December 21, 2021 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has selected Olivier L. de Weck, Apollo Program Professor of Astronautics and Engineering Systems at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and an AIAA Fellow, as its new editor-in-chief for the Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets (JSR). He succeeds Professor Hanspeter Schaub of the University of Colorado Boulder, who has served as editor-in-chief for JSR since 2017. De Weck, the 11th editor-in-chief for JSR, will begin this new role in January 2022.
The AIAA Publications Committee oversees the search and selection effort for new editors-in-chief. This year’s search committee was led by Dr. Jacqueline A. O’Connor, Pennsylvania State University, Publications Committee member. De Weck was chosen from among a group of highly qualified candidates.
“The field of spacecraft engineering and astronautics is more dynamic today than it has ever been with novel technologies, methods, launches, and mission concepts emerging daily. JSR is a trusted source of truth for the industry. It is a great honor to have been chosen as its next editor,” said de Weck.
De Weck holds a Master of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics and a Ph.D. in Aerospace Systems from MIT. As a professor at MIT, he serves as co-director of the MIT Small Satellite Center and faculty co-director of the Bernard M. Gordon-MIT Engineering Leadership (MIT GEL) Program and the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program (MIT UPOP). His research interests include systems engineering, astronautics and space logistics, and multidisciplinary design optimization. He studies how new technologies and designs enable the creation of complex systems such as vehicles, missions, and industrial ecosystems, how they evolve, and how they can be optimized over time. He also is the co-founder of Intelligent Action, Inc., and was also senior vice president for Technology Planning and Roadmapping at Airbus (2017-2018).
De Weck previously held positions as an associate editor of JSR (2007-2012) and as the editor-in-chief of Wiley’s INCOSE journal Systems Engineering (2013-2018). He has authored or co-authored four books and over 400 scholarly publications, and won 13 best paper awards since 2004. His book Engineering Systems: Meeting Human Needs in a Complex Technological World was the 2012 bestseller at the MIT Press. De Weck’s past honors include the Capers and Marion McDonald Award for Excellence in Mentoring and Advising and the MIT Teaching with Digital Technology Award.
JSR is devoted to reporting advancements in the science and technology associated with spacecraft and tactical and strategic missile systems, including subsystems, applications, missions, environmental interactions, and space sciences.
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Media Contact: Rebecca B. Gray, RebeccaG@AIAA.org, 804-397-5270 cell
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The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit www.aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
