Highest Honor Bestowed to Busek's Founder for
Contributions to the Field of Electric Propulsion in Space
NATICK,
Mass., July 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr.
Vlad Hruby, an electric propulsion
pioneer who founded Busek Co. Inc. in 1985, has been awarded the
2024 Stuhlinger Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Electric
Propulsion. Presented to him at the 38th International Electric
Propulsion Conference in Toulouse,
France, the Stuhlinger Medal is the highest honor in the
field of electric propulsion for spacecraft.
Through Dr. Hruby's scientific leadership at Busek, 100s of
satellites in space are equipped with Busek's electric thrusters,
including those for the US Air Force, the US Space Force, NASA's
Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the European Space Agency, NASA,
OneWeb Satellites, and numerous others.
Since 2005, the Stuhlinger Medal has been bestowed biennially by
the Electric Rocket Propulsion Society (ERPS), the main
professional society in the field of electric propulsion, to
persons who have made outstanding contributions to the science,
technology, and development of electric propulsion. In becoming the
Medal's 20th recipient, Dr. Hruby solidifies Busek's longstanding
position as a leader and center of excellence in the space
industry.
In nomination letters, some of the best academic and strategic
minds in aerospace noted that Dr. Hruby's work has enabled missions
for US national security assets, international astrophysics
demonstrations, and lunar and planetary science missions, adding
unanimously that they can think of no more worthy scientist or
engineer for the Stuhlinger Medal than Dr. Hruby. For nearly four
decades, Dr. Hruby pushed electric propulsion from theory to
application, and in the process, Busek has become an
internationally recognized supplier of innovative, high performing,
and high-production-rate spacecraft propulsion systems.
Dr. Hruby is the primary inventor or co-inventor on 16 awarded
patents and author or co-author of over 100 published scientific
reports. He is the creator of the first US-built Hall Effect
thruster flow in-space, the first electrospray thrusters
demonstrated in space, micro-pulsed plasma thrusters, and lead
research towards adopting numerous propellants for spaceflight. His
contributions have been previously recognized with other
commendations, including engineering awards from the American
Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the Joint Army
Navy NASA Air Force (JANNAF) Outstanding Achievement in Spacecraft
Propulsion, the NASA Achievement Award for Outstanding Performance,
and the NASA Exceptional Public Achievement Medal. In 2018, he was
named an AIAA Fellow in recognition of his extraordinary
innovations in the development of propulsion systems for precise
spatial and attitude control of spacecraft. In 2020, he was
formally recognized by the Massachusetts House of Representatives for "35
years of Achievement in Engineering, Science and Spacecraft
Propulsion".
About Busek Co. Inc.: Busek builds the future of space by
engaging in applied research, hardware development, and specialty
manufacturing in space propulsion, emphasizing electric propulsion,
power electronics and material science. They are a leading source
for advanced electric propulsion thrusters for use on military,
government, and commercial satellites. To learn more about
Dr. Hruby and his work at Busek, visit www.busek.com.
About the Electric Rocket Propulsion Society (ERPS): ERPS
increases awareness of the research, development, and applications
of electric propulsion systems and related technologies. For more
information about ERPS, visit https://electricrocket.org/.
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dr-vlad-hruby-awarded-2024-stuhlinger-medal-in-electric-propulsion-302196879.html
SOURCE Busek Co. Inc.