Divisions

Dr. Ahsan Choudhuri founded the Aerospace Center in 2001 as the Combustion and Propulsion Research Lab. The organization grew from its first $20,000 grant from the Department of Energy to its current $300 million research budget with support from the research capacity and infrastructure building MIRO grant from NASA’s Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP). 

The Aerospace Center contains four divisions: three research divisions and one focused on economic development and workforce excellence. A talented administrative team supports the divisions’ research work and manages the student researchers who inspire the Center’s vision.

The Space Division, led by Dr. Md Mahamudur Rahman, supports NASA's Artemis program and Moon to Mars vision by focusing on strategic capabilities in propulsion and robotic lander, lunar surface habitation, and exploration, and small spacecraft technologies.

The Aeronautics and Defense Division, supports the research and development of hypersonic, missile, and unmanned aerial systems technologies. We support the U.S. Space Force's Space Superiority domain through innovation in Space Domain Awareness and Space Access & Sustainment.

The Energy and Sustainability Division, led by Dr. Jack Chessa, provides capabilities in sub-pilot scale to commercial scale fossil, nuclear, and renewable energy technology development; prototype to commercial product demonstration as well as test and evaluation.

The Economic Development and Workforce Excellence Division, led by Susie Byrd, supports the development of an advanced and technology-based industrial economy for El Paso and West Texas and an integrated workforce with an all-skills spectrum for small and medium high-tech business expansion.