University of Tennessee Space Institute
| Motto | per aspera ad astra |
|---|---|
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1964 |
| Endowment | US$200 million+ |
|
Officer in charge
|
Dr. Robert Moore |
|
Academic staff
|
50+ |
| Postgraduates | 100+ |
| Location | Tullahoma, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Campus | Rural |
| Website | UTSI.edu |
The University of Tennessee Space Institute, also known as UTSI, is a satellite campus of the University of Tennessee located near Tullahoma, Tennessee.
UTSI was founded to allow the University of Tennessee to take maximum academic advantage of the many advanced aerospace facilities located in the Arnold Engineering Development Center on Arnold Air Force Base, including wind tunnels and other laboratory equipment.
In recent years, enrollment has declined somewhat. A decision was made several years ago to put maximum emphasis on postgraduate study at this location so that the university would not be in effect competing with itself for undergraduate students.
UTSI was born in the aftermath of World War II and in the midst of the Cold War. The seeds that ultimately led to UTSI began in the 1930s. German aeronautical superiority resulted in German fielding of the first jet propelled aircraft and ballistic missiles, thus proving the need for research facilities devoted to the study of aeronautics and related sciences. Had the German manufacturing capability been equivalent to that of the United States, the outcome of World War II would no doubt have been different.
President Harry Truman vowed in 1951 that, "Never again will the United States ride the coattails of other countries in the progress and development of the aeronautical art."
In the wake of World War II and in the following decades, the military greatly expanded its research capabilities, creating laboratories across the country, including the construction of airplane and missile airframe and propulsion systems wind tunnels and laboratories at Tullahoma. Construction of this facility, which was to be known as Arnold Engineering Development Center, began in 1950.
It was immediately recognized that there would be difficulties in attracting scientific personnel to conduct advanced R&D, or to analyze and evaluate the results of testing in wind tunnels and engine test facilities. Numerous efforts were conducted while AEDC was under construction to develop a viable concept for an education and research institute that would exist in a collaborative relationship with AEDC. In 1952, an Institute of Flight Sciences was strongly recommended to foster graduate programs, lecture and symposia programs, and student research in the aeronautical sciences.
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