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Scramjet Powered Vehicle. Credit: Leidos Aerospace
ü From 21 October – 18 November 2025 (4.5 Weeks, 9 Classes, 13.5 Total Hours)
ü Every Tuesday and Thursday at 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time (all sessions will be recorded and available for replay; course notes will be available for download)
ü This course provides a lucid and wide-ranging introduction to the interdisciplinary field of high-speed air-breathing propulsion, focusing on scramjet engines
ü All students will receive an AIAA Certificate of Completion at the end of the course.
OVERVIEW
Hypersonics is a multidisciplinary field that has grown vastly and it requires specialized engineering study. The objective of this professional short course is to provide an overview of technologies required for the development and maturing of scramjet engines, including combined cycle propulsion systems to power hypersonic cruise aircraft and trans-atmospheric reusable spaceplanes. The course will address diverse topics such as:
- Ram/Scramjet Propulsion Design Requirements
- Aerothermodynamics of airframe integrated scramjet propulsion
- Ram/Scramjet Combustion and Endothermic Fuels
- Materials, Structures and Thermal Management
The exposure presented in this course will lead the participants, both the technically trained and those new to the field such as current students, engineers, and managers, to a better understanding of the challenges of hypersonic flight, providing an overview of the most important propulsion technologies being developed today.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Understand the performance metrics of high-speed air-breathing propulsion
- Obtain a clear picture of the state of hypersonic trans-atmospheric flight (Mach > 5)
- Learn the critical technologies that must be matured to operate a scramjet in dual-mode
AUDIENCE
Engineers, university instructors, and students in aerospace and mechanical engineering can use this course as an introduction to the field or for reference. Managers and other professionals will also benefit by expanding their technical portfolio and skill set. The presentation will be given in a clear and concise manner to appeal to those not already working in the field.
COURSE FEES (Sign-In To Register)
– AIAA Member Price: $895 USD
– Non-Member Price: $1095 USD
– AIAA Student Member Price: $495 USD
CLASSROOM HOURS / CEUs: 13.5 classroom hours / 1.35 CEU/PDH
Cancellation Policy: A refund less a $50.00 cancellation fee will be assessed for all cancellations made in writing prior to 7 days before the start of the event. After that time, no refunds will be provided.
Contact: Please contact Lisa Le or Customer Service if you have questions about the course or group discounts (for 5+ participants).
Frequently Asked Questions
Outline
The scramjet engine is the enabling propulsion system for hypersonic flight, as demonstrated by the successful demonstration flight tests carried out in the U.S. and in Australia in the 2000s. The NASA X-43A aircraft, AFRL/DARPA X-51A waverider, and U.S. AFRL/Australia DST HIFiRE programs proved that both hydrogen and hydrocarbon fueled scramjet engines can effectively propel a vehicle to hypersonic speed. New programs are now funded to expand the scramjet capability thus demonstrated, focusing on combined cycle engines, maturing the technologies required for sustained air-breathing hypersonic flight.
This course will address the design requirements for scramjet propulsion, and the technologies (high temperature materials, fuels) required to attain sustained high-speed flight.
| Class |
Topic |
| 1 |
Introduction to Air-Breathing Propulsionè Focus on the Scramjet Engine |
| 2 |
Theoretical Backgroundè Cycle Analysis and Performance Metrics |
| 3 |
Scramjet Inlets, Isolators, and Exhaust Nozzles |
| 4 |
Combustor and Fuels |
| 5 |
Dual-Mode Air-Fuel Combustion: Operation as Ramjet and Scramjet with Single Flowpath |
| 6 |
Hypersonic Boundary Layers and Design Challenges |
| 7 |
Combined Cycle Propulsion and Integration Issues |
| 8 |
High Temperature Materials, Structures, and Thermal Management |
| 9 |
The State of High-Speed Air-Breathing Propulsionè Concluding Q&A |
DISCLOSURE
The material presented in this course is based on the Instructor’s knowledge and data freely available and published in books, technical reports, public briefings, conference papers and journal articles. No ITAR or proprietary material will be discussed in the lectures. Every effort is made to cite sources and provide full references so that participants may obtain further details on the addressed topics. All images used to illustrate hypersonic technologies are cleared for public release and most are available through the Internet.
Materials
COURSE DELIVERY AND MATERIALS
- The course lectures will be delivered via Zoom. Access to the Zoom classroom will be provided to registrants near to the course start date.
- All sessions will be available on-demand within 1-2 days of the lecture. Once available, you can stream the replay video anytime, 24/7.
- All slides will be available for download after each lecture. No part of these materials may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted, unless for course participants. All rights reserved.
- Between lectures during the course, the instructor will be available via email for technical questions and comments.
Instructors
Dr. Dora Musielak is a Research Professor, an expert in propulsion, educated in Aerospace sciences and Engineering. She has extensive industry and academia experience spanning more than 25 years, managing R&D projects in propulsion engineering. Dr. Musielak has lectured on diverse topics related to propulsion and space exploration technologies at universities in England, China, Mexico, Panama, Italy, Germany, and in the United States. She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors including NASA Research Fellowships, and a distinction as Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). She has authored several books, including Scramjet Propulsion: A Practical Introduction. (2022) Wiley (Aerospace Series).
