Aerospace Centre of ExcellenceAbout us

Mission Statement & Vision

Research is the core of our academic activities and forms the basis on which teaching and knowledge exchange stand. It is the way we generate new knowledge, explore and develop new concepts and ideas. It is the powerhouse of new ground-breaking discoveries driven by curiosity, the need to go beyond our limits and to solve existing and future problems.

Aerospace Centre of Excellence in the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at the University of Strathclyde develops frontier research on innovative concepts and solutions for present and future space systems, aerospace transport, space exploration, satellite applications and the sustainable exploitation and exploration of space.

The research in the Aerospace Centre has a target horizon of more than 50 years in the future while deploying practical solutions, over a wide range of Technology Readiness Levels (from TRL0 to TRL6), to respond to the needs of today.

The major areas of development are: astrodynamics and mission analysis, remote sensing, space systems engineering, computational intelligence, hypersonics and computational fluid dynamics, theorectical aeroscience, aerospace propulsion, aerospace structures, access to space, multidisciplinary design and concurrent engineering, uncertainty treatment and optimisation, machine learning.

Research and Knowledge Exchange Strategy

The research strategy of the centre is founded on the development of innovative concepts with a bottom-up approach from TRL0 to the required level of maturity to be transferred to industry and society. Research is developped along three main streams:

• innovative methods and approaches to solve current and future problems
• fundamental science underpinning new concepts and applications
• enabling technologies for current and future applications

In all cases, experimental validation of theoretical and computational developments is encouraged. The preferential routes to sustain and develop the research activities are:

• large scale, long term, proposals targeting any of the three pillars of H2020: excellent science, industrial leadership, societal challenges
• medium to small size bids to ESA, STFC, UKSA, DSTL and EOARD with possible industrial partners
• direct industrial engagement or industrial engagement through KTP and Innovate UK
• individual or collaborative bids to the EPSRC on spin-off activities or underpinning basic technologies

A number of key strategic actions and partnership are in place to achieve and sustain the knowledge exchange and research aims:

• establishment and maintenance of experimental laboratory and computing facilities commensurate with Centre activities
• links with cognate groups within the University, industry and academia, nationally and internationally
• links with the Strathclyde Space Institute and the Scottish Centre of Excellence in Satellite Applications
• promotion and dissemination of the activities of the Centre with the industry and general public
• provision of support and mentoring to the staff within the Centre to facilitate the successful completion of probation periods and career advancements
• computational and data resource sharing