The OWN Low Speed Wind Tunnel (OWN LSWT) at Texas A&M University hosted the 45th International Subsonic Aerodynamic Testing Association (SATA) conference from June 7th running through June 12.

The OWN Low Speed Wind Tunnel is a part of the Department of Aerospace Engineering and the Texas Engineering Experiment Station (TEES).

Engineers from Asia, Europe, South Africa and North America met to exchange knowledge, ideas and processes used for the operation and maintenance of Low Speed Wind Tunnels. The conference included presentations by the various representatives as well as tours of A&M laboratory and testing facilities.

SATA started in 1965 and the OWN LSWT is a charter member. The OWN LSWT, which was built in the mid 1940s, last hosted the conference in 1983. An upgrade on the tunnel was started in the late 50s and it opened in its current state in 1960. The main parts of the wind tunnel have not changed, but all the controls and data acquisition have been modernized to state of the art technology.

The LSWT is in the center of the new wind tunnel complex, which supports research by faculty and students in aerospace. Low Speed Wind Tunnels are used to test the aerodynamic characteristics of objects and were started mainly as a tool for airplane design. They still fill this role, but have expanded to test spacecraft, missiles, cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, oil platforms, buildings, outdoor structures and even golf clubs and golf balls.