Staff in the Mechanical Engineering Group test a component of the Operationally Responsive Space-5 SensorSat.

Mechanical Engineering

We provide innovative mechanical solutions for advanced technology prototypes. Prototypes we have worked on include airborne and space-based laser communications systems, biological agent detectors and identifiers, and large radar antenna systems. We are the Engineering research area's center for 3D computer-aided design with expertise in precision-engineered systems, optomechanical systems, mechanisms, dynamic metrology, composite structures, highly efficient lightweight structures, electronics packaging, and cable design. Our staff are involved in every step of a program's execution from conceptual design all the way to environmental and performance testing.

Featured Projects

a photo of a small satellite in a studio
weather
A constellation of small satellites is collecting rapidly refreshed weather data to advance studies of hurricane structure and intensity and improve forecasts.
The International Space Station will be outfitted with our ILLUMA-T laser terminal to provide optical communications.
lasers
The ILLUMA-T will enable optical communications on the International Space Station.

Advancing Our Research

Featured Publications

HF vector sensor for radio astronomy: ground testing results

Sep 13
AIAA Space 2016 Conf. and Exposition, 13-16 September 2016.

Vector antenna and maximum likelihood imaging for radio astronomy

Mar 5
2016 IEEE Aerospace Conf., 5-12 March 2016.

Development and application of spherically curved charge-coupled device imagers

Apr 1
Appl. Opt., Vol. 54, No. 10, 1 April 2015, pp. 3072-82.