Student teams tackle real-world challenges with innovative aerospace solutions

Our graduating seniors didn't just complete their capstone projects this year — they tackled real-world challenges that could reshape how we approach flight, space exploration, and debris monitoring. From wind tunnel innovations to rocket engines that fired successfully on the first try, these teams demonstrated the kind of bold thinking and technical excellence that defines the UW aerospace engineering experience.

Technical excellence reaches new frontiers

This year's capstone program produced achievements that pushed the boundaries of what's possible in aerospace engineering education, with two teams earning top recognition for their exceptional work.

Capstone Technical Excellence Award: SARP Orbital Transfer Vehicle Thruster Prototype

Building on the student rocket organization's foundation, these students designed and manufactured a professional-grade regenerative bi-propellant rocket engine for use as in-space transportation to deliver payloads from its original launch vehicle in LEO to their required orbit. They created industry-standard test procedures rigorous enough to earn UW approval for a hot fire test right in our department.

The result? The engine fired successfully on the first attempt. It's the culmination of months of professional-grade analysis, computer-aided design, and manufacturing — plus the kind of engineering ethics and attention to detail that defines aerospace success.

Congratulations to team members Ethan Armstrong, Xavier Beech, Paige Carter, Connor Fallot, Brendan Hodgson, Andrew Moore, Brendan Mullins, Davis Ryan, Jacob Sawyer, Jonathan Sehmel, Lachlan Stewart, Matt Theo, and Connor Thompson and to industry mentor Thomas Terreau from Aerojet Rocketdyne.

Capstone Innovation Award: Boeing SSA - Space Debris Monitoring Constellation

This team didn't just design one satellite — they tackled an entire constellation of cubesats while simultaneously prototyping sensor systems to detect space debris. Think of it as advanced orbital mechanics combined with cutting-edge optics theory, all focused on addressing one of space exploration's most pressing challenges. While their prototype revealed the real complexities of debris detection, their conceptual design work provides a solid foundation for future missions.

Congratulations to team members Kiaan Akbarpour, Claire Fisher, Francisco Flores-Martinez, Kathryn Guttormsen, Marco Jawili, Warren Lee, Oliver Lohrentz, Avery Mortimore, Celia Perez, Rohail Tariq, and Jack Van Loben Sels and our industry mentors at Boeing.

Film Festival winners showcase creative communications and technical skills

Beyond technical achievement, our students proved they could communicate complex engineering concepts with style and clarity. The annual Capstone Film Fest showcased all nine teams presenting their projects through engaging videos, with two teams earning special recognition from both peers and our judges panel.

Best in Show: Vortex Lab

This team earned Best in Show honors for its video on developing and testing an active strake system that adjusts airflow during flight. Using sophisticated wind tunnel testing on a scale model they developed of a Boeing 737-800 wing, they created a pneumatic system that dynamically optimizes lift and drag coefficients whether an aircraft is cruising, taking off, or landing. It's the kind of adaptive technology that could transform how future aircraft perform across different flight conditions and reduce potential conditions for stall.

Congratulations to team members Hugh Carbrey, Cade Homfeldt, Alexander Maldonado, Matthew Aludares, Paul Snyder, Fiona Spitzley and Aaron Wu and mentors from the Vortex Lab Giovanni Nino and Professor Bob Breidenthal.

People’s Choice: AeroTEC KWT

This team took home the People's Choice Award for their playful video covering their project on a wind tunnel test model of a Cessna. The team designed and built a low-cost, low-fidelity model for the Kirsten Wind Tunnel that delivers stability, control, and performance data within 10% of traditional results. Their solution demonstrates how smart engineering can make advanced testing more accessible without sacrificing accuracy.

Congratulations to team members Kai Bristol, Jasper Geldenbott, Benjamin Hlavsa, Carlee Magner, Osvaldo Monroy, Thong Phan, Lucas Vos, and Duncan Weiner and industry project mentor Todd Leighton from AeroTEC.

Where innovation meets impact

The award winners emerged from an exceptional field of nine teams, each addressing critical challenges in aerospace engineering. The remaining five teams delivered equally impressive solutions that demonstrate the breadth and ambition of this year's capstone program.

• AeroTEC Phase III

  This team refurbished the University of Washington's 2011 UAV to create an advanced structural health monitoring system using high-frequency strain gauges synchronized with telemetry. Their work delivers machine learning-ready datasets to train AeroTEC's algorithms while meeting all FAA safety standards.

• Supersonic

  Students designed a commercial supersonic aircraft concept achieving Mach 1.6 cruise speed with a 4,800 nautical mile range. Their aerodynamically optimized design meets FAA requirements while addressing noise regulations and air traffic integration.

• LMCO

  This team evaluated an innovative lunar coilgun system designed to launch 6,000 kg capsules from the Moon's South Pole with remarkable precision. The system integrates superconducting electromagnetics and specialized cooling to create sustainable infrastructure for lunar resource transportation.

• KWT QWSS

  The team modernized the Kirsten Wind Tunnel's aging Quantitative Wake Survey System with new motors, drivers, and control software. The upgraded system maintains 0.2-inch positional accuracy and uses EtherCAT protocols for reliable high-speed data collection.

• JPL HS3

  Students worked with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to adapt enterprise-level mission planning software for smaller student missions like the UW’s HuskySat-3 mission. Their work created a simulation framework for HuskySat-3 to confirm lunar lava tube locations that could serve as natural storm shelters.

These projects represent more than academic exercises — they're solutions to real challenges facing the aerospace industry, developed by students who've learned to think like professional engineers while still pushing creative boundaries. Whether it's making wind tunnel testing more cost-effective, developing adaptive flight systems, addressing space debris concerns, or successfully firing rocket engines on campus, these teams show what's possible when curiosity meets determination.

Congratulations to all our capstone teams for a year of exceptional work and thank you to Professor Alvar Saenz Otero for all of his work with these teams.