At Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing company, we help build the future of aerospace through more than just our aircraft and technologies. This summer, our team engaged in a variety of outreach efforts aimed at inspiring young minds, fostering a passion for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and encouraging the next generation of innovators and leaders.
Facility Tours
Students local to our Virginia, Mississippi, and West Virginia sites got to see innovation up close with behind-the-scenes tours of our facilities. Guided by resident Aurora experts, students explored cutting-edge aircraft while also seeing aircraft in action in our working airport-side hangars.
Aurora engineer James Lankford gives Virginia students a tour of the facility’s remote operations center, which was instrumental for flight tests of aircraft including our passenger air vehicle (PAV) prototype and Orion medium-altitude long-endurance UAV.
In Virginia, students got a close-up look at our SKIRON-X sUAS, witnessed the future of sustainable flight as they learned about electric and hybrid-electric aircraft, and heard from engineers about Aurora’s latest X-plane programs.
Students get a close-up look at our PAV prototype.
At our manufacturing facilities in Mississippi and West Virginia, students were given the opportunity to see the processes involved in aerosystem prototyping and production. In Mississippi, this included a tour of our manufacturing floor and Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) machine. In West Virginia students visited our Flexible Robotic Composite Manufacturing Cell (FRCMC) and got a first-hand look at the tool design process with our tooling engineers.
Tour groups included STEM summer camps affiliated with Virginia Tech, Mississippi State, East Mississippi Community College, the FAA Aviation Career Education program, and more.
Drone Lessons
In Virginia, students participated in a hands-on drone flying workshops facilitated by Aurora’s recreational drone team. The workshops started with a lesson about the four forces of flight, then students put what they learned to the test as they took turns learning to fly first-person view (FPV) quadcopters while using specialized FPV goggles to fully immerse themselves in the world of drone flying. Through these workshops, students learned about aerodynamics, flight mechanics, and drone programming.
Aurora employee Myron Zou shows a student how to fly the quadcopter. The goal is to fly the drone through the illuminated hoop.
Hands-On Airplane Design
Aurora supported the National Advocacy & STEM Summit hosted by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington with a truss-based wing building project at the Boeing headquarters in Arlington, VA. Students designed and constructed wings using truss frameworks, learning about structural engineering concepts such as load distribution and material strength. This practical project not only deepened their understanding of aerospace engineering but also promoted problem-solving and teamwork as they built their wing designs.
This interactive experience highlighted both the excitement and challenges of engineering, with one team’s wing supporting an impressive weight of fourteen AA batteries.
Students at our Virginia facility participated in some friendly competition customizing paper airplanes. Students built cardstock gliders, then worked together to redesign the airplane to make it fly farther than it did in its first test flight. Customizations included adjusting the wings and rudders and altering the weight by securing coins to the front of the airplane.
Students used engineering principles they learned in our “Four Forces of Flight” presentation to customize their gliders.
Beyond Aurora
Aurora’s global outreach efforts included engagement with middle and high school students from Africa and India. Aurora employees led an interactive virtual exploration of fundamental wing design concepts for a Boeing Future U lesson on drone wing design for high-performing high school seniors across Ethiopian provinces.
Aurora’s chapter of the Boeing Black Employees Association (BBEA) also participated in the High School Business Case Competition. This event challenged students from the Baltimore, MD area to develop business cases for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) using existing designs for UAM aircraft. Aurora employees wrote the business case scenario and judged the student presentations, providing valuable feedback and promoting a deeper understanding of aerospace business applications.
A Summer of Inspiration and Impact
Through engaging activities, facility tours, and collaborative events, we have had the opportunity to share our passion for innovation and provide valuable learning experiences to local and international students. These events would not be possible without our employee volunteers. Thank you to all employees who have contributed to these outreach initiatives, ensuring that the next generation is equipped with the knowledge, skills, and inspiration to reach new heights.
ABOUT AURORA FLIGHT SCIENCES
Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing Company, advances the future of flight by developing and applying innovations across aircraft configurations, autonomous systems, propulsion technologies, and manufacturing processes. With a passionate and agile team, Aurora delivers solutions to its customers’ toughest challenges while meeting high standards of safety and quality. Learn more at www.aurora.aero
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Contact:
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