Space Exploration
Texas A&M’s Department of Aerospace Engineering’s research facilities are among the best in the nation. These facilities include a flight simulator, wind tunnels, a continuous-flow water tunnel, several machine shops and an airport complete with a runway system and hanger. Our researchers specialize in:
Research labs and Facilities
Aero and Fluid Dynamics Lab - Othon Rediniotis - Many pressure and velocity measuring devices are available including manometers, pressure transducers, and laser Doppler anemometers. Smoke and helium bubble generators are used for flow visualization. In addition, various data acquisition and signal conditioning instruments are included in this lab.
Damping Lab - Vikram Kinra - The Damping Lab has equipment that can measure the damping properties of metal matrix composites (MMC) in a simulated space environment. The space environment is simulated with a vacuum chamber in the lab. MMC damping properties are measured by observing the vibration response of the specimen in the chamber using laser-optical techniques.
Darkroom - Tom Pollock - The darkroom can be used for both black-and-white and color processing of film and prints.
Dynamics and Control Lab - John Junkins - This laboratory is used to conduct experiments on a variety of dynamical systems. A Contraves air bearing permits one-arc-second precision pointing of various experiments. The lab has been used to develop star sensors, relative navigation sensors, robots for ground emulation of spacecraft rendezvous and docking, and to conduct vibration suppression experiments for space structures.
Flight Mechanics Lab - Jeffrey Hostetler - The Flight Mechanics Lab flight test facility is used for experimental research, flight demonstrations, and FAA certification of small to medium sized unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). This 5,000 square foot facility is located in Hanger 7046, next to the control tower at the Old Bryan Air base (83TX). Also known as the A&M Riverside, this 1,900 acre campus is located west of Bryan on Highway 21 just past the small town of Smetana. A 7,000 foot runway is retained in “active” status for UAS flight testing. Unmanned Aircraft at this lab include a modified R/C Rascal 110 airplane, a Bergen R/C helicopter, and two custom-built small Tactical Unmanned Air Vehicles (TUAV). Two manned aircraft are also maintained for chase duties: a Piper Super Cub and a Schweizer 2-32 Sailplane. The facility also includes ground-based UAS flight test equipment, an instrumented small engine test stand, and a complete workshop.
Flight Research Laboratory - William Saric - The Flight Research Laboratory The aircrafts, laboratories, offices, students, and staff of the TEES Flight Research Laboratory will be located at a hanger near the General Aviation facilities at Easterwood Airport in College Station. Directly across the street is the Wind Tunnel Complex housing the 7×10 Lowspeed Wind Tunnel, the NASA-Langley Mach 6 Quiet Tunnel, the Mach 7 Research Tunnel, and the Klebanoff/Saric Unsteady Wind Tunnel. The lab owns three aircrafts: the Cessna O-2 (military version of the Cessna 337 Skymaster) for heavy instrumentation, observation, and data transmission; the Stemme S-10 VT powered sailplane for its ultra-low disturbance environment, and high-altitude capabilities; and the Velocity XL-5 for its high-speed, pusher configuration.
General Materials Lab - Tom Pollock - The General Materials Lab is used for the evaluation and simple processing of materials. Laboratory equipment includes two screw-driven load frames (one manual, one computer-controlled); a creep frame; sample preparation and evaluation equipment, including polishing and etching equipment and an optical microscope; sample processing furnaces; and Charpy, IZOD and Rockwell hardness test capability.
Machine (Main) Shop - Rick Allen - One of the most capable machine shops on campus, incorporating a state-of-the-art Rapid Prototyping Machine and a CNC (computer driven) Vertical Machining Center. The Shop is also equipped with manual lathes, mills, and saws, and a growing selection of tooling and fixturing. One area is devoted to cutting, brazing, and welding. Another area specializes in miniaturization using small machines with high-precision travel indicators and numerous optical devices to enhance the operator’s capabilities.
The shop offers concept-to-design assistance, using CAD/CAM software including Solidworks, Autocad, and ProEngineer, to achieve the most efficient production of prototype parts or assemblies.
Materials and Testing Lab - Dimitris Lagoudas - The Materials and Testing Lab is primarily used for processing and evaluating high-temperature metal matrix composite (MMC) materials, but the lab can be used to evaluate and process a wide range of materials. Three hydraulically-based MTS load frames are available for uniaxial mechanical testing. Each load frame can be equipped with one of five furnaces used in high temperature material evaluation. A hot isostatic press (HIP) and various furnaces are available to process metal matrix composites. This lab also includes various temperature-measuring devices.
National Aerothermochemistry Lab - Rodney Bowersox - The Texas A&M University National Aerothermochemistry (TAMUNA) Laboratory is a graduate research facility founded by Professor R. Bowersox to perform leading research and to house unique facilities in support of National interests in high-speed gasdynamics, unsteady flows, and flows with thermal and chemical non-equilibrium effects. Primary sponsorship is provided by the US Air Force, Army and NASA. The laboratory is a true multidisciplinary research resource, with significant faculty involvement from both Aerospace Engineering and Chemistry. The laboratory is currently considered a National Resource by the US Air Force Office of Scientific Research.
Propulsion lab - Paul Cizmas - This lab contains a fully instrumented and working turbine engine originally designed for cruise missiles. Inlet and nozzle configurations can be changed to vary engine inlet and back pressure.
Structural Dynamics Testing Lab - Tom Pollock - The Structural Dynamics Testing Lab exists for the dynamic testing of components and assemblies. The room contains a test frame capable of handling objects up to 25 feet long and weighing up to 2,000 pounds. Equipment and instrumentation in this lab centers around dynamic testing and evaluation of structures, including various shakers, accelerometers and stain gages. This lab and its equipmenare also used for an undergraduate instrumentation lab; priority is given to this class.
Vehicle Systems and Control Laboratory - John Valasek - See http://jungfrau.tamu.edu/valasek/.
Water Tunnel Lab - Othon Rediniotis - The Water Tunnel Lab contains two water tunnels used as flow visualization tools by the Aerodynamics Lab and as a teaching aid for an undergraduate lab course. A hydrogen bubble (by water ionization), a laser light sheet and dye injection are used for flow visualization techniques in these water tunnels. This lab also contains video recording and viewing equipment to capture flow visualization data.
Wave Propagation Lab - Vikram Kinra - The Wave Propagation Lab is used for the nondestructive evaluation of adhesive joints, composites, thin coatings, multi-layered media and granular media. These materials can be evaluated to determine the anisotropic stiffness matrix, detect delamination and matrix cracking, and observe the evolution of damage in a material. Methods of non-destructive evaluation conducted in this lab include ultrasonics, using Peizo-electric devices to measure wave propagation through materials immersed in a water bath; laser optics; and thermographics, using thermal imaging equipment to track heat transfer rates through a material. Vikram Kinra - kinra@aero.tamu.edu
Centers
Spacecraft Technology Center - Magda Lagoudas - A NASA commercial space center, STC helps industry transform ideas into space-engineered hardware and assists industry in using the International Space Station, NASA Space Shuttles or other orbital platforms as testbeds for engineering and validating advanced space technology. Created under a cooperative agreement with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, the STC has low-cost access to external platforms on the ISS and the Space Shuttle.
Center for Space Power - Fred Best - The mission of the Center for Space Power is to develop technologies with industry for NASA mission needs and space-power-related commercial ventures. CSP has developed a variety of space-power-related technologies applicable to both space and terrestrial commercial activities, including specialized heat pipes, advanced battery components, novel electronic materials, digital communications algorithms and power conditioners. CSP co-funds research and provides other technical and programmatic assistance to help its industry partners achieve commercial goals.
