Dr. Hartl recently joined a team of department heads and other faculty members on an invited visit to the SpaceX Boca Chica/Starbase site, which is the main testing and production location for Starship Launch Vehicles and the headquarters of the company. The visit was made possible in part by Robert Shotwell ‘95, a Former Student of the Texas A&M Engineering Aerospace Department and husband of SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell.
The faculty visitors pose with their Aggie engineering hosts and Robert Shotwell ’95 after observing final assembly of two Starships.
The purpose of the visit was to demonstrate real-world aerospace design, manufacturing, and testing challenges to a team of engineering educators across disciplines and to discuss potential new student experiences that could better prepare them for jobs at the technological frontier. The faculty members were able to tour the factory floor, observe the rocket stacking process, and visit the two SpaceX launch pads near the manufacturing facility. Throughout the visit, former Aggie students accompanied the guests and provided their own commentary on the compatibility between their academic training and professional responsibilities.
After the visit, the faculty team met to discuss lessons learned and plans for continuous improvement based on their experiences with one of the most important and dynamic aerospace companies on earth.
During the direct flight from College Station to Brownsville, Dr. Hartl captured this aerial photo of the South Texas coastline and the home where he grew up.