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Stuart Garfield
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
2010 Women to Watch
MIT's Dava Newman outfits astronauts with upgraded spacesuits
By Brendan Lynch
MHT talks with Grant McGimpsey, director of the WPI Center for Neuroprosthetics
MHT's Galen Moore: N.E. firms target individual carbon footprints
MHT's Galen Moore: Cambridge Innovation Center celebrates 10th anniversary
Dava Newman
Professor of aeronautics and astronautics and engineering systems, MIT
Education: Bachelor’s degree, aerospace engineering, University of Notre Dame; Master’s degree, aeronautics & astronautics, MIT; Master’s degree, technology & policy, MIT; Ph.D., aerospace biomedical engineering, MIT
Noteworthy: Newman is working on the next generation of spacesuit for astronauts, a form-fitting “second skin” to give astronauts increased mobility, and keep them from suffering joint injuries caused by wearing the familiar, bulky spacesuit in training exercises. She is partnering with Aurora Flight Sciences Corp. on a grant from NASA on testing the suit on a robot that would simulate the joints of an astronaut.
On giving back
In her hometown of Helena, Mont., Newman helped Exploration Works, a science museum, land a $500,000 grant to host space exploration exhibits over the next four years, including visits from MIT and NASA researchers. The second year of the grant will fund an exhibit allowing visitors to experience gravity similar to that on the Moon or Mars. The third year will focus on spacesuit technology and the role of women in aerospace research.
Newman works with the Sally Ride Science Festival, which looks to expose fifth to eighth grade girls to STEM fields.
On inspiration
Newman works with the SEED Academy, an MIT outreach program, and the Cambridge Science Day, an MIT museum program. Newman didn’t have such programs when she was a girl, but got her motivation elsewhere. “I was pretty inspired by Apollo.”
Ten-year gap
Newman was disappointed last month when NASA’s Constellation program was not included in President Obama’s Fiscal 2011 budget, effectively cancelling it. Constellation included updates such as Orion, a new design for manned spacecraft, and Newman’s pressure suits.
Obama is expected to explain his plan for NASA next month. That plan is expected to include a shift to commercial spacecraft.
Newman said the decision would create a gap of about 10 years in space exploration, to the point when commercial spaceflight becomes viable. During this time, NASA would be grounded while other countries, such as Russia and China fly manned missions. She is cautiously optimistic, saying there was hope a commercial spaceflight could create opportunity, but said private spaceflight may be “an order of magnitude” more challenging.
“It’s up in the air,” she said. “The dust will settle.”
Thoughts on Newman, from Jessica Duda, senior research scientist, Aurora Flight Sciences
Duda, who took Newman’s aerospace, biomedical and life support engineering class at MIT, and worked with her at MIT’s Man Vehicle Lab, now collaborates with Newman as a colleague. Newman’s open-minded, hands-off approach empowers her students to follow through on their ideas — even off-the-wall ones — and learn on their own.
“I have never seen her say, ‘Don’t do that, it’s not going to work.’”
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