Research

Excellence in research is the foundation of UTSI’s reputation.

Headquartered on the University of Tennessee’s Tullahoma campus, adjacent to the epicenter of US aerospace ground testing at the Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC), UTSI is driving advances in aerospace and defense technologies and systems, and equipping graduates with expertise in related fields.

Student working in wind tunnel

Research professor working in lab

Benefits of Research at UT

  • Geographically positioned to play a strategic role in the innovation ecosystem anchored by the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL
  • Poised to meet the needs of the US Space Force, preparing a world-class workforce and advancing technologies and systems to protect US and allied interests in space.
  • Plays a pivotal role in the land-grant mission of the University of Tennessee by ensuring economic growth and workforce development opportunities for underserved communities in middle and east Tennessee.
Research facility equipment

Our Facilities

UTSI operates advanced facilities for the study of high speed flows, diagnostic methods, laser manufacturing, afterburning jet engine propulsion, and emerging space propulsion technologies.

  • Large vacuum chamber facility used for space environments testing among top 10 in the US.
  • Multiple supersonic wind tunnels including the new hypersonic Mach 7 tunnel and the Mach 4 wind tunnel in the TALON lab.
  • Low speed water and wind tunnels.
  • Biomedical research startup company, GCaDD LLC, developing super-thin glass components for dental and medical imaging.
  • 3-D printer using metal powders to make materials.
  • One of the fastest lasers ever built, capable of drilling 100 holes at the end of a human hair.

UTSI has over 80,000 square feet of laboratories featuring world-class facilities and instrumentation.

Check out our Facilities

Research Centers

UTSI has several research centers that reflect our commitment to being one of the leading institutions for aerospace and defense.

Explore Our Centers
Mossbauer research lab

MÖSSBAUER LABORATORY

Lee Leonard working with student in Beams lab

BEAMS

Wing of an airplane with sunrise in the background

C-PARC

Faculty and students working on wind tunnel research

HORIZON

Students working with Accelerating Rate Calorimetry

LAMP

professor and student researching laser

CEAR

professor and student working with laser

CLA

Summer Research Intern Program

Looking to get a first-hand look at the type of research our students are undertaking? Apply to be a summer intern.

Explore our Intern Program
Research students working with Lee Leonard in lab

Research Areas

Applied Fluid Dynamics Computational Mechanics Laser Applications Hypersonic Aerothermodynamics Research Area Contact

Observatory

On clear nights, the UTSI Observatory is able to host small “star-parties” with an external TV screen for viewing of images currently being taken, and set up a second 8″ Celestron SCT for visual views of bright objects. On clear days, a “live” view of the sun is streamed (updated every 15-30 minutes). View recent images in our gallery.

Explore our Observatory
Aerial view of UTSI campus
AEDC/UTSI Affiliation Scholarship Program