4/8/2013 Written by Susan Mumm
Written by Written by Susan Mumm
AE Prof. Bruce A. Conway is the 2009 recipient of the Dirk Brouwer Award, presented by the Space Flight Mechanics Committee of the American Astronautical Society (AAS).
As the honoree, Conway will deliver the plenary lecture at the Winter Space Flight Mechanics meeting February 14-18 in San Diego. His topic will be “The Choices Available to Space Trajectory Optimizers.” In addition to discussing the various methods, Conway will examine how they can be synergistically combined to yield more robust and efficient optimizers.
Conway’s research interests are primarily orbital mechanics, optimal control, and improved methods for the numerical solution of problems in optimization. His recent work has been in the application of optimal control theory to determine optimal low-thrust trajectories for travel from Earth to Mars, from Earth to the Moon, and from Earth to intercept a dangerous asteroid. Another focus has been the application of new numerical methods for the solution of “differential games” problems, including optimization of fighter vs. fighter air combat. Furthermore, he and his students have worked on the development of evolutionary methods (especially genetic algorithms) for the solution of “hybrid” optimal control problems arising in space mission planning.
Established in 1972, the Brouwer Awardhonors significant technical contributions to space flight mechanics and astrodynamics. The award recognizes Brouwer’s outstanding role in celestial mechanics and widespread influence on workers in space flight and astrodynamics. Brouwer was an inspiring leader in the field of celestial mechanics during a period that saw a revival and flowering of that discipline, from its purely academic and esoteric role to one of widespread development and application in man’s exploration of space.
Conway is AE’s veteran active faculty member, having begun his career at Illinois in 1980. He has been well recognized for his teaching skills, with honors including the 2007 University of Illinois Urbana Campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching; the 2007 College of Engineering Teaching Excellence Award; the 2006 College of Engineering Everitt Award for Teaching Excellence; and the 2005 College of Engineering Rose Award for Teaching Excellence. Conway has been cited for 58 courses on the List of Teachers Ranked Excellent by Their Students, and numerous times has received the Department’s Teacher of the Year Award from the local student chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).
Conway is an Associate Fellow and member of the AIAA, and is a member of the institute’s Division of Dynamical Astronomy. Conway is also a member of the AAS.
Conway earned a BA in physics from Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1973, and a MS in mechanics from the University of Minnesota in 1974. He earned his PhD in aeronautics and astronautics from Stanford University in 1981.