About Joshua Fitch

Education

I am currently a Junior at Purdue University pursuing a Bachelors in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (AAE). I hope to attend graduate school and would like to specialize in applications of small satellites for interplanetary exploration. Some of my specific research interests include swarm and formation flying spacecraft, advanced Guidance, Navigation, & Controls methods, and artifical intelligence applications to astronautics.

Hobbies

While Purdue AAE can be time consuming and stressful, I still try and make time for the things I enjoy. I am an avid reader of science fiction, and I am currently on the 7th book of the Expanse Series by James Corey. Some of my favorite books/series include the Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov, The Martian by Andy Weir, Cosmos by Carl Sagan, and Chasing New Horizons by Alan Stern and David Grinspoon.

Aside from reading, I love rock climbing (specifically bouldering), hiking, and running. Really anything that gets me active and outdoors. It can be a great way to take the mind off of the stress of school.

Dreams and Aspirations

I have always dreamed of becoming an Astronaut. That dream molded me into the man I am today and helped me make many important decisions throughout my life. Over the years, that dream has changed and transformed into a broader goal of contributing to the exploration of the universe and expanding humanities prescense in the solar system. While I would I still love to go into space one day, I now understand how many different contributions it will take to truly push humanity out into the solar system. My ideal career path would involve working in the space industry, contributing to a company developing unique and exciting ways to develop space. In the long term, I would like to return to Academia and contribute to teaching the next generation of engineers and scientists along with developing novel research.