Twenty-five New Mexico State University students have launched career paths in New Mexico’s only aerospace engineering degree program.

The program, which began in fall 2006, allows students to earn a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering through the mechanical engineering department. Twenty-five aerospace engineering majors currently are enrolled and the College of Engineering has identified 220 New Mexico high school students who have aerospace engineering among their top choices for a major.

Tom Burton, mechanical engineering department head, is helping to expand the program to offer a master’s and a Ph.D. as well.

“We’re hoping to have the graduate degrees in place by the fall of 2008,” Burton says.

Students and faculty already are involved in many research projects conducted by mechanical engineering and the Klipsch School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

“We have projects here related to satellites, materials and UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles),” Burton says. Other research areas include robotics, telemetry, communications, signal processing, fluid-structure interaction and suborbital space.

The recent refurbishment and improvements to the Subsonic Aerospace Wind Tunnel located on campus will contribute to the research as well.

“It’s a prerequisite for having an aerospace program to have a good wind tunnel,” Burton says.

New Mexico has become a focus of aerospace industry, bringing many aerospace companies to the area. NMSU’s aerospace engineering program will support aerospace industry development, such as Spaceport America, through student interns, permanent employees and research support.