aerospace engineering students try virtual reality device

Aerospace Engineering Research

Modern aerospace engineering encompasses so much more than simply aeronautics and astronautics. Aerospace engineering is constantly evolving and focusing on new research thrusts stretching the imagination of researchers and students alike.

Traditional Aerospace Fields of Study

The study of Aerodynamics and Propulsion develops numerical and experimental methods and takes advantage of unique facilities to create new concepts and new understanding involving the motion and control of fluid flows and combustion phenomena for applications related to aviation, space and energy conversion.

Dynamics and Control studies analytical and computational methods, autonomous stability and control, controls, design, optimization, dynamics, guidance, human factors, human space flight systems, robotic systems, space situational awareness, systems, tensegrity and unmanned air vehicles.

Materials and Structures studies computational mechanics, damping, experimental solid mechanics, mechanics of composite materials, high temperature materials, meta materials, multifunctional materials, nano-mechanics, space suit design, structural design and optimization and wave propagation.

Systems, Design and Human Integration performs research related to human spaceflight and operations. Their focus includes Extravehicular Activity suit modeling and design optimization, human factors and performance, and effects of partial or variable gravity on fluid physics, heat and mass transfer, and human physiological systems.

Featured Research

Researchers at Texas A&M University are building scents into virtual reality (VR) environments and looking at the effects of olfactory stimulation on behavioral health — specifically, how multisensory VR can support astronauts during future long-duration missions.

Texas A&M University is leading the second stage of a science mission to learn more about hypersonic flight. Aerospace engineering graduate students have had the unique experience of contributing to the unprecedented flight experiment, BOLT II.

Dr. Felipe Guzman was awarded his second Mercator Fellowship, which supports researchers who have made meaningful contributions in their field. Through the fellowship, he collaborates with researchers across institutions to advance technology that will enable quantum-based observations of Earth’s properties.