Senior Capstone

The A&A Senior Capstone Project is one of the most intensive, memorable, and eye-opening experiences in the undergraduate program.  The project is meant to be a culminating experience exercising the knowledge you have learned to include math, science, engineering fundamentals, general education and your A&A junior year core courses.

• A&A Faculty/Industry-based capstone projects:  This type of project is sponsored by an A&A faculty member, company and/or a government agency.  Small teams (typically 4 - 6 students), will work on a project that industry and/or a government agency has brought to students.  Examples include retrofitting a former military plane to fight wildfires and designing a UAV for wildlife conservation purposes.  Students typically learn about project options during A&A capstone pitch day.

• Student-organized capstone projects:  This type of project is student-organized by a team of students.  Small teams (typically 4 - 6 students), will work on a project that students have created on their own, most commonly via student competition teams.  Examples include A&A Cubesat (AACT), Design Build Fly (DBF), Society for Advanced Rocket Propulsion (SARP) and Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS).  A proposal must be submitted and approved in order to participate in a student-organized capstone project.

Students who are working on capstone projects that are aeronautics focused will be registered for A A 498/410/411 and students who are working on capstone project are astronautics focused will be registered for A A 498/420/421.  No matter the type of capstone project, all A&A capstone students must participate in all capstone related activities listed below.

Project preparation (Autumn Quarter)

A A 498: Conceptual Design for A&A Capstone

Project preparation occurs during Autumn quarter of the senior year focusing on general design tools for all projects (intellectual property, software design packages, project management).  Student selection and formation of teams also happens during this time. 

Project Activity: Design (Winter Quarter)

A A 410: Aircraft Design I or A A 420: Spacecraft & Space Systems Design I

Project activity occurs during the senior year of Winter quarter focusing on design

Project Activity: Prototype Construction & Testing (Spring Quarter)

A A 411: Aircraft Design II or A A 421: Spacecraft & Space Systems Design II

Project activity occurs during the senior year of Spring quarter focusing on prototype construction and testing.  The capstone program culminates with the public poster session and final design review (oral presentation) at the end of the academic year.