Infinite Dreams
After an all too brief break in the Fort Walton Beach area once I got back from MDRS, the Spring 2007 semester began. I thought last semester was going to be the busiest semester of my entire college career. I thought wrong.
Instead of New Years Resolutions, I have elected to write a "Goals for Spring 2007" list in hopes that I will make sure I learn certain skills, certain events happens, and my life improves. Here is that list as it appears on Myspace and Facebook:
GOALS FOR SPRING 2007:
1)Get a 4.0 GPA.
2)Get at least 3 publications.
3)Have a LOT more fun.
4)Develop and better maintain relationships with friends.
5)Figure out what to do over the summer.
6)Go skiing and do triple black diamonds.
7)Have an awesome Skate Night with Elements.
8)Have an awesome Yuri's Night with SEDS.
9)Improve the AIAA Rocket's Program.
10)Learn to say no to people.
11)Take the GRE and do well enough to get into MIT.
12)Play with fire more.
13)Read at least three of the books I haven't read since high school.
14)Build a Hybrid Rocket.
15)Learn to be awesome at guitar, including:
-Learn 1 awesome Iron Maiden solo
-Learn 5 good sing-a-longs
-Learn the intro from the movie Desperado
Every single day is filled with a lot of the same, but the sheer magnitude of everything makes this life interesting even if it's not relaxing. Here's a thorough rundown of my academics and activities for this semester:
CLASSES: I'm taking Matrix and Linear Algebra, Stellar Astrophysics, Design of Aerospace Experiments, Low-Speed Aerodynamics, and Discrete Control of Aerospace Vehicles, which is otherwise known as Mechatronics. For some reason it's still hard to tell how I will do in my classes. I still have not had an assignment in two of them, and in another we only have a midterm and a final. The only classes giving me feedback are my non-engineering classes, Linear Algebra and Astrophysics.
I've been scared to take Matrix and Linear Algebra ever since a person I knew in high school who was far more intelligent than I was dropped the class because it was so difficult. I put it off and even took Applications of Complex Variable first because I thought it would be the easier of the two extra courses required for a Math minor. I was dead wrong. This class is only difficult because of the precise notation and proof style the instructor likes. Everything else I learned in Modeling Methods and Algebra II. So far, the only thing I've learned is a few definitions. I got a 94 on the first test and I've been acing the quizzes we've been given. This class is the least of my problems this semester.
Stellar Astrophysics is a bit tricky. I've learned a lot of what is being covered in Physics III and Solar System Astronomy, but the professor makes everything a little trickier and more realistic by making us convert any number into something else. For instance, she wanted a distance to a star in light years, when the equation we needed to use output in parsecs. It's the little things that will trip me up.
Low-Speed Aerodynamics is my worst class by far, mainly because it meets at 7:30am three days a week. I've had the professor before in an easier class, but aerodynamics is a fundamental field in aerospace engineering, so I expected to be challenged much more. We'll see how it gets later in the semester, but for now I still hate waking up.
Design of Aerospace Experiments is essentially Measurements II with half the lab reports, and they are all group labs rather than solo. The only downside to this class is that the professor is also my boss, so if he doesn't see me in class he'll know for sure I skipped. I have a nice lab group composed of mainly SEDS members that I know, and I've been talking with Damion about putting together a liquid-propelled rocket team for Senior Design in Fall 2007. Most of the experiments we do involve the on-campus wind tunnel, so it's nice to use a piece of equipment we'll see in the real world (even if it is a low-Reynolds number producing machine).
So far, my favorite class has been Discrete Control of Aerospace Vehicles. The lecture portion is rather boring because the instructor simply reads from the slides, but in the lab we build and program LEGO robots from the LEGO Mindstorms sets. It's so much better than Feedback Control even though it uses a lot of the same concepts because we get to build our own system, have fun with it, the labs and lab reports aren't NEARLY as structured or formal as the Feedback Labs were, and they are all also group labs so the work is divided. Today, we added a spoiler and a giant swinging flail to our touch-sensitive car just because it would be funny, and the lab TA said he would give us creativity points.
