establish an AEDC graduate study program for center employees, using office and classroom space provided by the Air Force. Dr. Joel F. Bailey was the initial director of the UT effort, followed by Dr. Robert L. Young. The year 1958 sent a new shock wave throughout the world when the Soviet Union orbited the Sputnik satellite. In the aftermath of this event, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration was formed. NASA initially considered absorbing AEDC, but ultimately decided to leave it with the Air Force. However, the need for space education was severely felt at AEDC, just as throughout the rest of the military and at NASA. Few academic institutions offered engineering or refresher courses in space technology at the time. Dr. B.H. Goethert seized upon this national need and proposed to the Air Force and the State of Tennessee that a "Tennessee Aerospace Institute" be located near AEDC. As a result of Dr. Goethert’s proposal, the University of Tennessee Space Institute was finally established in 1964. UTSI played a unique role of vital importance to the US Air Force. It was founded in the wake of two technological revolutions – the development of the airplane and the development of the rocket. In the years following 1964, UTSI’s faculty, students, and alumni have played critical roles in the furthering of American technological superiority in aeronautics and space arenas. UTSI continues to collaborate with AEDC to support present day Air Force pursuits. UTSI is currently supporting the development of modern hypersonic systems with multiple federally supported research activities in the area. This research primarily focuses on experimental and computational aspects of high-speed aerothermodynamics, and makes use of the proximity of UTSI to aerospace entities in Huntsville, AL and AEDC. In 2022, UTSI employees celebrated service awards not only for 2021, but also for 2019 and 2020. Relationship with Knoxville campus Since UTSI is part of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, students enrolled at the Space Institute are granted degrees from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Furthermore, the two campuses share courses via virtual connection. The majority of faculty at UTSI are in the Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering department. UTSI is also home to many of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville's experimental aerospace testing platforms, including the following: A Mach 2 Blowdown Tunnel (8" x 8" Test-Section) A Mach 2.3 Blowdown Tunnel (6" x 6" Test-Section) A Mach 4 Ludwieg Tube (24" x 24"