Mentored by GT-AE professor Dr. Mitchell Walker (no relation), Jonathan Walker presented  "Electrical Facility Effects on Hall Effect Thrusters: Electron Termination," based on a paper he co-authored with Dr. Walker and others.

"This investigation experiementally quantifies the impact of observed in-flight behavior on the Hall Current Thruster [HCT] plume in a ground based testing environment," wrote the younger Walker, a graduate research assistant.

JANNAF focuses on the technology, development, and production capabilities for all types of propulsion systems and energetics for tactical, strategic and missile defense rockets and missiles, for space boost and orbit transfer, for in-space propulsion, and for gun systems. The June conference brought together government agencies, industry partners, and academic researchers  to present and discuss the nation's leading issues regarding propulsion related technologies.

"Presenting at JANNAF means that Georgia Tech aerospace researchers are working on state-of-the-art technologies and are tackling the most relevant problems facing propulsion community," noted Dr. Walker, who heads up theHigh-Powered Electric Propulsion (HPEP) lab. 

"It is considered a great privilege and honor for a graduate student to present at such a conference."

In addition to Dr. Walker and graduate student Jonathan Walker, the co-authors on this paper are: Samuel J. Langendorf, a GT-AE graduate student; Vadim Khayms (Lockheed Martin Space Systems); and David King & Peter Peterson (Aerojet Rocketdyne).