Development and integration of modern laboratories in aerospace education

This paper describes the development and integration of a suite of laboratories in an aerospace engineering program. The program's approach to undergraduate education is described as the source for the development of the supporting laboratories. Nine laboratories supporting instruction were developed and installed. The nine laboratories include most major flight-vehicle disciplines. The purpose and major equipments/experiments of each laboratory are briefly described, as is the integration of the laboratory with coursework. The laboratory education provided by this program successfully achieves its purpose of producing competitive aerospace engineering graduates and advancing the level of undergraduate education.