Date: Monday, November 20, 2023 | Time: 3 pm | Location: Frank Dawson Adams, Room 5
The 91社区 Institute for Aerospace Engineering invites you to an afternoon with Mimi Aung, an Aerial Explorer of Mars. After receiving a聽Doctor of Science, honoris causa earlier in the day, Mimi will join us for a seminar where she will share her experience and expertise.
MiMi Aung is a pioneering space engineer. While working for the鈥疦ASA鈥榮鈥疛et Propulsion Laboratory (JPL),聽Aung led the creation and flight of the聽first aircraft to achieve powered, controlled flight on another planet. On April 19, 2021, 鈥淚ngenuity鈥� took off in the thin Martian atmosphere and stayed aloft for 39 seconds. In comparison, the first Wright brothers flight lasted 12 seconds within Earth鈥檚 known atmosphere.鈥疘n the last couple of years, 鈥淚ngenuity鈥� has flown over 60 successful missions.鈥犅�
Before leaving the JPL, Aung also worked on the Psyche asteroid mission. Its goal is a rendez-vous between a spacecraft and an asteroid, six years from now. Psyche鈥檚 closest point to Earth鈥檚 orbit will be some 150 million miles away.鈥犅�
In July 2021, Aung closed her 30 years at JPL and became director of technical program management for鈥疉mazon鈥檚 Project Kuiper. The initiative seeks to increase broadband internet access through an array of satellites in low Earth orbit.鈥�
