Air Force Institute of Technology donates item to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
The Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) donated the Rigidizable Inflatable Get‐Away‐Special Experiment (RIGEX) to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force on April 11, 2014. RIGEX was an experiment designed by AFIT students to study the behavior of structures built using rigidizable/inflatable technology. RIGEX was flown on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 2008 and was successfully tested in a near zero gravity environment. The RIGEX unit will be used in a museum display to highlight the Air Force role in space science, and in particular, to illustrate how the USAF teaches and uses Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) , or "STEM," concepts. From left to right are Dr. Jonathan Black, Associate Professor-AFIT; Dr. Rich Cobb, Associate Professor-AFIT; Dr. Doug Lantry, Museum Curator; Dr. Todd Stewart, AFIT Chancellor; and Melissa Shaw, Museum Curator. (U.S. Air Force Photo)