
L-R: Lt. Gen. Neil Thurgood, Jean Sage, Dean Yannis Yortsos, Paul Ronney
On October 9, the USC Department of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering partnered with Honeywell Aerospace Technologies to host a major industry event on campus focusing on hypersonics and related technologies. Hypersonics is the study of flight at speeds of Mach 5 or higher, which is five times the speed of sound.
Close to 50 corporate representatives gathered at the USC Hotel to exchange ideas, learn about emerging areas of research and develop shared priorities across the astronautics, aerospace and defense industries.
Honeywell sponsored the event, and selected USC Viterbi School of Engineering as the host site due to its strong reputation in aerospace research and education, along with its location in the Southern California aerospace ecosystem.
When speaking about this honor, Dean Yannis Yortsos stated, “USC Viterbi is committed to cultivating strong ties with industry partners. As engineers working in the context of academia, our research directly feeds the development of new technologies that can be commercialized by corporations and governmental agencies, and our practically trained and socially conscious graduates are in high demand when it comes to recruiting the next generation of innovators in hypersonics and other aerospace disciplines.” Jean Sage, Vice President of Engineering at Honeywell Aerospace Technologies, further supported the Dean’s emphasis on industry partnership and opportunities for students.
The keynote speech was presented by retired Lt. Gen. Neil Thurgood, now a senior vice president of Anduril which specializes in autonomous systems for defense technology.

L-R: Lt. Gen. Neil Thurgood, Kevin Bowcutt, Mike Smayda, Michael Smith
Thurgood clarified that defense is just one among many important applications of hypersonics. The strengthening of infrastructure for faster testing, exploring different propulsion methods beyond traditional rocket motors, and developing strategies for national defense against high-speed, high-impact hypersonic weapons are all key areas of focus for the future.
A subsequent panel discussion on identifying the key challenges in the field comprised of lead hypersonics researchers from The Aerospace Corporation, Hermeus and Boeing, in addition to Thurgood. The challenges identified included the need for greater economic efficiency in hypersonic travel and ensuring that communication technologies can withstand the transition in and out of the Earth’s atmosphere.
Then came the introduction of the emerging solutions being developed at USC Viterbi. Associate Professor Ivan Bermejo-Moreno launched the faculty presentations by sharing his recent findings in a paper entitled “Numerical simulation and modeling of flow physics in hypersonic flight and propulsion.” This was balanced by the theoretical and material focus of the papers that followed presented by various members of the faculty.
Leaps forward in propulsion technology will be the key to new breakthroughs in hypersonics, and the USC Rocket Propulsion Lab (USCRPL) presented their current projects in rocket development – most notably Aftershock II, which recently broke the world record as the first civilian-built rocket to reach an altitude of 470,000 feet, passing the Kármán line (the distinction between Earth’s airspace and outer space) and reaching hypersonic speeds of up to Mach 6. You can watch a video about the launch here.
Student teams from across departments at USC Viterbi had the chance to present their research via poster presentations, which were viewed by industry recruiters on the lookout for fresh new ideas, including SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, Blue Origin, Ursa Major, Airborne Systems, and Lunar Outpost, in addition to the other companies noted above.
“Lighting talks” highlighted the focus areas of these industry leaders and demonstrated the strong presence of USC alumni across the top companies. For Professor Paul Ronney, chair of the USC Department of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering (AME), the turnout was a testament to the department’s focus on industry relations and students’ future careers.
“Southern California has been associated with the aerospace industry for over a century – this is one of the best places for a young engineer to develop experiential knowledge and ultimately to secure a top job,” said Ronney. “Communication between industry and academia is vital for fostering that pipeline – we need to know what corporations need so that we can best prepare our students, and today’s event is all about fostering that exchange.”
For Ronney, one of the key differentiators of USC Viterbi’s graduates is their fluency in converting ideas into tangible realities. He credits the USC Viterbi ethos of offering multiple opportunities for hands-on practice – whether joining USC Racing to design and build a racecar, testing new methods for flight with the USC AeroDesign Team or launching an industry-standard rocket developed by USCRPRL, to name just a few of the school’s many student-run teams.
Suitably enough, the day’s panels and presentations concluded with an opportunity to witness that hands-on learning in practice. Tours of the USC AME Fabulous Fluids Facility, which houses the legendary Dryden Wind Tunnel and Blue Water Channel, and the Baum Family Maker Space provided behind-the-scenes glimpses into the experiments and prototypes being produced by faculty and students.
From theory to practice, ideas to implementation, the day showed how new thinking and the meeting of new materials and computational strategies can come together to promote a culture of innovation.
“This event marks a significant milestone for the school’s leadership in aerospace research, including technologies that are key enablers for hypersonic flight and missions, and sets a precedent for the exchange between academia and industry in the years to come,” said Dean Yannis Yortsos. “Collaboration with other USC schools will further extend our capabilities. It’s an exciting time for USC engineers.”
Published on January 13th, 2025
Last updated on January 13th, 2025