USC Astronautics

The Department of Astronautical Engineering at the University of Southern California (USC) Viterbi School of Engineering in Los Angeles is one of the oldest and most established astronautics programs in the United States, with a curriculum spanning spacecraft design and analysis, orbital mechanics, astrodynamics, spacecraft propulsion, attitude control and dynamics, and space mission operations.

USC's Los Angeles location is strategically positioned within one of the densest concentrations of aerospace and space employers in the world: The Aerospace Corporation (El Segundo), SpaceX (Hawthorne), Northrop Grumman (Redondo Beach), Raytheon Intelligence & Space (El Segundo), NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Pasadena), and Boeing Space in the region — all providing co-ops, internships, and immediate post-graduation employment for USC astronautics graduates.

Research programs include liquid rocket engine development, electric propulsion for smallsats, spacecraft GNC (guidance, navigation, and control), orbital debris modeling, and space systems engineering. USC's AIAA student chapter and the Rocket Propulsion Laboratory (RPL) — a student-run organization that has successfully launched university-built sounding rockets — provide hands-on engineering experience beyond the classroom.

The department trains engineers for the full spectrum of roles in the commercial and government space industry with particularly strong industry ties reflecting Los Angeles's position as America's space capital by employment.