Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering

Space Flight Machines

Mechanics of space flight deals with motion of space vehicles. These include satellites, probes and capsules, which belong to the category of non-winged re-entry vehicles (RV-NW), obiters from the category of winged re-entry vehicles (RV-W), but also air breathing cruise and acceleration vehicles (CAV).Flight mechanics is the application of Newton’s laws (F=ma and M=Iα) to the study of vehicle trajectories (performance), stability, and aerodynamic control. This field includes research that establishes new theoretical results, defines new computational algorithms, performs unique analysis and experiments, and creates technology that changes engineering practice. Advancements from this research are applied to airplanes, rotorcraft, launch vehicles, satellites, space probes, missiles, projectiles, parachutes, Para foils, the air transportation system, and others.