The initiative brings together some of the most influential publications in the history of propulsion science, selected from nearly a century of archival literature published by AIAA and its predecessor societies. The collection spans the period from 1930 to 2026 and includes papers recognised for their scientific relevance, disciplinary impact, and historical significance.
Among the selected works, there is a 2010 paper co-authored by researchers from the Space Propulsion Laboratory (SPLab) of the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology (DAER) at Politecnico di Milano. The paper is the only Italian contribution included in the collection, highlighting the international visibility and scientific quality of the research carried out at the Department in the field of space propulsion.
The authors are the former generation of the Space Propulsion research group of Politecnico di Milano (prof. L.T. De Luca, prof. Galfetti and Mr. Giovanni Colombo), and includes Filippo Maggi, who at the time was a postdoctoral researcher at DAER and is now head of the Space Propulsion research group at Politecnico di Milano. The recognition confirms the long-term impact of the research developed within SPLab, a laboratory that since 1976 has been devoted to fundamental and applied combustion studies of energetic materials and thermochemical propulsion systems.
Over the decades, SPLab and DAER researchers have contributed to advancing knowledge in several strategic areas of aerospace engineering, including thermochemical propulsion, combustion physics, fluid dynamics, energetic materials, and space access technologies. Their work combines theoretical modelling, experimental activity, and collaboration with international academic institutions, space agencies, and industry partners.
The inclusion of the 2010 paper in the AIAA centennial collection represents an important achievement for the authors involved and a recognition of the broader contribution of Politecnico di Milano to the international aerospace research community, reinforcing the role of DAER as a reference academic centre in aerospace science and technology in Europe.
More information:
AIAA Collection: A Century of Rocketry
Microstructure Effects in Aluminized Solid Rocket Propellants | Journal of Propulsion and Power
