The aerospace engineering program in the department of mechanical and aerospace engineering offers comprehensive graduate education in a number of areas. Aerodynamics, gas dynamics, hypersonics, aerospace system design, aerospace propulsion, aerospace structures, plasma aerospace applications, multidisciplinary optimization, and flight dynamics and control are the major areas of emphasis. A wide variety of interdisciplinary programs meeting specific objectives are available. The aerospace engineering program offers the master of science and doctor of philosophy degrees. The department also offers several graduate certificate programs in both aerospace engineering and mechanical engineering. Details of certificate programs can be found under the mechanical engineering program listing.
Typical examples of research activities are: analysis and design of composite structures, structural acoustics, aeroacoustics, smart structures, active and passive vibration control, optimization of systems based on structural dynamics or structural performance, astrodynamics, guidance and control of aircraft and missiles, robust multivariable control, microsatellite design, fabrication, and test, neural network architecture for control, estimation theory, real-time flight simulation, non-equilibrium shock wave structure, propulsion research with emphasis on how fuel variables influence combustion, atomization of liquid fuels in supersonic flow, flame stability in combustion systems, scramjet and supersonic combustion scramjet studies, computational fluid dynamics, laser interaction problems, free turbulent mixing, unsteady high angle of attack flow configurations, computer simulation of separated flows, low-speed and high-speed aerodynamics, aerodynamics of high-lift devices, aerospace system design, and viscous effects in transonic flows.
The mechanical and aerospace engineering department has many well equipped laboratories located on the main campus, and a subsonic-flow laboratory in an off-campus facility. Some of the specially equipped laboratories on campus include: a supersonic-flow laboratory with a Mach 4 blow-down wind tunnel, a hot-wire anemometer system, a Schlieren system; an airflow test facility; an acoustics and vibration laboratory; a laser diagnostics laboratory equipped with state-of-the-art lasers to conduct experiments related to aerodynamics and combustion; a composite materials testing laboratory with state-of-the-art material testing system; low velocity impact facility and high speed photography equipment; and extensive computer facilities including a personal computer laboratory, advanced computer graphics laboratory, computer learning center with engineering work stations. The flight simulator program at Missouri S&T incorporates a fixed-base real-time flight simulator without-the-window display.