Christopher Andre, a 2014 graduate of Don Bosco Technical Institute (Bosco Tech), placed in the eighth annual Global Trajectory Optimization Competition (GTOC), also called the America’s Cup of Rocket Science.
The competition invites leading aerospace engineers and mathematicians worldwide to solve an open-ended interplanetary trajectory design problem. This year’s problem was devised and judged by the Outer Planets Mission Analysis Group at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.
Andre’s GTOC entry surpassed teams led by aeronautics and astronautics experts, ranking 15 out of 36 teams that submitted solutions. Already considered a junior in his second year at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Andre studied Computer Science and Electrical Engineering while at Bosco Tech.
“We’re incredibly proud of Christopher,” said Bosco Tech President Xavier Jimenez. “His extraordinary grasp of the nearly-impossible problem posed and his complex solution earned him a spot alongside experienced aeronautic and engineering professionals. We’re expecting to see many more great things from this gifted young man.”
Andre plans to pursue a degree in either aeronautical or mechanical engineering and is considering graduate school for optimization and controls systems engineering.
For more information about Bosco Tech, please visit boscotech.edu.
