John Schmisseur; H.H. Arnold Chair, B.H. Goethert Professor and director of the HORIZON program at the University of Tennessee Space Institute (UTSI), hosted a three day workshop entitled, “Hypersonic Technology Maturation & Transition,” on the UTSI campus from March 26^th to the 28^th which brought together scientists and engineers from Lockheed Martin and 13 academic institutions.  With the increasing importance of Hypersonic systems – vehicles capable of flying more than five times the speed of sound – in our plans for national defense, the development of such systems is the top DoD research and development priority.  Lockheed Martin is the prime developer for the majority of new hypersonic systems for the DoD and the academic institutions participating in the event, including Georgia Tech, Purdue, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, and a number of others, represent some of the leading national universities with hypersonic research capabilities.  The intended outcome of the workshop is a research consortium led by UTSI teaming Lockheed Martin with the participating academic partners that will fast-track innovative new research and future employees to opportunities at Lockheed Martin.  The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development recognizes Aerospace & Defense as one of the major drivers of the Tennessee economy, and with both nationally-relevant research capabilities and proximity to major federal research centers at the Arnold Engineering Development Complex and in Huntsville, UTSI is well-positioned to lead national efforts with significant statewide impact.

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