Senior Project Showcase: Missile Control Systems and the Iron Dome

The Iron Dome is a complex, all-weather defense system used by Israel to fend off enemy missiles and the like. For his Senior Project, Murphy K.’22 seeks to explain how the Iron Dome works, why it is necessary, and what drawbacks it comes with. 

Murphy has always marveled at how he could apply math and physics to create real-life, complex, and useful systems, specifically in the realm of aerospace and military defense technologies. The engineering feats and precision required to, for example, collide two missiles traveling high Mach numbers seem impossible to achieve; the mysteries of how we do fascinate him. 

Over this past month, Murphy has read, analyzed, and applied various online research papers to understand how missile control systems work. He is also in the process of contacting and interviewing scientists at MIT, Raytheon Technologies, Imperial College London, and the Department of Defense to gain a better understanding of defense in the 21st century. By the end of the project, he hopes to understand the workings of missile control systems, create a functional model of the Iron Dome system using this knowledge, and identify/understand/solve various problems with current missile systems (like the Iron Dome) to better protect civilians in populated areas.

This fall, Murphy is heading to Cornell University and plans to study engineering. To view his senior project, visit his blog here.

Contributers: Murphy K.’22, Sidharth R.’22