Astronautical Engineering

Return to: USC Viterbi School of Engineering  

Olin Hall of Engineering
Room 500S
(213) 821-5817
Email: aste@usc.edu
astronautics.usc.edu

Chair: Daniel A. Erwin, PhD*

Faculty

Professors: Daniel A. Erwin, PhD* (Aerospace Engineering); Mike Gruntman, PhD (Aerospace Engineering); Azad Madni (Engineering Systems), PhD; Joseph Wang, PhD (Aerospace Engineering)

Professor of Engineering Practice: Garrett Reisman, PhD

Adjunct Professors: Keith Goodfellow, PhD; Michael Kezirian, PhD; Ryan Park, PhD; Ghanshyam Purshottamda Purohit, PhD; James Wertz, PhD

Assistant Professor: Keenan Albee, PhD (Astronautics)

Research Professor: David Barnhart, ME

Adjunct Research Associate Professor: Anita Sengupta, PhD

Distinguished Professor: Berok Khoshnevis, PhD

Adjunct Lecturers: Mohamed Abid, PhD; Oscar S. Alvarez-Salazar, PhD; Rodney L. Anderson, PhD; Lubos Brieda, PhD; James Chase, MS; Bryan B. Cooley, PhD; Donald Edberg, PhD; Troy D. Goodson, PhD; Seungbum Kim, PhD; Jerold Haber; Steven Matousek, ME; David Reese, PhD; Madhu Thangavelu, MS; Robert B. Williams, PhD

Part-Time Lecturers: Justin Bailey, PhD; Daniel Depew; Steve Lapen, MS; David Lee, PhD; Danielle Marsh, ME

Emeritus Professor: Joseph A. Kunc, PhD

*Recipient of university-wide or school teaching award.

Aerospace Engineering Honor Society: Sigma Gamma Tau

Degree Requirements

Undergraduate Program Educational Objectives

The Bachelor of Science degree program in Astronautical Engineering has the following objectives:

Within a few years of graduation, graduates will:

• Establish themselves as practicing professionals, or undertake advanced study, in astronautical engineering or a related field;
• Demonstrate their ability to perform successfully as members of a team and function effectively as responsible professionals.

Undergraduate Program Criteria

The program leading to a Bachelor of Science in Astronautical Engineering prepares graduates to have knowledge of orbital mechanics, space environment, attitude determination and control, telecommunications, space structures, and rocket propulsion. The program also prepares graduates to have design competence that includes integration of astronautical topics.

Engineer in Astronautical Engineering

Requirements for the Engineer degree in Astronautical Engineering are the same as set forth in the general requirements. See the general requirements  for Viterbi graduate degrees.

Credit for classes may be applied toward the MS, Engineer or PhD in Astronautical Engineering, should the student decide later to pursue an advanced degree. In order to be admitted to the MS program, the student should maintain a B average or higher in courses for the certificate and must satisfy all normal admission requirements. All courses for the certificate must be taken at USC. It is anticipated that other classes on emerging astronautics will be added to the list of offered classes in the future.

Programs

Bachelor’s Degree

• •  Astronautical Engineering (BS)

Minor

• •  Astronautical Engineering Minor

Master’s Degree

• •  Astronautical Engineering (MS)

Graduate Certificate

• •  Astronautical Engineering Certificate

Doctoral Degree

• •  Astronautical Engineering (PhD)

Courses

Astronautics and Space Technology

• •  ASTE 101L Introduction to Astronautics
• •  ASTE 280 Foundations of Astronautical Engineering
• •  ASTE 291 Team Projects I
• •  ASTE 305 Astronautical Gas Dynamics
• •  ASTE 324 Introduction to Human Spaceflight and Operations
• •  ASTE 331 Spacecraft Systems Engineering
• •  ASTE 331a Spacecraft Systems Engineering
• •  ASTE 331b Spacecraft Systems Engineering
• •  ASTE 390 Special Problems
• •  ASTE 404 Computational Programming and Numerical Methods
• •  ASTE 421x Mission Systems Design
• •  ASTE 445 Molecular Gas Dynamics
• •  ASTE 470 Spacecraft Propulsion
• •  ASTE 475 Rocket Propulsion
• •  ASTE 480 Spacecraft Dynamics
• •  ASTE 490x Directed Research
• •  ASTE 491 Team Projects II
• •  ASTE 499 Special Topics
• •  ASTE 501a Physical Gas Dynamics
• •  ASTE 501b Physical Gas Dynamics
• •  ASTE 505a Plasma Dynamics
• •  ASTE 505b Plasma Dynamics
• •  ASTE 520 Spacecraft System Design
• •  ASTE 523 Design of Low Cost Space Missions
• •  ASTE 524 Human Spaceflight
• •  ASTE 527 Space Studio Architecting
• •  ASTE 528 Reliability of Space Systems
• •  ASTE 529 Safety of Space Systems and Space Missions
• •  ASTE 535 Space Environments and Spacecraft Interactions
• •  ASTE 545 Computational Techniques in Rarefied Gas Dynamics
• •  ASTE 546 Computational Plasma Dynamics
• •  ASTE 552 Spacecraft Thermal Control
• •  ASTE 553 Systems for Remote Sensing from Space
• •  ASTE 554 Spacecraft Sensors
• •  ASTE 555 Space Cryogenic Systems and Applications
• •  ASTE 556 Spacecraft Structural Dynamics
• •  ASTE 557 Spacecraft Structural Strength and Materials
• •  ASTE 561 Human Factors of Spacecraft Operations
• •  ASTE 562 Spacecraft Life Support Systems
• •  ASTE 566 Ground Communications for Satellite Operations
• •  ASTE 570 Liquid Rocket Propulsion
• •  ASTE 571 Solid Rocket Propulsion
• •  ASTE 572 Advanced Spacecraft Propulsion
• •  ASTE 574 Space Launch Vehicle Design
• •  ASTE 575 Rocket and Spacecraft Propulsion
• •  ASTE 577 Entry and Landing Systems for Planetary Surface Exploration
• •  ASTE 580 Orbital Mechanics I
• •  ASTE 581 Orbital Mechanics II
• •  ASTE 583 Space Navigation: Principles and Practice
• •  ASTE 584 Spacecraft Power Systems
• •  ASTE 585 Spacecraft Attitude Control
• •  ASTE 586 Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics
• •  ASTE 589 Solar System Navigation
• •  ASTE 590 Directed Research
• •  ASTE 594a Master’s Thesis
• •  ASTE 594b Master’s Thesis
• •  ASTE 594z Master’s Thesis
• •  ASTE 599 Special Topics
• •  ASTE 683 Advanced Spacecraft Navigation
• •  ASTE 690 Directed Research
• •  ASTE 694a Thesis
• •  ASTE 694b Thesis
• •  ASTE 694z Thesis
• •  ASTE 790 Research
• •  ASTE 794a Doctoral Dissertation
• •  ASTE 794b Doctoral Dissertation
• •  ASTE 794c Doctoral Dissertation
• •  ASTE 794d Doctoral Dissertation
• •  ASTE 794z Doctoral Dissertation