Space and aviation leaders attend Purdue reunion

Purdue University brought together space and aviation alumni, friends and industry leaders to exchange ideas and celebrate achievements as part of the first-of-its-kind Space and Aviation Alumni Reunion on Nov. 6-7.

Industry partners including Rolls-Royce, Boeing and SpaceX joined Purdue leaders and professors to discuss the current climate and future potential in space and aviation.

The event was preceded by the William E. Boeing Distinguished Lecture Series featuring Sebastien Vigneron, CEO of Wisk Aero. Vigneron discussed his company’s vision for accessible and sustainable advanced air mobility for everyday commuters, including the development of the first autonomous electric vertical takeoff and landing air taxi.

Attendees from industry and academia including UP.Partners, King’s Queue Design, Auburn University and Textron Aviation joined in discussions across a range of groundbreaking topics in space and aviation innovation during the reunion’s second day.

Among the talks were a lunch and fireside chat with Purdue President Mung Chiang and Purdue alumnus Bill Gerstenmaier, vice president of build and flight reliability at SpaceX, at Purdue University Airport’s Hangar 5.

The day was also highlighted by panel discussions on the future of space operations, aviation sustainability, and aircraft and power plants. Brandon Abel, a flight test captain for United Airlines and freelance test pilot, spoke to the group about aviation automation and autonomy through a test pilot’s lens.

The reunion was presented in partnership with the College of Engineering and Purdue Polytechnic Institute.