ASM 2016 - AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting

The interdisciplinary nature of aerospace engineering has contributed to tremendous research advances that have inspired new and novel industrial applications. Some of the innovative developments of aerospace technologies in recent times include new shock wave assisted applications in the realm of medicine, drug delivery systems, biotechnology, and manufacturing, space solar power systems, energy storage systems, fuels cells, use of supercomputers, development of transdisciplinary computational techniques, and cryogenic applications. The carbon fiber based composites used as heat shield material during reentry are today used to manufacture cost-effective artificial limbs for people with physical disabilities. The manufacturing techniques specially developed for machining components for aerospace applications have been instrumental in the development of innovative heat exchanger systems for ground-based applications.