(Image courtesy of Lockheed Martin.)
Radio frequency technology is ubiquitous in the digital world, with applications going beyond television and radio to include GPS navigation and satellite communications.
For engineering students interested in pursuing space communications in their education or career, some new opportunities will soon be available through the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder).
The Lockheed Martin Radio Frequency Space Systems Research Center will aim to strengthen students’ engineering expertise and provide them with new opportunities by creating a curriculum specifically for space-sector engineers.
A recently announced sponsorship by Lockheed Martin pledges $3 million over four years in order to establish new academic programs focused on radio frequency (RF) systems. The goal of the partnership is to help develop the next generation of space system engineers.
RF-related disciplines are essential for commercial, civil and military applications in communications, radar technology and photonics. The next generation of engineers in this field will be the ones to develop innovative approaches to the tracking, navigation and control of future spacecraft, as well as global navigation technology.
This partnership between CU Boulder and Lockheed Martin aims to expand the educational opportunities in this field of engineering in several ways, including:
- Creating a new master of science degree in electrical engineering, with a focus on RF systems.
- Establishing new paths for undergraduate students in aerospace engineering to obtain a masters in electrical engineering. Similarly, students pursuing an electrical engineering bachelor’s degree will have a path to obtain a masters degree in aerospace engineering.
- Creating graduate fellowships for grad students to work at Lockheed Martin, or on projects that are relevant to the company.
Students and graduates will also be able to take advantage of the RF Payload Center of Excellence at Lockheed Martin’s Waterton Canyon site, the company’s RF space technology development center.
The new research center builds on the existing relationship between the University of Colorado Boulder and Lockheed Martin, which already funds joint research programs, supports student design projects and facilitated a cubesat mission.
To learn more about the University of Colorado Boulder’s aerospace engineering opportunities, visit the College of Engineering and Applied Science website.