Aerospace Engineering Capstone

Aerospace Engineering Capstone Sequences

The experimental projects and design sequences are the primary culminating projects of the aerospace engineering curriculum. Both sequences allow students to develop technical communication skills as they work in team environments toward a shared design goal. Students will gain project management and leadership experience while applying best professional practices and ethical engineering. 

Students are required to complete Experimental Projects I and II (AEROENG 4510-4511), which provides them the opportunity to develop the skills and techniques necessary to conceive, design, implement, operate, and document an experimental project.  

Students also choose between Design of Atmospheric Flight Vehicles I and II (AEROENG 4515-4516) or Design of Space Vehicles Systems I and II (AEROENG 4517-4518) sequences to culminate their capstone experience. The design sequence prepares students for the engineering design process, research resources and tools, and develop experience with computer aided design and analysis tools. 

Students must complete the following prerequisites prior to beginning any capstone sequence: AEROENG 3522, AEROENG 3543, AEROENG 3670, and AEROENG 3580. These prerequisites will be strictly enforced and exceptions will not be made. All students are also required to complete AEROENG 4550 (Flight Vehicle Propulsion) regardless of the capstone option chosen. 

Experimental Projects I & II

Students will develop the skills and techniques necessary to conceive, design, implement, operate, and document an experimental project. Projects are industry sponsored or faculty driven. 

During the AEROENG 4510-4511 course sequence, students will:  

  • Develop critical thinking skills: formulate precise statement of motivation, hypothesis, objectives and success criteria for an experimental/computational project. 

  • Develop hands-on experience: conduct project-specific requirements for the design, fabrication, implementation, conduct, and analysis of a research experiment (e.g. mechanical design, machining, electronics, programming, instrumentation, interactions with suppliers, etc.). 

  • Develop an appreciation for computational simulation tools: verify and validate computational tools, identify code limitations, and evaluation of results 

 

 

Scott Lab
Semester 1 Semester 2
Autumn Spring
AEROENG 4510 AEROENG 4511

Design of Atmospheric Flight Vehicles I & II  

The Design of Atmospheric Flight Vehicles I and II (AEROENG 4515-4516) capstone courses provide students preliminary exposure to the design processes widely used in flight vehicle systems. Students will apply the major components to the design process for flight vehicle design and performance criteria.

All major components of flight vehicle design are considered:  

  • Flight vehicle systems and sizing 

  • Aerodynamics 

  • Structural layout and load categories 

  • Propulsion system integration 

  • Stability, control and handling qualities 

  • Flight performance  

Semester 1 Semester 2
Autumn Spring
AEROENG 4515 AEROENG 4516

  

Design of Space Vehicles Systems I & II

The Design of Space Vehicles Systems I and II (AEROENG 4517-4518) capstone courses provide students preliminary exposure to the design processes widely used in space systems. Students will apply the major components to the design process for a space mission statement.  

At the end of this design process, a spacecraft is designed that provides the payload with all its needs throughout the mission life cycle. The 6 subsystems that are an integral part of every spacecraft are:   

  • Structure of the spacecraft bus 

  • Electric power subsystem   

  • Communication subsystem   

  • Propulsion subsystem  

  • Attitude control subsystem  

  • Thermal subsystem   

Semester 1 Semester 2
Autumn Spring
AEROENG 4517 AEROENG 4518