Introductory Level

INTRODUCTION TO AEROSPACE SCIENCE AND ENGINERING

Click here for a table of links from this page or please proceed to details below.

Welcome to the Aerospace Digital Library. Here are several ways of introducing the field of aerospace engineering:

Our Design-Centered Introduction is a first-semeseter college-level course which explains how a flight vehicle is designed. The learner takes an intense tour through the various fields of science and engineering. This is based on the course used in the first semester of the aerospace engineering program at Georgia Institute of Technology in 1997-99. It does expect the learner to use concepts and material from high school physics, mathematics and chemistry. This link will take the learner to many parts of the vast field of aerospace engineering, and to the many fields connected to it. As the Aerospace Digital Library expands, this gateway will guide the learner to all parts of science and engineering, and indeed to all parts of human knowledge.
Basics of Space Flight from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (a laboratory run for NASA by the California Institute of Technology) takes the learner through the science of space flight. This is an excellent source of knowledge on space science.
The Beginner's Guide to Aeronautics is an attractive set of modules developed by teachers under a NASA grant. It is set at the middle-school level (and going further). It focuses on Aerodynamics and Propulsion aspects of airplane flight.
From Stargazers to Starships is another step-by-step tutorial developed by NASA.

Table of Introductory courses
Resource levels 0 -1 (general to college 1st year)

Course / Contact Author

Design-Centered Introduction to Aerospace Engineering: Komerath

Beginner's Guide to Aeronautics: NASA Glenn Research Center

History of Space Exploration

Basics of Space Flight: From JPL

From Stargazers to Starships: Tutorial Exposition by NASA:

Want to learn more? Here are other introductions to some basic disciplines

Introduction to Engineering Graphics and Visualization:Dr. Nelson Baker

Introduction to Design II: Dr. Farokh Mistree; Dr. Janet Allen

Fundamentals of Physics:: Dr. Michael Schatz, Dr. Kurt Wiesenfeld, Dr. Walter deHeer, Dan Creveling, Ted Heath, Steve Jennings

Links to Physics tutorials: Dr. Henry Valk

Rigid Body Mechanics: U. Oklahoma,M&AE: Dr. Kurt Gramoll

Deformable Bodies: (homework solutions): Dr. James Craig

Surely, there are many more such introductory courses. Please use the "theory" link from the frame on the left, or navigate to the various individual disciplines, to see them.