Lipscomb alumnus Blake Anderton: collision course with success
Chris Pepple |
photo by Susan Altman/UAH
An asteroid remains on a collision course with Earth. An anxious nation struggles to prepare for the disastrous effects. Do we build caves to save as many people as possible? Do we send nuclear weapons into space to destroy the asteroid before it reaches our world?
Lipscomb alumnus Blake Anderton (’04) hopes to offer us much better solutions. In kindergarten, Anderton learned about Halley’s Comet and hoped to hitch a ride on it one day. “The fascination with the physical universe has driven me ever since then,” states Anderton. “As I became interested in applying benefits of ultrafast laser technology to existing problems in various fields, I remember hearing about the close pass of an asteroid in 2004 and how it could potentially destroy all life in a region the size of England when it comes by again in 2029. I was not pleased with the large uncertainties (one day it’s an Earth-threat, the next day it’s not?), the suddenness of the situation (discovery in 2004 of a likely impact in 2029?), or the leading proposals for mitigation techniques (sending up a massive spaceship that relies on its own gravity to pull the asteroid away?). I set out to determine how suitable ultrafast laser radiation could be used in providing long range asteroid detection as well as a controllable deflection strategy.”
To sum up his research, Anderton works toward developing a plan to put a mirror on the moon which will shine laser lights on asteroids to determine their size and distance from the Earth. Once detected, lasers can possibly be used to push the asteroid enough so that it never collides with Earth. His research found that a space-based laser radar could detect asteroids at a maximum range 10 times that of existing Earth-based radar sensors. Furthermore, laser deflection could alter the trajectory of Earth’s most immediate asteroid threat for an illumination time of less than a year. “I hope my work brings attention to the asteroid threat and inspires others to study this topic to the extent that I may soon compete with them in racing to develop such a laser application,” states Anderton. Though this research is outside the scope of his job, both his current employer (Raytheon) and the University of Alabama in Huntsville support his work in this area.
Anderton, a Moulton, Ala., native, graduated from Lipscomb University in 2004 with a double major in physics and mechanical engineering and a minor in applied mathematics. He graduated with a master's in science from University of Alabama in Huntsville in 2006, majoring in electrical engineering (with electro-optical emphasis) and minoring in mathematics.
After receiving his master’s degree, Anderton began working as a systems engineer at Raytheon. “As a systems engineer, I’m responsible for making sure all the pieces of a system function well individually as well as function well when integrated with other pieces of the system,” comments Anderton. “So far, I’ve worked on analyzing performance data taken from computer simulations of radars used in the National Missile Defense and now am working on research-and-development work involving electro-optical and laser sensors that fit on helicopters for detecting and characterizing enemy fire.”
Raytheon recently moved Anderton from Alabama to Texas. “I was selected as a member of Raytheon’s Rotational Engineering Leadership Development Program, providing executive level training and cross-functional learning opportunities in leadership,” Anderton explains. “This selective 2-year program seeks new hires with recently-completed graduate degrees in order to provide exposure to different geographical locations, to different business units within the corporation and to different functional roles.”
Anderton appreciates the strong foundation Lipscomb provided to help him launch his research and his career with Raytheon. “One of our corporate themes at Raytheon is to take ownership of your work by making it personal, and I feel that our faculty at Lipscomb lived that value every day. I never felt like another face in the crowd and was always told to respect the potential significance of what I was learning and doing. In short, Lipscomb’s faculty taught me how best to think and learn, and especially how to do both quickly. I think the most important principle I learned at Lipscomb was to take initiative. I feel Lipscomb provided me with a unique skill set appropriate not just for challenges I face now, but also for challenges that lie ahead.”
A lot lies ahead for Anderton. Along with continued success in his research and career at Raytheon, he may inspire a new series of movies. “The next movie will probably be about mad scientists deflecting asteroids into the path of Earth,” Anderton jokes.