UNIV1301: Aerospace Engineering: Research Interests

Vision:

The vision of the Office of Research and Sponsored Projects (ORSP) is to accelerate the research and sponsored program enterprise while adhering to university policies and federal regulations.

Mission:

The mission of the ORSP is to provide the following services:

• proposal development assistance and training;
• review and provide institiutional endorsement of all applications for external sponsored funding;
• review, negotiate, and accept awards on behalf of the University;
• compliance and post-award monitoring and oversight;
• maintenance of sponsored project data for the University;
• coordination of institutional review boards for research with human and animal subjects and for biosafety;
• management of the University's intellectual property; and
• promotion of entrepreneurial and commercialization activities.

Please note: The vision & mission statements are from ORSP website.

Aerospace and Defense

Advanced Propulsion

Non-toxic propellant-based systems for exploration missions offer several operational and performance advantages such as superior ground handling, reduced corrosion and leakage, materials compatibility, lower mass, low cost, and system complexity. Thus, they continue to be the preferred choice for exploration missions. Our propulsion research program aligns with NASA's interest in advanced cryogenic engine development by performing fundamental research on ignition, high-heat-transfer thrust chambers and injector dynamics and developing enabling technologies for LO_X/Hydrocarbon engines. The in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) team efforts are focused on developing engineering solutions to exploit space resources for the production of propellant and other valuable materials. The current topics are production of structural materials and extraction of water and other volatiles from lunar and Martian regolith.

Information as provided by the Department of Mechanical Engineering

The center for Space Exploration Technology Research (cSETR) was established at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) to promote research and education in propulsion and energy engineering. The Center actively conducts a wide range of analytical, experimental and computational research in energy and propulsion engineering with a particular interest in green propulsion, in-situ resource utilizations, space structures, clean power generation, solar energy and carbon dioxide sequestrations. Website

Goddard Combustion and Propulsion Research Facility

This world class research facility makes up 6,000 ft² of space and house state-of-the-art instrumentation for combustion and propulsion research. The facility includes a 1200 ft² projectile proof bunker which allows high-pressure combustion experiments to be conducted remotely and isolated from other segments of the laboratories. For more information, click here.

Challenger-Columbia Structures and Materials Research Facility

This 5,500 ft² facility houses state of the art materials synthesis, processing, and testing equipment for developing advanced materials research for next generation energy and aerospace systems. Among others the facility houses pulsed laser and electron beam deposition systems and Nano indentation and fatigue and impact testing systems. For more information, click here.

Spacecraft Design and Engineering Facility Education

Information as provided by CSETR