt Ashley who served as a faculty member at MIT and Stanford.
  • Missile Systems Award: 2 categories, Technical and Management. The Technical Award is presented for a significant accomplishment in developing or using technology that is required for missile systems. The Technical and Management award are presently alternatively at the biannual Missile Sciences Conference. Thus, the awards are presented once every four years.
  • Wyld Propulsion Award: Presented annually to honor "outstanding achievement in the development or application of rocket propulsion systems", named after James Hart Wyld.{{cite web|url=https://www.aiaa.org/HonorsAndAwardsRecipientsList.aspx?awardId=fafe1346-7cb6-41fe-b5f8-4a3abe413059|title=Wyld Propulsion Award Recipients|publisher=AIAA|access-date=March 30, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140313001717/https://www.aiaa.org/HonorsAndAwardsRecipientsList.aspx?awardId=fafe1346-7cb6-41fe-b5f8-4a3abe413059|archive-date=March 13, 2014|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}

= Lectureships =

  • Dryden Lectureship in Research, named for Dr. Hugh L. Dryden{{Cite web|url=https://www.aiaa.org/Secondary.aspx?id=760&terms=Durand%20Lectureship%20for%20Public%20Service|title=Lectureships : The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics|website=www.aiaa.org|access-date=2018-03-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180327212347/https://www.aiaa.org/Secondary.aspx?id=760&terms=Durand%20Lectureship%20for%20Public%20Service|archive-date=March 27, 2018|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.aiaa.org/HonorsAndAwardsRecipientsList.aspx?awardId=088aca62-9ae5-415c-90f6-07b20d2dee62|title=Home : The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics|website=www.aiaa.org|access-date=2018-03-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180328102345/https://www.aiaa.org/HonorsAndAwardsRecipientsList.aspx?awardId=088aca62-9ae5-415c-90f6-07b20d2dee62|archive-date=2018-03-28|url-status=dead}}
  • Durand Lectureship, named for William F. Durand{{Cite web|url=https://www.aiaa.org/HonorsAndAwardsRecipientsList.aspx?awardId=b6092957-0d77-475d-b15d-8d0414ac6f79|title=Home : The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics|website=www.aiaa.org|access-date=2018-03-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180327213335/https://www.aiaa.org/HonorsAndAwardsRecipientsList.aspx?awardId=b6092957-0d77-475d-b15d-8d0414ac6f79|archive-date=March 27, 2018|url-status=dead}}
  • von Kármán Lectureship in Astronautics, named for Theodore von Kármán{{Cite web|url=https://www.aiaa.org/HonorsAndAwardsRecipientsList.aspx?awardId=99255723-26a1-4691-b5f2-ea8de2898176|title=Home : The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics|website=www.aiaa.org|access-date=2018-03-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180327213426/https://www.aiaa.org/HonorsAndAwardsRecipientsList.aspx?awardId=99255723-26a1-4691-b5f2-ea8de2898176|archive-date=March 27, 2018|url-status=dead}}
  • Wright Brothers Lectureship in Aeronautics, named for Orville and Wilbur Wright{{Cite web|url=https://www.aiaa.org/HonorsAndAwardsRecipientsList.aspx?awardId=3dfb1af6-76da-4a5e-b09c-6fb06cfdcb23|title=Home : The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics|website=www.aiaa.org|access-date=2018-03-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180327213305/https://www.aiaa.org/HonorsAndAwardsRecipientsList.aspx?awardId=3dfb1af6-76da-4a5e-b09c-6fb06cfdcb23|archive-date=March 27, 2018|url-status=dead}}

See also

{{Portal|Spaceflight}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{Official website|http://www.aiaa.org/}}

{{American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:American Institute Of Aeronautics And Astronautics}}

Category:1963 establishments in the United States

Category:Aerospace engineering organizations

Category:American engineering organizations

Category:American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Category:Organizations established in 1963

Category:Professional associations based in the United States