Hahn Discusses Hypersonics Innovation on AZTechCast

The Craig M. Berge Dean of the College of Engineering and AME professor David Hahn appeared on a panel of experts discussing the importance and implications of hypersonics research on the podcast AZTechCast. Hahn appeared alongside experts from Raytheon Missiles & Defense and the U.S. Air Force Academy. AZTechCast is the official podcast of the Arizona Technology Council. 

"There are huge technical challenges of studying the aerodynamics and if materials can withstand those great frictional loads of moving through the air at five times the speed of sound," Hahn said. "So we need to build facilities to emulate and test those. And we break those into wind tunnels... As we make that air move faster and faster, the challenges of doing that become greater and greater."

Hahn explained that funding the research to overcome these challenges is often accomplished by a three-way partnership between academia, industry and government entities. In this case, the UA, Raytheon and the State of Arizona are collaborating on the UA's hypersonic wind tunnel.

Listen to the full podcast here or on YouTube.