Introduction

This edition of the Journal of Aerospace Operations has been dedicated to the memory ofDr. Hernando Jimenez, a brilliant, headstrong, and inspiring aerospace engineer who coordinated the writing, editing, and production of the Journal before he passed away in October 2016. A native of Colombia, Hernando made his second home in the labs and classrooms of the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering where he earned three degrees. Surrounded by some of the best minds in the field, he never missed an opportunity to challenge his colleagues – to laugh more, think smarter, and act with vision. His indomitable spirit still lingers in the Aerospace Systems Design Lab, where he spent more than 10 years – first, as my student, then as my valued colleague.

Few are the students who can follow the path that Hernando created for himself: rising up from student, to teacher, to mentor. He was all of those things, with the potential for so much more. The following pages are testimony to that legacy – full of boundless ambition and incisive intelligence. Hernando will be missed immensely by his friends, his colleagues, and the aerospace engineering community.