2011 Spring - WVU College of Engineering and Mineral Resources ...

COLLEGE NEWSWVU and NASA partnerto provide economic andeducational opportunitiesBy Nicole RigglemanSpring 2011 ENGINEERINGWV12Former Congressman Alan B. Mollohan andWest Virginia University President James P.Clements joined NASA officials in November todedicate the Center for the Robotic Servicing ofOrbital Space Assets.The Center, located at the West VirginiaHigh Tech Consortium in Fairmont, has beenestablished by WVU as part of a cooperativepartnership with NASA Goddard Space FlightCenter.“This project highlights three elements that havebeen key to north central West Virginia’s growingreputation as a high-tech magnet: West VirginiaUniversity’s research arm, the West VirginiaHigh Tech Consortium, and a growing NASApresence,” Mollohan said.The Robotics Center provides the academicleadership for the collaborative scientific andengineering research associated with evaluatingsensors and algorithms for autonomousrendezvous docking and small-scale contactdynamics for space robotic platforms supportingfuture Goddard-related space explorationmissions.“This is an exciting initiative, one built oncollaboration and partnerships,” said Clements.“I am very proud that our WVU faculty, students,and post-docs will be working alongsideother scientists and researchers in developingrobotic platforms for future space missions. Ittruly speaks to the high-quality education andinnovative research we are engaged in at WVU.”WVU was awarded a grant from NASA in 2010to begin establishment of the lab. The RoboticsCenter is operated by the West Virginia UniversityResearch Corp.“This is a great opportunity for the University todevelop national visibility in robotics servicingof orbiting assets in the post-shuttle era,” saidGene Cilento, Glen H. Hiner Dean of the Collegeand principal investigator for the grant. “We viewour role as part of the NASA Goddard team thatprovides out-of-the-box thinking, innovation, andindependent support for their missions, and alsotraining for the bright young scientific minds whowill go on to contribute to the continued successof NASA in the future.”•