Even though I don't start Senior Design until the Fall, a friend of mine and I are planning on building a liquid-fueled rocket. We're still trying to figure out who we can get as an advisor because no one at UCF has built a liquid rocket, and because there are no liquid rocket competitions and no companies need a 100lb-force rocket for anything, we won't be able to get funding very easily. However, it's the challenge that is important to me, so if all goes well I will have worked will all three types of rocket fuel, solid, liquid, and hybrid.
WORK: I'm still working for Dr. Petersen on the Flamespeed Project. Now that the first several test fires have been done on methane at 1 atm, we are now entering the vast world of Flamespeed science. If you ever want to feel insignificant (or, consequentally, happy that you have a life), go to your campus library and look for any journals like Combustion and Flame, Proceedings from the Combustion Institute, or Progress in Energy and Combustion Science. People spend their lives researching how fast flames expand, and despite the fact I'm currently in the same field, I think that's pretty sad.
Right now I'm working on a paper that I'll present at the AIAA Regional Student Conference in early May. I'm comparing the flamespeed rig we built to other rigs and experiments that have been conducted around the world over the past 20 years, and it's quite amazing how I've built something that contends with other researchers' vessels. We were also working on a few other publications, so my 3 publications by the end of the semester goal is already done.
I'm still doing the volunteer Physics tutoring thing for about 5 hours a week, but I'm getting more involved with TASK, the tutoring club, and Mrs. Wright wants to interview me for some article in some publication. I'll have more details on that later because I just found out today. Ever since I printed off a huge excess of personal business cards I've been using them to my advantage to set up private tutoring on the weekends and nights. So far I've got quite a racket going, and it's hard to not let the money-making interfere with classes and ther important commitments I have. Hopefully all those volunteer hours will finally pay off with the engineering and alumni scholarships I applied for.
CLUBS: Everything is in full swing. Hip Hop Month is March, so it will be a busy time for Elements. SEDS is involved with yet another conference that I am the webmaster for, which was formerly run by the Cape Canaveral Technological Society (or something like that), but now SEDS and the Orbital Commerce Project are taking it over (OCP was the flight simulator group at the SEDS conference back in November). AIAA is busy with their conference (that I'm presenting the Flamespeed stuff at) and a slew of other events (airshows, Young Eagles, barbecues, etc.). Project Daedalus is currently at a standstill until we get manage to get some corporate sponsors, but we did score a $2000 grant to build a 150 N*s miniature hybrid rocket, so plans for that will be underway soon.
OTHER SPACE STUFF: I applied for the International Space University's Summer Session Program, which will be held in Beijing, China. If I get accepted (and that's still a HUUGE if), I'll need to raise about $25,000 to cover tuition, travel, and spending money (because I'm not going all the way to China without picking up a few weapons and oriental outfits), so even if there is hope within the university, there is even less hope financially. My MDRS commander said she would try to help me get some scholarships and other funding, but it looks like it would still be a pretty long shot.
I also put in my applications for the Space Generation Congress, and I will register for the International Astronautical Congress. Bother events will be held in Hyderbad, India around the last week in September. Last year I couldn't make the IAC because I had some exams, but this year I'm making time for the conference because it makes the whole trip so much more worth it.
Assuming I don't go to China, I have plenty of other options to keep me occupied over the summer. I'd still work for Dr. Petersen doing research, and I could easily get an internship with Harris or better yet the Orbital Commerce Project (they will be training private astronaut pilots for future flights to space! Only $350,000 for the entire training program!).
I was also asked to play a leading role in a Star Wars fan-fiction film to be shot over the summer. Despite it being the nerdiest thing I'll ever do, I'm probably going to do it if I'm in town. Auditions are Sunday.
This will probably be the last big update for a while, simply because of the sheer load of work I have (especially since I've written this over the course of the week and even before that). Mini-updates might be posted, but for now this blog has served its purpose as a medium for my adventures in flight school, Spain, and on Mars. If anything more interesting happens in 2007, it will be posted here. However, from the looks of it, 2007 will definitely surpass 2006. I guarantee it.
