Christopher W
- Research Program Mentor
MS candidate at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Expertise
Aerospace engineering, finite element methods, Aerospace, Computational Simulations, Public Speaking
Bio
Hi there! My name is Chris Womack, I'm a second year Master's student at MIT pursuing dual degrees in Aerospace Computational Engineering and Technology and Public Policy. To me, the intersection of engineering/research and policy is the most interesting topic, as solving a problem in the lab is very different from implementing it out in the real world. Because of this, I not only research high-order finite element methods, but also the way my research is affected by and could affect policy. Only by keeping all of these factors in mind can we perform great research with the potential to change the world. Outside of the lab, I love to play video games, watch movies/TV, play intramural sports, and spend as much time as I can outside - as long as it's with my friends! I love to travel as well, and I've recently gotten into backpacking which has been such a fun experience. I'm a bit into photography as well as discussing films, and I'm happy to talk about pretty much anything (:Project ideas
Mission to Mars
The year is 2028, and just next year the very first team of astronauts is boldly going into the unknown - the first manned mission to the surface of Mars. But how are they going to get there? How long will it take? When should they leave? You'll have to figure all of this out! In this project you will develop a basic model for how a vehicle can get from Earth to Mars (and hopefully back!), figuring out some orbital mechanics, physics, and rocket science along the way. What you focus on is up to you, as this project has many avenues to explore, lending itself rather nicely to a number of optimization problems (e.g. minimum flight duration or minimum fuel burn to name two).