Corral Contributing to $100M Hypersonic Consortium

The University of Arizona is involved in a  $100 million award from the U.S. Department of Defense to establish a national University Consortium for Applied Hypersonics. More than 60 member universities – including 11 leadership institutions – will work with government agencies, laboratories and industry to accelerate research and technology for hypersonic flight.

MSE associate professor Erica Corral, also a member of the university's BIO5 Institute, is serving on the initiative's governance board and technical leadership team. Corral, an expert in thermal protection systems, materials and manufacturing, also heads a consortium cross-functional team in manufacturing and serves as deputy director for industry and national laboratory engagement.

"The University of Arizona has significant representation on the consortium," Corral said. "In fact, more than 12 faculty members from across the College of Engineering are contributing members." 

In addition to the University of Arizona, lead institutions for initial operations include Texas A&M, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Minnesota, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Tennessee Space Institute, Morgan State University, California Institute of Technology, Purdue University, University of California, Los Angeles, and Georgia Institute of Technology.

"This is fantastic news," said David W. Hahn, Craig M. Berge Dean of the college. "The work is aligned with the university's strategic research areas and the college's strengths in materials for extreme environments and aerothermodynamics. It puts us in a leadership position to help shape the future of applied hypersonic research and workforce development."