Former Master’s Student, Aerospace Engineering Department, NSTGRO Fellow
Hayden received his Bachelors of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of Cincinnati in 2019. In 2020, he received the NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities Fellowship. During his graduate work, Hayden worked on design and commissioning of an ultra-high vacuum facility for studying optical interactions between co-propagating laser-cooled particle beams and laser beams. The objective of this work is the development of a self-guided beamed propulsion concept for high-velocity missions to the outer planets and even the nearest star systems. After graduation in Dec 2021, Hayden joined the team at ABL space systems as a hardware development engineer.
NASA Project Description: https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/niac/2019_Phase_I_Phase_II/Self_Guided_Beamed_Propulsion/