Instead of New Years Resolutions, I have elected to write a "Goals for Spring 2007" list in hopes that I will make sure I learn certain skills, certain events happens, and my life improves. Here is that list as it appears on Myspace and Facebook:
GOALS FOR SPRING 2007:
1)Get a 4.0 GPA.
2)Get at least 3 publications.
3)Have a LOT more fun.
4)Develop and better maintain relationships with friends.
5)Figure out what to do over the summer.
6)Go skiing and do triple black diamonds.
7)Have an awesome Skate Night with Elements.
8)Have an awesome Yuri's Night with SEDS.
9)Improve the AIAA Rocket's Program.
10)Learn to say no to people.
11)Take the GRE and do well enough to get into MIT.
12)Play with fire more.
13)Read at least three of the books I haven't read since high school.
14)Build a Hybrid Rocket.
15)Learn to be awesome at guitar, including:
-Learn 1 awesome Iron Maiden solo
-Learn 5 good sing-a-longs
-Learn the intro from the movie Desperado
Every single day is filled with a lot of the same, but the sheer magnitude of everything makes this life interesting even if it's not relaxing. Here's a thorough rundown of my academics and activities for this semester:
CLASSES: I'm taking Matrix and Linear Algebra, Stellar Astrophysics, Design of Aerospace Experiments, Low-Speed Aerodynamics, and Discrete Control of Aerospace Vehicles, which is otherwise known as Mechatronics. For some reason it's still hard to tell how I will do in my classes. I still have not had an assignment in two of them, and in another we only have a midterm and a final. The only classes giving me feedback are my non-engineering classes, Linear Algebra and Astrophysics.
I've been scared to take Matrix and Linear Algebra ever since a person I knew in high school who was far more intelligent than I was dropped the class because it was so difficult. I put it off and even took Applications of Complex Variable first because I thought it would be the easier of the two extra courses required for a Math minor. I was dead wrong. This class is only difficult because of the precise notation and proof style the instructor likes. Everything else I learned in Modeling Methods and Algebra II. So far, the only thing I've learned is a few definitions. I got a 94 on the first test and I've been acing the quizzes we've been given. This class is the least of my problems this semester.
Stellar Astrophysics is a bit tricky. I've learned a lot of what is being covered in Physics III and Solar System Astronomy, but the professor makes everything a little trickier and more realistic by making us convert any number into something else. For instance, she wanted a distance to a star in light years, when the equation we needed to use output in parsecs. It's the little things that will trip me up.
Low-Speed Aerodynamics is my worst class by far, mainly because it meets at 7:30am three days a week. I've had the professor before in an easier class, but aerodynamics is a fundamental field in aerospace engineering, so I expected to be challenged much more. We'll see how it gets later in the semester, but for now I still hate waking up.
Design of Aerospace Experiments is essentially Measurements II with half the lab reports, and they are all group labs rather than solo. The only downside to this class is that the professor is also my boss, so if he doesn't see me in class he'll know for sure I skipped. I have a nice lab group composed of mainly SEDS members that I know, and I've been talking with Damion about putting together a liquid-propelled rocket team for Senior Design in Fall 2007. Most of the experiments we do involve the on-campus wind tunnel, so it's nice to use a piece of equipment we'll see in the real world (even if it is a low-Reynolds number producing machine).
So far, my favorite class has been Discrete Control of Aerospace Vehicles. The lecture portion is rather boring because the instructor simply reads from the slides, but in the lab we build and program LEGO robots from the LEGO Mindstorms sets. It's so much better than Feedback Control even though it uses a lot of the same concepts because we get to build our own system, have fun with it, the labs and lab reports aren't NEARLY as structured or formal as the Feedback Labs were, and they are all also group labs so the work is divided. Today, we added a spoiler and a giant swinging flail to our touch-sensitive car just because it would be funny, and the lab TA said he would give us creativity points.
