Professor Emeritus

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Biographical Sketch

Research

Aerospace vehicle dynamics, guidance, and control.

Education

• B.S. Aeronautics & Astronautics, Purdue University, 1965.
• M.S. Aerospace Engineering, University of Southern California, 1968.
• Ph.D. Aeronautics & Astronautics, Purdue University, 1972.

Academic Appointments

• Professor, Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics, Purdue University, 1974-88.
• Professor, Department of mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Arizona State University, 1988-93.
• Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Maryland, 1993-99.
• Professor, Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, 1999-2006.
• Professor Emeritus, Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, 2006-present.
• Director, Aerospace Research Center, Arizona State University, 1990-93.
• Director, Flight Dynamics and Control Laboratory, University of Maryland, 1995-99.
• Director, Flight Dynamics and Control Laboratory, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, 1999-present.
• Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, 2001-05.
• Dean of the Graduate School, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, 2001-05.

Other Professional Appointments

• Member of the Technical Staff, McDonnell-Douglas Missiles and Space Corp., Santa Monica, CA, 1965-69.
• Member of the Technical Staff, Stanford Research Institute, Menlo Park, CA, 1972-74.

Honors and Awards

• Fellow, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).
• Recipient, AIAA National Award for Mechanics and Control of Flight.

On-Site Short Course

A two-day short course, Flight Dynamics of Rigid and Elastic Vehicles, is available for on-site delivery. This course has been offered previously at several NASA centers and aerospace firms. For more information, please e-mail .

Book Published

Schmidt, David K., "Modern Flight Dynamics," McGraw-Hill, 2011.

Recent Publications

1. Schmidt, D.K., "An Undergraduate-Student Autonomous Video-Surveillance UAV Project", Presented at the International Federation for Automatic Control (IFAC) Aerospace Control Conference, Toulouse, France, June, 2007.
2. Schmidt, D.K., "Dynamic Modeling, Control, and Station-Keeping Guidance of a Large, High-Altitude "Near-Space" Airship", Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, Vol. 30, No. 2, Mar.-Apr., 2007.
3. Schmidt, D.K., Stevens, J., and Roney, J., "Station-Keeping Performance of a Large, High-Altitude Notional Airship", AIAA Journal of Aircraft, Mar-Apr. 2007.
4. Mitchell, D, Schmidt, D.K., et al, "Evolution, Revolution, and Challenges in Handling Qualities Research", Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, Vol. 27, No. 1, Jan-Feb, 2004.
5. Coil, J. and Schmidt, D.K., "Disposing of Objects in Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit by Atmospheric Reentry", Proceedings of the AAS Astrodynamics Conference, Paper No. 04-179, Maui, Hawaii, Feb., 2004
6. Schmidt, D. K. and Raney, D.L., "Modeling and Simulation of Flexible Flight Vehicles" Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, Vol. 24, No. 3, May-June, 2001.
7. Gardner, J. and Schmidt, D.K., "Minimum-Time Reorientation of a Gyroscopic Device", Proceedings of the AIAA Astrodynamics Conference, Monterey, CA, August, 2002.