Mission Access Granted: UCCS AIAA Students Go Behind the Scenes at Lockheed Martin Space

The UCCS AIAA Student Club embarked on an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of Lockheed Martin’s (LM) Waterton Plant on October 16, 2025. This world-class facility—headquarters of Lockheed Martin Space—is a cornerstone of aerospace innovation, where cutting-edge systems for national security, civil, and commercial missions are designed, developed, and launched toward the stars.

Twenty-five UCCS students, accompanied by Dr. Lynnane George, the AIAA student chapter faculty advisor, gained a rare glimpse into the high-tech heart of the space industry. The immersive visit provided students with firsthand exposure to the technologies and teams shaping humanity’s next frontier.

Highlights included the Collaborative Human Immersive Lab (CHIL), a virtual 3D environment where engineers refine spacecraft design and assembly through interactive simulations. The next stop was Pulsar, a state-of-the-art facility that supports military and civilian space operations through complex, multi-domain simulations and training environments. The tour concluded at the Mission Support Area, where students witnessed real-time data from active missions—such as Lucy, the spacecraft journeying to study Trojan asteroids near Jupiter—streaming in from millions of miles away. “This kind of access is invaluable for students who dream of working in the space industry,” said Dr. George. “Seeing how Lockheed Martin integrates creativity, precision, and teamwork into every mission helps connect what they learn in class to the real challenges of aerospace engineering.”

The UCCS AIAA Student Club expressed special thanks to Lisa Luedtke and Benjamin Gebhart from Lockheed Martin for coordinating this exceptional experience, which inspired students to imagine their own role in the future of space exploration.

Submitted by Dr. Lynnane George