16.00x Introduction to Aerospace Engineering

Unit 5 is coming to an end, but that means that we get to start Unit 6 soon! As a precursor to Unit 6, take a look at MIT's BioSuit, the next-gen spacesuit for astronauts traveling to Mars that is coming out of my own lab!

Shrink-wrapping spacesuits Spacesuits of the future may resemble a streamlined second skin.

Hello Everyone! I hope the course is going well so far. We have now moved into our unit on Orbits after finishing up the week on Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS). You have a bit of extra time for this unit because it is longer. Best of luck, and enjoy the content!

For those of you interested in the scientific side of Astronautics, here is a fascinating article on Dark Matter. The Large Underground Xenon (LUX) collaboration has been attempting to locate WIMPs, which are thought to be Dark-Matter particles.

http://www.livescience.com/56041-dark-matter-just-got-murkier.html?utm_source=ls-newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20160909-ls

Dark Matter Just Got Murkier A non-discovery is causing physicists to rethink how they think about dark matter, the mysterious "stuff" that pervades the universe.

Watch the SpaceX Falcon 9 explosion that occurred earlier today during a static test fire. Cause still unknown, although likely due to a failed strut that caused a rupture in the LOX (Liquid Oxygen) tank.

Rocket science is hard, even for the pros.

http://money.cnn.com/2016/09/01/news/companies/spacex-explosion/

SpaceX: Explosion at Cape Canaveral launch pad Explosion rocks the SpaceX launch pad at Cape Canaveral early Thursday.

We are excited to announce that 16.00x is the featured story on the MIT homepage today through Monday! Check out the video and let us know what you think.

Rocket into space with MIT professor and astronaut Jeff Hoffman Spaceflight is exciting, and you don’t have to be a “Rocket Scientist” to share in the excitement! 16.00x makes the basics of spaceflight accessible to every...