UL Lafayette Adds Aerospace and Space Computing Programs for Fall 2027 as Starbase Louisiana Plans Advance

What UL Lafayette announced

On Oct. 8, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette announced new academic programs in aerospace and space technology. All four are planned for Fall 2027 (UL Lafayette; KLFY).

College of Engineering (UL Lafayette; College of Engineering):

- An aerospace engineering concentration within the bachelor's degree program in mechanical engineering (program page).

- An aerospace and autonomous systems minor. The College of Engineering describes it as a minor for engineering majors.

Ray P. Authement College of Sciences, School of Computing & Informatics (UL Lafayette):

- A concentration in space computing systems for computer science majors.

- A minor in space computing systems for students in other majors.

What students would study

UL says the aerospace engineering concentration will include coursework in gas dynamics and propulsion, spacecraft dynamics and control, aerospace structures and design, aircraft dynamics and performance, orbital mechanics, and aerospace power systems. Students will be able to focus their technical electives on thermal-fluids-energy systems or on mechanics and control (UL Lafayette).

The space computing programs will focus on computing and cybersecurity for space applications. UL lists protecting satellite commands and communications, building resilient software, managing spacecraft computing resources, designing radiation-hardened and fault-tolerant systems, and analyzing satellite imagery and telemetry (UL Lafayette).

The engineering programs are part of the College of Engineering's Aerospace Ecosystem Initiative (College of Engineering).

"Our responsibility is not simply to respond to economic growth, but to help drive it," UL President Ramesh Kolluru said in the university's announcement (UL Lafayette).

The Starbase Louisiana connection

UL tied the programs to the planned Starbase Louisiana site near Pecan Island in Vermilion Parish, which it says is about 60 miles south of campus (UL Lafayette). The site is at Freshwater City, south of the Pecan Island community. As UL and KLFY reported, Louisiana Economic Development projects the project will create 3,000 direct jobs over the next decade and more than 8,100 indirect jobs (UL Lafayette; KLFY). LED's own project page lists 3,000 direct new jobs over 10 years at an average annual salary of $92,600, plus about 8,100 indirect jobs (LED). These are state projections, not jobs that exist today.

Independent. Not affiliated with SpaceX, Vermilion Parish, or the State of Louisiana.