John Junkins, a 1965 graduate in aerospace engineering, has been elected to the prestigious National Academy of Engineering (NAE). Presently on the faculty of Texas A&M University where he holds the George J. Eppright Chair, Junkins is an expert in guidance, navigation, and control of spacecraft. He was honored by the academy for his contributions to spacecraft flight mechanics and vehicle control.
Junkins joins William Gates, founder of Microsoft, and 76 others as the academy's class of '96, according to Harold Liebowitz, NAE president . At Texas A&M since 1985, Junkins held previous academic appointments at the University of Virginia and Virginia Polytechnic Institute.
In 1980, he developed a method for using the earth's magnetic field to change the pointing direction of a satellite in minimum time. His ideas have been implemented successfully on many space missions. He is widely recognized for his scholarship, with more than 300 publications, including three books.
He recently established the Alumni Excellence Scholarship for undergraduates in aerospace engineering at Auburn, and serves on the Aerospace Engineering Advisory Council. He was also recognized as the outstanding aerospace engineering alumnus in 1991.
The Academy conducts studies on issues of national significance and is frequently called upon by congress and the NSF to make recommendations on matters pertaining to the engineering profession, education, research, technology transfer, and national policy.
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