Lt Col Robert B. MacDermott, PhD

Assistant Professor of Astronautical Engineering

• Bio Home
• Publications
• Research
  Research Interests Expertise
• Teaching Interests
  Courses

BS, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, Purdue University, 2005; MS, Aeronautical Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, 2012; MS, Management, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide, 2013; PhD, Astronautical Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, 2021. Lt Col MacDermott serves as the Deputy Director of the Applied Research Center for Hypersonics. In 2024 he was named the Air Force Research Laboratory Endowed Term Chair for Nuclear Systems Technology. As the AFRL Endowed Term Chair for Nuclear Systems Technology, Lt Col MacDermott’s research interest include experiment and computational investigations of hypersonic phenomena.  He is a member of Tau Beta Pi and AIAA. 

Education

BS, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, Purdue University, 2005

MS, Aeronautical Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, 2012

MS, Management, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide, 2013

PhD, Astronautical Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, 2021

Publications

Journal Articles

• Bonavita, A., Zollars, M., MacDermott, R., and Crowe, D., “Trajectory Optimization Via Direct Collocation Methods of Boost-Glide Vehicle with Newtonian Aerodynamic Model,” AIAA Journal of Aircraft, Vol 64, Issue online (pre-publication), pp. 1-14, 2025 https://doi.org/10.2514/1.C038065  

•  MacDermott, R., Mueschke, N., Macha, J., Roy, S., and Jiang, N., “Ballistic Range Experimental Results of Radiating Wakes of Spheres at Mach 10,” Applied Optics, Vol 64, Issue 16, pp. D59-D68, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.546959  

•  Kauffman, A., MacDermott, R., Crowe, D., and Eymann, T., “Cavity Flow Analysis of a Novel Cavity Design for Store Separation.” Journal of Defense Research and Engineering, Vol 8, Issue 1, pp. 34-43, 2025

• Neal, C., and MacDermott, R., “(U) Computation Analysis of Infrared Radiative Emissions from a Slender Hypersonic Vehicle and Wake along a Notational Trajectory.” Journal of Defense Research and Engineering, Vol 7, Issue 3, pp. 29-38, 2024

• MacDermott, R., Temme, N., Morgan, R., and McIntyre, T., “A Computational Analysis of Hypersonic Carbon-Carbon Ablation in Representative-Wake Expansion Regions,” JANNAF Journal of Propulsion and Energetics, Vol 13, Issue 1, 2023

• MacDermott, R., Greendyke, R., and Johnston, C., “Computational Analysis of the Radiative Emission of a Slender Ablating Hypersonic Vehicle and Wake,” Journal of Defense Research and Engineering, Vol 5, Issue 2, pp. 252-262, 2022

• MacDermott, R., Greendyke, R., Temme, N., Morgan, R., and McIntyre, T., “An Experimental Analysis of Hypersonic Carbon-Carbon Ablation in Representative-Wake Expansion Regions,” JANNAF Journal of Propulsion and Energetics, Vol 12, Issue 1, 2021

Conference Presentations with Accompanying Pape

• Vande Griend, J., Caudill, K., MacDermott, R., Borghetti, B, Franz, A., and Young, S., “Attitude Reconstruction Using Deep Learning Applied to Optical Sensor Data,” 41st Exhaust Plume and Signatures Meeting (JANNAF), 2026-0001ET, Spokane, WA, 26-30 January 2026 

•  MacDermott, R., “Numerical Simulation of the Experimental Results of Chemically Reaching Wakes of Hypersonic Spheres.” 35th International Symposium on Shock Waves, Brisbane, Australia, 5-14 July 2025 

• MacDermott, R., Mueschke, N., Macha, J., Roy, S., and Naibo, J., “Laser Based Three-Dimensional Imaging of a Hypersonic Sphere’s Chemically Reacting Wake.” Optica Sensing Congress, Toulouse, France, 15-19 July 2024

• Caudill, K, Young, S., Senseman, B., and MacDermott, R., “(U) High Fidelity Target Simulation in ASSET,” 40th Exhaust Plume and Signatures Meeting (JANNAF), Salt Lake City, UT, December 2023

• MacDermott, R., Mueschke, N., Macha, J., Roy, S., and Naibo, J., “Hypersonic Free-Flight Testing and Instrumentation Development for Assessing High Enthalpy Wake Chemistry Effects.” 40th Exhaust Plume and Signatures Meeting (JANNAF), 2023-0004ND, Salt Lake City, UT, December 2023

• Khan, N., Zollars, M., & MacDermott, R., “Hypersonic Trajectory Optimization via Direct Collocation Methods”, IEEE Big Sky Conference, Big Sky, MT, 2023

• MacDermott, R., Temme, N., Morgan, R., and McIntyre, T., “Computational Analysis of Hypersonic Carbon-Carbon Ablation in Representative-Wake Expansion Regions,” 39th Exhaust Plume and Signatures Meeting (JANNAF), 2022-0002FQ, Newport News, VA, June 2022

• MacDermott, R., “(U) Computational Analysis and Spatial Distribution of the Radiative Emissions of a Slender Ablating Hypersonic Vehicle and Wake Across Selected EM Band,” 39th Exhaust Plume and Signatures Meeting (JANNAF), 2022-0002FV, Newport News, VA, June 2022

• MacDermott, R., Greendyke, R., Temme, N., Morgan, R., and McIntyre, T., “Experimental Analysis of Hypersonic Carbon-Carbon Ablation in Representative-Wake Expansion Regions,” 38^th Exhaust Plume and Signatures Meeting (JANNAF), 2020-0006N, Virtual Meeting, December 2020

• MacDermott, R., and Greendyke, R., “Experimental Analysis of Gas-Surface Interactions with Ablating Material,” 2020 National Space and Missile Materials Symposium, Virtual Meeting, June 2020