MISSION TO PLANET EARTH

THE PAST 15 YEARS HAVE SHOWN US that there is far less “fiction” in science fiction than we could have imagined even as recently as the 1990s, when we figured we had already seen it all.

Since then, we’ve learned that progress is boundless and inevitable, difficult to keep up with, even for those of us whose job it is to stay on top of it all. That’s why every year we tap into the crystal ball of contributor Ahmed K. Noor, who serves, among other duties, as the director of the Center for Advanced Engineering Environments at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va. Noor and his team never cease to inspire our imaginations with answers to questions we didn’t imagine we had.

In this issue, he offers descriptions of virtual worlds able to study exoplanets (those orbiting stars beyond our solar system), and other environments that play like the images on a video game but are so advanced they unlock solutions to profound engineering problems in the real world. One of the most exciting is the use of virtual environments across globally distributed engineering teams for use as immersive and interactive platforms for concurrent design projects, virtual prototyping, manufacturing, and training.

It is no coincidence that a celebration of virtual environments often leads to a conversation of space exploration, a topic of lasting interest inspiring the imagination. Just a few weeks ago NASA initiated a rocket crash on the moon’s surface in a study looking for the presence of water, thus perhaps laying the groundwork for lunar stations that could serve as gateways to other planets.

This month, ASME celebrates the legacy and the future of space exploration with a special keynote event at the 2009 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition in Florida. The three Apollo 11 astronauts will be awarded the prestigious ASME President’s Award. Astronaut Thomas “Ken” Mattingly, who played a pivotal role in safely returning the Apollo 13 astronauts to Earth, will be the featured speaker. Also, John “Danny” Olivas, an ASME member and astronaut who returned recently from the STS-128 mission to the International Space Station aboard Space Shuttle Discovery, is scheduled to present to ASME a commemorative Society patch he took with him and returned to Earth.

As ASME celebrates the great explorations of space, it is also pursuing its own mission, a mission to planet Earth. The Board of Governors challenged the organization to be a leading voice in the critical discussions in the areas of energy, engineering workforce development, and global impact, especially as it relates to improving the lives of humankind and in the spread of global codes and standards. The Board outlines its plans in a white paper appearing in this issue.

As tools designed for virtual applications are developed to solve engineering problems and to undertake endeavors of spatial proportions, the Society too is developing its tools and infrastructure for its mission. It is counting on your involvement.

—John G. Falcioni, Editor-in-Chief
He can be reached by e-mail at falcionij@asme.org