Sergio Pellegrino, Professor of Aeronautics and Civil Engineering and Jet Propulsion Laboratory Senior Research Scientist, has received the NASA Robert H. Goddard Exceptional Achievement Award as a member of the superpressure balloon team. The award is for sound engineering and operational development, outstanding teamwork, and perseverance in building a new scientific balloon capability for NASA. 11.04.09

Tsien Hsue-Shen (Aeronautics PhD '39), passed away on October 31, 2009. He was a student of Professor Theodore von Kármán and one of the founders of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "Dr. Tsien Hsue-Shen was one of the great scientist-engineers of the past century. He played an important role in the history of Caltech and the development of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. We are also very proud of his many accomplishments in China." said President Chameau. Read More... 11.02.09

Klein Lecture in Aerospace Engineering
Gregory Chamitoff, Astronaut, NASA
October 26, 2009 at 1:00 pm, Beckman Institute Auditorium
Read More... 10.12.09

Sandra Troian, Professor of Applied Physics, Aeronautics, and Mechanical Engineering, and Dr. Mathias Dietzel have uncovered the physical mechanism by which arrays of nanoscale pillars can be grown on polymer films with very high precision, in potentially limitless patterns. "This is an example of how basic understanding of the principles of physics and mechanics can lead to unexpected discoveries which may have far-reaching, practical implications," said Ares Rosakis, Division Chair and Theodore von Kármán Professor of Aeronautics and Mechanical Engineering at Caltech. "This is the real strength of the EAS division." Read More... 10.23.09

Hans Wolfgang Liepmann, a pioneering researcher, passionate educator in fluid mechanics, and a former Director of GALCIT, passed away on June 24, 2009 at his home in La Canada Flintridge at the age of 94. Liepmann, the Theodore von Kármán Professor of Aeronautics, Emeritus, at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), was widely honored for his contributions to aeronautics (more biography). A memorial honoring the life and work of Hans Liepmann will be held at the Caltech Athenaeum on Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 2:00pm. For more Information please contact Dimity Nelson. 10.16.09

The Walter and Leonore Annenberg Center for Information Science and Technology and the GALCIT Guggenheim project have both won top honors from the American Institute of Architects -Pasadena/Foothill Chapter. This is the second time Guggenheim has won this honor! 10.01.09

Spotlight Archive
Press Release Archive

GALCIT celebrated its 80th Birthday from September 25 - 26, 2008. Festivities included an alumni symposium, banquet, and the Re-Opening of Guggenheim and the dedication of new labs. Photos and videos are now available!

Faculty Position Available We are seeking candidates who have an outstanding research record and a strong commitment to teaching, with a focus in Solid/Structural Mechanics. Research areas of interest include but are not restricted to multiscale modeling and simulation, advanced materials, materials under extreme conditions, space materials and structures, and high-performance computing. Click for details...

John O. Dabiri, Associate Professor of Aeronautics and Bioengineering, was featured in Rose magazine. Read more... 09.28.09

Shown above, Ares Rosakis, Chair, Division of Engineering and Applied Science and Chair, Aerospace Historical Society, presented the awards to Abdul Kalam (left) and Yannick d'Escatha (right).

Making the world a better place was the theme of the September 15, 2009 International von Kármán Wings Award ceremony which honored international leaders and aerospace pioneers Abdul Kalam, the 11th president of India and distinguished professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, and Yannick d'Escatha, chairman and chief executive officer of the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). Ares J. Rosakis, chair of the Aerospace Historical Society, chair of the Division of Engineering and Applied Science, and Theodore von Kármán Professor of Aeronautics and Mechanical Engineering presented the awards to the honorees and stated, "along with their tremendous accomplishments in aerospace, this year's honorees are leaders in international collaboration, climate monitoring, and energy harvesting". Read more ... 09.15.09

Director's Announcements

25th Anniversary International von Kármán Award paid tribute to Adbul Kalam and Yannick d'Escatha

Faculty Search in Aerospace Underway

"Scientists study the world as it is; Engineers create the world that has never been." —Theodore von Kármán

The research at the Graduate Aerospace Laboratories of the California Institute of Technology (GALCIT) has evolved over the past three quarters of a century to include aerospace and biosystems engineering, however, the tradition of integrating basic experiments, theory, and simulations over a broad range of spatial and temporal scales continues to characterize our approach.

Our faculty are highly visible in their fields, and continue to garner numerous awards. Learn more by visiting our spotlight and press release pages. GALCIT contains unparalleled experimental facilities in solids, fluids, biomechanics, propulsion, combustion, and materials, as well as unique large-scale computational capabilities.

Our educational emphasis is on the fundamentals and advanced diagnostics, with a view toward the future: biomechanics, biopropulsion, micro-and nanomechanics, space science, and space technology are all current research thrusts at GALCIT. We take an interdisciplinary view of mechanics—fluids, solids, and materials—and our graduate training reflects this.

GALCIT Celebrations

Upcoming
AHS Wings Award

Past
GALCIT 80+
50 Years in Space
GALCIT 75

Culick at 75