Raymond J Sedwick
Raymond J Sedwick | |
|---|---|
| Residence | College Park, MD, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Pennsylvania State University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Known for | Fundamental Laws |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Aerospace engineering, space propulsion |
| Institutions | University of Maryland; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; AST SpaceMobile |
Raymond J. Sedwick is an American aerospace engineer and Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Maryland, where he directs the Space Power and Propulsion Laboratory. His research addresses space propulsion, orbital debris remediation, and advanced concepts in fusion confinement.
Biography
Sedwick received a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Pennsylvania State University in 1992, followed by an S.M. (1994) and a Ph.D. (1997) from the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
He remained at MIT for a decade after completing his doctorate, serving as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Space Systems Laboratory (1997–1999), a Research Scientist in Aeronautics and Astronautics (1999–2002), and subsequently as Associate Director of the Space Systems Laboratory and Principal Research Scientist (2002–2007).
In 2007 he joined the University of Maryland, initially as an Assistant Professor, being promoted to Associate Professor in 2010 and to full Professor in 2019. He is a Keystone Professor within the A. James Clark School of Engineering, Director of the Aerospace Engineering Honors Program, and Director of the University of Maryland Center for Orbital Debris Education and Research. He also serves as Chief Scientist for Space Systems at AST SpaceMobile.
Scientific contributions
Sedwick is the director of the Space Power and Propulsion Laboratory at the University of Maryland. His research encompasses orbital debris remediation, radio-frequency (RF) plasma generation for space propulsion, plasma-assisted combustion and catalyzed decomposition, ion-plume material impact damage, and novel fusion confinement concepts for space and terrestrial power applications. He is noted for early work on electromagnetic formation flight of spacecraft.
Honors
- Bepi Colombo Prize, awarded for work on electromagnetic formation flight
- National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award, for the development of compact helicon plasma sources
- Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)
- 2016 A. James Clark School of Engineering Faculty Service Award