Open House 2023
Faculty Office Directory and Map

REGISTRATION
33-116

LUNCH
Seamans Lounge
Hosted by AeroAstro Headquarters

AEROASTRO DEPARTMENT TOUR
WRIGHT BROTHERS WIND TUNNEL TOUR
Start in 33-116
OPTIONAL: SpaceTech 2023
PhD Lightning Talks
MIT Media Lab, E14
Meet in Seaman’s Lounge for escort

AEROASTRO DEPARTMENT TOUR
Start in 33-116
OPTIONAL: SpaceTech 2023
Keynote: Julie Van Campen; NASA Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) Systems Engineer and the Deputy Commissioning Manager for the James Webb Space Telescope

OPEN BLOCK
Faculty Meetings
Lab Tours
Student Meetings

STUDENT LIFE
33-116
Student Life Panel | 45 mins
Housing Panel | 30 mins
Student Groups Info Session | 15 mins

SOCIAL AT A4CADE
Hosted by GWAE
292 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA

CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
Seamans Lounge
Hosted by AeroAstro Headquarters

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW AND ACADEMIC PANEL
33-116
9 – 9:45am | Department Overview: Prof. Daniel Hastings
9:45 – 11am | Academic Panel:
- Prof. Steven Barrett, Associate Department Head
- Prof. Jonathan How, Chair of the Graduate Committee
- Prof. Chuchu Fan
- Prof. Danielle Wood

RESEARCH PRESENTATION: SPACE RESOURCES WORKSHOP
George Lordos, PhD Candidate

LUNCH
Seamans Lounge
Hosted by AeroAstro Headquarters

FACULTY LIGHTNING TALKS
33-116
Prof. Zachary Cordero
Prof. Adrían Lozano-Durán
Prof. Carmen Guerra-Garcia
Moderator: Denise Phillips, AeroAstro Diversity Officer

COFFEE HOUR
33-116
Hosted by AeroAfro
AEROASTRO DEPARTMENT TOUR
Starting in 33-116

OPEN BLOCK
3 – 4pm | GWAE Coffee Hour | 33-116
4 – 5pm | Office Hours with Student Services | 33-206
4 – 5pm | QuASAR Coffee Hour | 33-218
Faculty Meetings, Lab Tours, Student Meetings, Coffee Hours, Office Hours

DINNER AT ZA
Hosted by GA^3
350 Third St.
Cambridge, MA
Virtual Department tours
Coursework is a significant part of your graduate student experience. In order to give our newly admitted students a sense of some of our course offerings, we recorded a series of lectures in spring 2022. The lectures, as well as their descriptions, can be viewed below. To see the full list of current Course 16 class offerings, visit the MIT Registrar’s website.
16.36 Communication Systems and Networks
Lecture: Prof. Eytan Modiano
Introduces the fundamentals of digital communications and networking. Topics include elements of information theory, sampling and quantization, coding, modulation, signal detection and system performance in the presence of noise. Study of data networking includes multiple access, reliable packet transmission, routing and protocols of the internet. Concepts discussed in the context of aerospace communication systems: aircraft communications, satellite communications, and deep space communications. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments.
16.235: Design with High Temperature Materials
Lecture: Prof. Zachary Cordero
Introduction to materials design for high-temperature applications. Fundamental principles of thermodynamics and kinetics of the oxidation and corrosion of materials in high-temperature, chemically aggressive environments. Relationship of oxidation theory to design of metals (iron-, cobalt-, nickel-, refractory- and intermetallic alloys), ceramics, composites (metal-, ceramic- and carbon-matrix, coated materials). Relationships between deformation mechanisms (creep, viscoelasticity, thermoelasticity) and microstructure for materials used at elevated temperatures. Discussions of high-temperature oxidation, corrosion, and damage problems that occur in energy and aerospace systems.
16.522 Space Propulsion
Lecture: Prof. Paulo Lozano
Reviews rocket propulsion fundamentals. Discusses advanced concepts in space propulsion with emphasis on high-specific impulse electric engines. Topics include advanced mission analysis; the physics and engineering of electrothermal, electrostatic, and electromagnetic schemes for accelerating propellant; and orbital mechanics for the analysis of continuous thrust trajectories. Requires a term project in which students design, build, and test an electric propulsion thruster in the laboratory.
16.332 Formal Methods for Safe Autonomous Systems
Lecture: Prof. Chuchu Fan
Covers formal methods for designing and analyzing autonomous systems. Focuses on both classical and state-of-the-art rigorous methods for specifying, modeling, verifying, and synthesizing various behaviors for systems where embedded computing units monitor and control physical processes. Additionally, covers advanced material on combining formal methods with control theory and machine learning theory for modern safety critical autonomous systems powered by AI techniques such as robots, self-driving cars, and drones. Strong emphasis on the use of various mathematical and software tools to provide safety, soundness, and completeness guarantees for system models with different levels of fidelity.