Space Technology
The goal of industrial utilization and exploration of space requires that one addresses a wide range of engineering problems. Examples of research activities include lightweight structures for large space apertures (specifically, space solar power satellites), deployable antennas, in-space manufacturing, material and structural behavior in extreme temperature and radiation environments, spacecraft shielding against hypervelocity impact threats, locomotion in planetary atmospheres, hypersonic reentry into planetary atmospheres, in-space propulsion, spacecraft autonomy, ranging from spacecraft swarms to perception-driven navigation systems to robotic satellite assembly, autonomous guidance, navigation, and control, micropropulsion electrospray arrays for attitude control and precision pointing, and launch-vehicle performance and safety. Opportunities exist for research in collaboration with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Faculty
Joanna Austin
Professor of Aerospace
Soon-Jo Chung
Bren Professor of Control and Dynamical Systems; Jet Propulsion Laboratory Senior Research Scientist
Paul E. Dimotakis
John K. Northrop Professor of Aeronautics and Professor of Applied Physics
Sergio Pellegrino
Joyce and Kent Kresa Professor of Aerospace and Civil Engineering; Jet Propulsion Laboratory Senior Research Scientist; Co-Director, Space-Based Solar Power Project
Sandra M. Troian
Professor of Applied Physics, Aeronautics, and Mechanical Engineering