The International Space Station will serve as a new environment for space-related experiments. Hosted by the Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, the Center for Aerospace Structures is an interdisciplinary research center charged with advancing the technology of aerospace structures.
Government agencies sponsor the center along with private industry.
Research focuses on the balanced development of analytical, computational, and experimental methods for the effective design, modeling, and analysis of aircraft and space structures. CAS was founded in April 1986 as the Center for Space Structures and Control by K.C. Park and C.A. Felippa. The name was changed in 1993 to match an increasing focus on structures, as well as gradual expansion into research areas of aircraft technology. The center's current director is Charbel Farhat. The Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research was established in 1985 as part of CU's commitment to developing a program of excellence in space science.