Goals

The main objective of the Astronautical Engineering program is to produce graduates who will be able to support the needs of NASA and the space industry in planning and executing space missions.

Objectives

Analytical Objective

Graduates will be able to employ theoretical principles, mathematical techniques and scientific methods to determine equations and predict orbital parameters required to maintain spacecraft missions.

Collaboration Objective

Graduates will be prepared to work in groups and distributed teams.

Communications Objective

Graduates will be able to effectively communicate their ideas in both written and oral form with the understanding that communication is a cooperative process.

Design Objective

Graduates will be able to identify, formulate and solve space mission problems with other engineers and will also be able to use appropriate engineering tools and methods in order to model and simulate orbital situations and problem solve.

Life-long Learning Objective

Graduates will recognize that life-long learning is essential to the ongoing process of professional and personal development.

Professional Ethics Objective

Graduates will have an understanding of professional and ethical responsibilities, as well as an understanding of the possible social, economic, cultural and environmental impact of their engineering solutions in a global context.

Practical Objective

Graduates will be able to take a project from inception to completion in which they propose, design, build, test, analyze and deliver a working system to meet engineering standards and realistic constraints.

Research Objective

Graduates will have strong information literacy and will possess the ability to know when information is needed, how to use it, and how and where to retrieve it.

Technical Objective

Graduates will able to use modern equipment found in the space industry to support mission objectives.

These objectives are reviewed periodically for currency and relevancy by the department and its faculty, addressing input from the industry through our industrial advisory boards and Capitol College alumni.

Outcomes

Upon graduation our Astronautical graduates will have:

• the ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering to astronautical related problems
• the ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as analyze and interpret data to support space missions
• the ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability and sustainability
• the ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams
• the ability to identify, formulate and solve space related engineering problems
• an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
• the ability to communicate effectively
• the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental and societal context
• a recognition of the need for, and the ability to engage in, life-long learning
• knowledge of contemporary issues related to the space industry
• the ability to use the current techniques, skills, modern engineering and modeling tools used in the space industry
• an understanding of the design of spacecraft and spacecraft systems to maintain attitude and control
• an understanding of the command and control systems that support a space mission