The research at the Graduate Aerospace Laboratories of the California Institute of Technology (GALCIT) has evolved over the past three quarters of a century to include aerospace and biosystems engineering, however, the tradition of integrating basic experiments, theory, and simulations over a broad range of spatial and temporal scales continues to characterize our approach.
Our faculty are highly visible in their fields, and continue to garner numerous awards. GALCIT contains unparalleled experimental facilities in solids, fluids, biomechanics, propulsion, combustion, and materials, as well as unique large-scale computational capabilities.
Our educational emphasis is on the fundamentals and advanced diagnostics, with a view toward the future: bio-inspired engineering, micro- and nano-mechanics, space science, and space technology are all current research thrusts at GALCIT. We take an interdisciplinary view of mechanics—fluids, solids, and materials—and our graduate training reflects this.