Aerospace Engineering
UC Berkeley’s aerospace engineering degree is designed for students who aspire to become leaders in this emerging field. The aerospace engineering undergraduate major provides the skills and practical knowledge they will need to solve technological challenges in air transportation and space exploration. Students will explore sustainable aviation, autonomous flight and other areas currently at the forefront of aerospace research while preparing for promising careers in the aerospace industry. This dynamic, comprehensive program will help pave the way for the next generation of aerospace engineers whose innovations will have a far-reaching impact on our environment, society and our understanding of the universe
Did you know?
- The Berkeley Space Center, announced in fall 2023, will be an innovation hub for new aviation and space technology. This futuristic center aims to accommodate up to 1.4 million square feet of research space on 36 acres of land at NASA Ames’ Moffett Field and seeks to foster collaborations among UC Berkeley faculty and students, private companies, NASA scientists and engineers, and Silicon Valley’s tech industry.
- Berkeley Engineering alum Warren “Woody” Hoburg (M.S.’11, Ph.D.’13 EECS), a pilot and NASA astronaut, was part of Crew-6. In 2023, he piloted the SpaceX Dragon Capsule to the International Space Station, where he spent six months living in a laboratory, 250 miles above Earth, conducting cutting-edge research and experiments.
- As many as nine aerospace engineering clubs are active at UC Berkeley. Areas of focus include space-related competitions, educational outreach, career development, rocketry, CubeSat design, materials science and NASA Artemis Student Challenges. Space Enterprise at Berkeley is aiming to become the first collegiate rocketry team to send a liquid-fueled rocket past the Kármán Line — 100 km above sea level — and into outer space.
Jordan Kam
B.A.’26, Aerospace
A hypersonic wind tunnel
Berkeley engineers have installed a state-of-the-art wind tunnel that enables students to replicate flight conditions, making it a valuable tool for solving aerodynamics problems. At 37 feet long, 13 feet wide and six feet high, the wind tunnel can generate air flow at about 140 miles per hour (63 meters per second). Students use the device to study the aerodynamic behavior of aircraft, airplane wings, cars and other objects. They test small-scale replicas, subjecting them to different wind speeds, and then record key metrics like lift, drag, moments and other forces to analyze the efficacy of their designs.
CUBES: Engineer this! Surviving on Mars
The Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space (CUBES), led by professor Adam Arkin, is focused on the use of bioengineering in space, primarily for the survival of humans on the surface of Mars. CUBES leverages partnerships between NASA, industry and academic institutions to support biomanufacturing for deep space exploration. Aerospace engineering students enrolled in AERO ENG 10 can get hands-on experience working on a CUBES research program. Applying their knowledge of biology, logistics and engineering, students design a detailed, self-sustaining provisioning plan for all the things 10 individuals would need to survive on the surface of Mars for about a year.
