Dr. Gary Flandro
Boiling Chair of Excellence in Space Propulsion

Professor of Aerospace Engineering
Ph.D., California Institute of Technology, 1967

Dr. Flandro is the first professor to fill the million-dollar Edward J. and Carolyn P. Boling Chair of Excellence in Space Propulsion at UTSI. His research interests include acoustics, aerodynamics, rocket propulsion, flight mechanics and performance, hypersonic aerodynamics, propulsion, and vehicle design. He is the discoverer of the multi-planet "Grand Tour" mission opportunity that utilized gravity assist of the space craft (ultimately the Voyager) to explore the four major outer planets of the solar system.

Research projects include application of computational fluid dynamics methods in solid rocket motor design, nonlinear combustion instability, effects of vorticity transport in unsteady rocket flows, effects of hypersonic vehicle flight attitude on scramjet thrust vector, flow-driven pressure oscillations in large segmented rockets, and dynamics of slag motion in spinning combustion chambers.

Planned research includes: application of hybrid low- thrust systems for manned interplanetary space flight, development of efficient, low-cost hybrid rocket motor thrust chambers, flame zone physicochemistry in solid rocket instability, predictive algorithm for nonlinear rocket instability, and effects of vehicle flexibility on hypersonic vehicle integrated propulsion system performance.

Gloyer-Taylor laboratories Inc.