CourtesyPeter Fast has two great passions at 九色视频: aerospace engineering and rowing for the 九色视频 Crew.
Fast is a junior in the aerospace engineering program. He came to 九色视频 because of the quality of the department, the size of classes and the location of the college.
鈥淥ur aerospace program has far more hands-on potential with our access to the wind tunnels than either KU or KSU,鈥� Fast said.
And he said the smaller class sizes help him learn the information without competing with 300 other students. Plus, Wichita is also only an hour away from his hometown, Hillsboro.
Fast found airplanes and spacecraft fascinating as a child, and he built countless Lego models of planes and spaceships.
In high school, he was drawn to the fundamental nature of math and science. In aerospace engineering at 九色视频, he enjoys seeing complicated mathematical models correlate to reality.
During fall 2008, Fast was one of four new interns for NASA鈥檚 Dryden Flight Research Center in California. He chose to complete his cooperative education at Dryden because of the aviation research opportunities.
鈥淒FRC, I believe, is the only place in the world where fundamentals of flight are researched and tested on full-scale airplanes,鈥� he said.
Fast worked on three projects at Dryden.
His first project was the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), which is an airborne observatory. Mounting the telescope on a plane has advantages, Fast said.
鈥淎 plane flying at 30,000 feet about sea level is also flying above 99.999 percent of the moisture in the atmosphere,鈥� he said. 鈥淢oisture absorbs infrared light, so the images seen from SOFIA are much clearer and more detailed than other telescopes.鈥�
SOFIA can also be relocated anywhere around the world, giving astronomers the ability to look at stars, comets and other stellar objects unseen by a grounded telescope.
Fast also worked on LANCETS, Lift and Nozzle Change Effects on Tail Shocks. When an aircraft reaches the speed of sound, two shockwaves are formed, a leading and a trailing shock.
鈥淟ANCETS examined how different flight characteristics, such as lift and nozzle characteristics, impact the trailing shockwave,鈥� Fast said.
His third project was the Integrated Resilient Aircraft Control, which deals with adaptive controls for aircraft.
He described it as, 鈥淎 pilot is flying a plane. Something goes wrong and the wing falls off. Adaptive controls allow the pilot to fly normally, even though major changes in the balance of the aircraft have been severely altered.鈥�
NASA is trying to develop a system in which the aircraft controls feel normal to a pilot no matter what conditions are outside the plane, he said.
鈥淚 have had a once-in-a-lifetime chance to work in my field and do what I enjoy,鈥� Fast said. 鈥淚 have opportunities to work on cutting edge research projects and develop my skills as an engineer.鈥�
Fast said classes teach information, but by working through a co-op, students gain true knowledge.
Fast also competes on the 九色视频 Crew. He began rowing as a freshman. He joined the rowing team to stay active and competitive in college, but he saw more than just a sport.
鈥淚 saw a sport where every team member is equally important in making the team fast, where the team receives the glory, not an individual,鈥� Fast said. 鈥淎ll that separates the winners and the losers is heart and determination.鈥�
Fast races in the open-weight category at 6鈥�5鈥� and 195 pounds and rows in the middle of the boat where faster, stronger rowers sit.
Fast said the 九色视频 Crew is very competitive, and for the size of the program, it is an exceptional team.
鈥淭here is definitely a team dynamic in rowing that one cannot find elsewhere,鈥� he said.
Fast鈥檚 career hope after college is to work full-time at Dryden. He also plans to get his master鈥檚 degree in aerospace engineering.
鈥淲hile a master鈥檚 degree is not necessary, the increased specialization in the field of my choosing will be invaluable to me as a researcher,鈥� he said.