Aerospace Engineering Labs & Facilities

Administrative and Faculty Space

The faculty and support staff for the Department of Aerospace Engineering are housed on the second floor of the Lehman Engineering and Technology Center. The two office suites on this hallway open at 8 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. during the regular school year. One suite houses the Graduate Program Coordinator, while the other is home to the Department Chair. 

Educational and Research Laboratories

Some courses, as well as all student and faculty research projects, are located in one of the many laboratory facilities across the campus. These laboratory facilities are described below.

Lehman Building Laboratories

Aircraft Design Laboratory
A fully equipped workspace is made available to Aerospace Engineering (AE) undergraduate students to work on their design projects as a part of their two-semester senior design sequence.

Flight Dynamics and Control Research Laboratory
Development and implementation of guidance, navigation, and control systems for a variety of aerospace vehicles, as well as research on a broad range of topics focused on flight dynamics, are performed in the Flight Dynamics and Control Research Laboratory (FDCRL).

Gas Turbine Laboratory
Students in the Gas Turbine Laboratory at ERAU work with leading aerospace corporations and privately owned companies and assist with Intellectual Property development.

Propulsion and Aerodynamics Computational Laboratory
Numerical research in unsteady aerodynamics, acoustics, aeroelasticity, flow, and flight control are performed in the Propulsion and Aerodynamics Computational Laboratory (PACL).

Rocket Laboratory
The home to a booster signed by Homer Hickam and seven level three large-scale rockets, the Rocket Laboratory supports two highly popular student organizations, as well as research projects in Astronautics for students and faculty.

Spacecraft Design Laboratory
Space mission design, spacecraft algorithms, and prototype spaceflight hardware are developed and tested in the Spacecraft Design Laboratory (SDL). Prototype potential components are also designed and produced in this space.

Wind Tunnel Laboratory
Several wind tunnels are housed in the Wind Tunnel Laboratory, which is primarily used for instruction.

MicaPlex Laboratories

Advanced Dynamics and Control Research Laboratory
The Advanced Dynamics and Control Laboratory (ADCL) supports research activities aimed at advancing aviation and space technologies.

Astrodynamics and Spacecraft Laboratory
The Astrodynamics and Spacecraft Lab provides a ground-based hardware-in-the-loop test facility with spacecraft simulators to verify guidance, navigation and control algorithms for spacecraft relative motion as well as proximity operations and maneuvers.

Composites Research Laboratory
The Composites Laboratory is equipped to enable fundamental and applied research and development in emerging composite technologies that leverages gains made in advancing complex integrated and unitized composites.

Eagle Flight Research Center
The state-of-the-art center is equipped to conduct a variety of projects, including: experimental flight testing, aircraft modifications for FAA certification, design and testing of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), development and verification of high-fidelity (up to Level D) flight-data models used in engineering and training simulators and prototype engineering solutions to advance eco-friendly alternatives in aviation.

Material Research Laboratory
The Materials Lab is equipped to enable advanced materials research, modeling and testing of new materials and structures made from them. Of particular interest are nano-structured and lightweight aerospace materials and devices.

Scanning Electron Microscope
A Scanning Electron Microscope, with a large chamber to allow for the visualization of structural materials, is available for students, faculty and staff of the university, as well as for external users who might have a need for microscopy.

Space Technologies Laboratory
The Space Technologies Laboratory (STL) performs research into spaceflight-qualified hardware and algorithms. Research in this facility is keyed to understanding proximity operations, relative motion, optical navigation, and design and test capabilities especially for nano-satellites.

Structures Laboratory
Testing is performed on the structures and components typically found in aircraft and spacecraft using the specialized equipment located in the Structures Laboratory.

Thermal Laboratory
The Thermal Systems Laboratory provides Embry-Riddle researchers, faculty, and students, as well as industry collaborators, with resources and facilities supporting research in energy harvesting, storage, and applications, as well as the development of thermal management technologies for propulsion and electronics devices.

Wind Tunnel Facility
Made possible through the generous support of the Emil Buehler Perpetual Trust, the Wind Tunnel Facility is a $10M state-of-the-art, low-speed tunnel located on the research campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach.