Research
Researchers in the Viterbi Department of Astronautical Engineering work in the following areas:
Advanced spacecraft propulsion
Astronautics
Atomic and molecular interactions
Hypersonic and supersonic flows
Kinetic theory of gases and plasmas
Micropropulsion devices
Microsatellites
Monte-Carlo simulations of rarefied gas flows
Nanosatellite applications
Non-equilibrium in high-temperature gases
Plasma and material processing
Processes in the heliosphere and planetary magnetospheres
Space plasmas
Space exploration
Space sciences
Space instrumentation
Spacecraft technologies
Statistical physics
Transport of particles and radiation
Charting Next-Generation Space Research
The Space Engineering Research Center (SERC) is dedicated to disruptive space engineering, research and education of the second-generation workforce – including hands-on build, test and flight demonstrations of spacecraft and satellites. SERC seeks to challenge traditional methods of space R&D, manufacturing and exploration with approaches that dramatically reduce costs, enable novel capabilities and support vital democratization of the space domain.