Even though I don't start Senior Design until the Fall, a friend of mine and I are planning on building a liquid-fueled rocket. We're still trying to figure out who we can get as an advisor because no one at UCF has built a liquid rocket, and because there are no liquid rocket competitions and no companies need a 100lb-force rocket for anything, we won't be able to get funding very easily. However, it's the challenge that is important to me, so if all goes well I will have worked will all three types of rocket fuel, solid, liquid, and hybrid.
WORK: I'm still working for Dr. Petersen on the Flamespeed Project. Now that the first several test fires have been done on methane at 1 atm, we are now entering the vast world of Flamespeed science. If you ever want to feel insignificant (or, consequentally, happy that you have a life), go to your campus library and look for any journals like Combustion and Flame, Proceedings from the Combustion Institute, or Progress in Energy and Combustion Science. People spend their lives researching how fast flames expand, and despite the fact I'm currently in the same field, I think that's pretty sad.
Right now I'm working on a paper that I'll present at the AIAA Regional Student Conference in early May. I'm comparing the flamespeed rig we built to other rigs and experiments that have been conducted around the world over the past 20 years, and it's quite amazing how I've built something that contends with other researchers' vessels. We were also working on a few other publications, so my 3 publications by the end of the semester goal is already done.
I'm still doing the volunteer Physics tutoring thing for about 5 hours a week, but I'm getting more involved with TASK, the tutoring club, and Mrs. Wright wants to interview me for some article in some publication. I'll have more details on that later because I just found out today. Ever since I printed off a huge excess of personal business cards I've been using them to my advantage to set up private tutoring on the weekends and nights. So far I've got quite a racket going, and it's hard to not let the money-making interfere with classes and ther important commitments I have. Hopefully all those volunteer hours will finally pay off with the engineering and alumni scholarships I applied for.
CLUBS: Everything is in full swing. Hip Hop Month is March, so it will be a busy time for Elements. SEDS is involved with yet another conference that I am the webmaster for, which was formerly run by the Cape Canaveral Technological Society (or something like that), but now SEDS and the Orbital Commerce Project are taking it over (OCP was the flight simulator group at the SEDS conference back in November). AIAA is busy with their conference (that I'm presenting the Flamespeed stuff at) and a slew of other events (airshows, Young Eagles, barbecues, etc.). Project Daedalus is currently at a standstill until we get manage to get some corporate sponsors, but we did score a $2000 grant to build a 150 N*s miniature hybrid rocket, so plans for that will be underway soon.
OTHER SPACE STUFF: I applied for the International Space University's Summer Session Program, which will be held in Beijing, China. If I get accepted (and that's still a HUUGE if), I'll need to raise about $25,000 to cover tuition, travel, and spending money (because I'm not going all the way to China without picking up a few weapons and oriental outfits), so even if there is hope within the university, there is even less hope financially. My MDRS commander said she would try to help me get some scholarships and other funding, but it looks like it would still be a pretty long shot.
I also put in my applications for the Space Generation Congress, and I will register for the International Astronautical Congress. Bother events will be held in Hyderbad, India around the last week in September. Last year I couldn't make the IAC because I had some exams, but this year I'm making time for the conference because it makes the whole trip so much more worth it.
Assuming I don't go to China, I have plenty of other options to keep me occupied over the summer. I'd still work for Dr. Petersen doing research, and I could easily get an internship with Harris or better yet the Orbital Commerce Project (they will be training private astronaut pilots for future flights to space! Only $350,000 for the entire training program!).
I was also asked to play a leading role in a Star Wars fan-fiction film to be shot over the summer. Despite it being the nerdiest thing I'll ever do, I'm probably going to do it if I'm in town. Auditions are Sunday.
This will probably be the last big update for a while, simply because of the sheer load of work I have (especially since I've written this over the course of the week and even before that). Mini-updates might be posted, but for now this blog has served its purpose as a medium for my adventures in flight school, Spain, and on Mars. If anything more interesting happens in 2007, it will be posted here. However, from the looks of it, 2007 will definitely surpass 2006. I guarantee it.
posted by Benacor at 3:35 PM
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