The 15th Ablation Workshop was held at New Mexico State University (NMSU), bringing together researchers, engineers, and students from around the world to discuss aerothermodynamics and ablation. The event attracted 112 participants, with most attendees coming from the United States and others traveling from France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Italy, and Japan. The group included students, government employees, academics, and industry representatives.
The workshop began on November 27 with a mixer and registration at the NMSU golf course. Dr. Jay Misra, Associate Dean for Research at the NMSU College of Engineering, led the official sessions on November 28. That day featured twelve presentations across four technical sessions covering current research results, modeling approaches, experimental progress, and challenges in applying techniques to new aerospace needs. Attendees also visited Spaceport America for a tour of its facilities.
On November 29, sixteen more presentations were delivered in four additional technical sessions. A poster session allowed participants to share their work and receive feedback. The day concluded with a gala dinner at the Farm and Ranch Museum featuring performances by NMSU Mariachi and Folklorico Dancers. Dr. David Jauregui, Dean of the NMSU College of Engineering, addressed attendees: "Thank you for your contributions." He highlighted the importance of the workshop to advancements in this field.
During the dinner event, Drs. Martin, Jauregui, and Torres-Herrador presented a commemorative plaque to Dr. Nagi Mansour—recently retired Chief Division Scientist at NASA Ames Research Center—in recognition of significant contributions to hypersonics and ablation research.
The final day included an International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) session at NMSU’s Physical Science Laboratory where seven presentations focused on ITAR-related topics for researchers working in sensitive areas.
According to organizers, over four days of presentations, posters, site visits, and networking activities helped build international connections and strengthen national collaboration within this scientific community.
Looking ahead, NMSU will host the next edition of this workshop as well. "The New Mexico Consortium is proud to have been a cosponsor of the 15th Ablation Workshop," stated representatives from the organization.
