Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences

Located in the beautiful city of Boulder, the University of Colorado's Aerospace Engineering Sciences department is home to 37 tenure track, research, and instructional faculty, over 200 graduate students and 400 undergraduates. Our vibrant community of engineers and scientists tackle challenges in aerospace technology and science, focusing on Astrodynamics & Satellite Navigation Systems, Vehicle Systems, Bioastronautics, Structures & Material Systems, and Remote Sensing, Earth & Space Sciences.
CU-Boulder's Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences is nationally known for teaching and research that address both challenges and opportunities facing the aerospace profession. Students work extensively on challenging, hands-on experiments in the Integrated Teaching and Learning Laboratory and design projects alongside expert faculty in the department's world-class research centers. CU aerospace alumni are working at top companies and research labs, including the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Johnson Space Center, The Boeing Company, and Lockheed Martin.
Mission Statement
We conduct world-class research and education programs devoted to the conception, design and utilization of aircraft and spacecraft systems that serve the aerospace needs of our 21st-century society.
Distinguishing Characteristics of our Department
Our Department is uniquely characterized by a blend of aeronautics, astronautics and science applications.
In our graduate education and research programs, we emphasize forefront aerospace technology development and the integration of engineering and science activities to solve critical problems in the earth and space sciences.
We provide an undergraduate experience characterized by rigorous preparation in mathematics and the engineering sciences, a hands-on experiential approach to learning, and an extensive emphasis on design in a systems context.
Our graduates are broadly educated, interdisciplinary, agile, team-oriented engineers and scientists with end-to-end mission and systems perspectives.
In the News
Fall 2009
CUSEDS Wins National Board 2008-2009 Chapter of the Year Award
University of Colorado's Boulder Chapter of Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (CUSEDS) won the highly contested chapter of the year (2008-2009) award at the November 14, 2009 national conference called SpaceVision in Tucson, AZ. CUSEDS is advised by Prof David Klaus of the Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences. See www.seds.org
Aerospace Grad Students Create Pac-Man Roomba Game
See Boulder Daily Camera's second top story on 11-11-09 at http://www.dailycamera.com/ to discover how Aerospace graduate students Jack Elston, Maciej Stachura and Cory Dixon used the Unmanned Aerial System software suite they had developed to program robotic vacuum cleaners for a life-size mechanical game of Pac-Man.
Nicholas Pedatella Wins Student Poster Competition
Doctoral Candidate Nicholas Pedtella (advised by Prof Kristine Larson) won the student poster competition at the 4th COSMIC Data Users Workshop, held in Boulder the last week of October.
Bruce Davis Wins Student Paper Competition
Graduate Student Bruce Davis (advised by Prof Mahmoud Hussein) won second place in the Biennial Conference on Mechanical Vibration and Noise Student Paper Competition, held this year in San Diego at the ASME IDETC conference. His paper's title is "A three-dimensional lumped parameter model of nanoscale phononic crystals".
Kristina Wang Receives SWE Collegiate Member Award
Aerospace BS/MS candidate Kristine Wang received the Society of Women Engineer's highest national award for a collegiate member in Chicago, on October 16, 2009. "Kristina Wang's technical skills, enthusiasm and outstanding volunteer work have made her a valuable collegiate leader,” says Nora Lin, SWE president. "As section president, she was able to secure funding from various sources to bring eight additional members to WE08, and four to the 2009 Region I conference." See here for more details.
