Research Facilities

The Aerospace Center's research capabilities and talent development in aerospace, defense, and energy are expansive because of enabling infrastructure, equipment, and partnerships. Our research capabilities, facilities, and equipment allow us to design, build and test to advance technologies that enable travel, exploration, and the protection of the U.S.'s interests in the Earth's atmosphere and space and to advance energy technologies for a more secure and sustainable future.

Our facilities and protocols enable us to conduct research in compliance with ITAR requirements.

On Campus Facilities.

Goddard's Combustion and Propulsion Research Facility I 4,280 sq. ft. that includes a 600 sq. ft. ultra-high velocity projectile resistance combustion bunker

Challenger-Columbia Structures and Materials Research Facility I 3,340 sq. ft.

Unmanned Systems Research Facility I 3,960 sq. ft. Generative Design Laboratory I 735 sq. ft.

Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) I IAW ICD 705 standards I 5,000 sq. ft.

Aerospace Education Lab I Outreach Facility I 1,210 sq. ft.

Off Campus Facilities

Technology Research and Innovation Acceleration Park

• Research Airport I Fabens, TX I 400 acres
  • Tech One Campus
    ■ Propulsion and Energy Systems Integration Facility I 10,200 sq. ft.
    ■ Unmanned Aerial Systems Integration Facility (Open in 2023) I 15,661 sq. ft.
    ■ Subsonic and Supersonic Wind Tunnel Facility (Open in 2023) I 15,661 sq. ft.
    ■ Aeronautics Research and Learning Facility (Open in 2023) I 15,661 sq. ft.
    ■ Advanced Machining and Fabrication Facility (Open in 2023) I 15,661 sq. ft.
    ■ Industry Commons (Open in 2023) I 15,661 sq. ft.
  • Alpha Site I Propulsion and Large-Scale Testing I 18 Acres
    ■ 4,200-foot and 2,300-foot runways
    ■ 6 test cells and one test stand
• Bravo Site I Unmanned Aerial System Flight Test Range I Tornillo, TX I 600 acres
  • 400-foot runways I Test Support Facility
  • LSTAR Radar I 100 KW Power Trailer

Spacecraft Design and Engineering Facility I Francis St, El Paso, TX I 8,840 sq. ft.

• Satellite Ground Station I 2.4 m S-b& antenna I 436 MHz UHF antenna
• 9 Training Rooms, 10 Office Spaces and Student Collaborative Space Partner Facilities

Partner Facilities

Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control Store Front I University Towers I El Paso, TX I 1800 sq. ft.

• Employs UTEP students to support Lockheed Martin design projects.

Digital Engineering Aerospace and Defense Systems Design Center I Huntsville, AL I 1,800 sq. ft.

• Design labs and additive manufacturing facility to a future-ready aerospace and defense workforce with transformational digital engineering skills.
• Powered by UTEP-Aerospace Center, UTEP-W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining

Digital Engineering Aerospace and Defense Systems Design Center I Youngstown, OH I 4,200 sq. ft.

• Design labs and additive manufacturing facility to a future-ready aerospace and defense workforce with transformational digital engineering skills.
• Powered by UTEP-Aerospace Center, UTEP-W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining

Horizon City Aerospace & Defense Small Business Accelerator I Horizon City, TX I 2,400 sq. ft.

TMD Space & Defense I Horizon City, TX I 350 acres

• Administrative Area, 21,000 sq. ft. warehouse, Hazardous Material Assembly Area with (10} Missile Assembly Cells, (7) Storage Magazines, Firefighting Support Building with 2,000 gal/min pump capacity and 250,000-gal water storage