Astronautics and Space Engineering with Foundation Year

Astronautics and space engineering sits at the frontier of human technological capability. It is concerned with the design, development, launch and operation of spacecraft and the systems that support them, including satellites, launch vehicles, space probes, and the ground systems and communications infrastructure that make space missions possible. The discipline draws on mechanics, propulsion, structural engineering, thermal systems, electronics, control engineering and software, and it requires the ability to work with some of the most demanding engineering constraints encountered anywhere: extreme temperatures, vacuum, radiation, and the need for absolute reliability in systems that cannot be easily repaired once deployed.

At the University of Surrey, this four-year full-time programme, which includes a foundation year for students who need additional preparation in mathematics and physics, is taught at an institution with a unique history in space engineering. The Surrey Space Centre pioneered the UK small satellite industry 40 years ago and continues to design and build innovative commercial satellites that are launched into orbit, which means students on this programme have the opportunity to learn from academics who are genuinely at the forefront of the field and who conduct research on real spacecraft. The foundation year provides the scientific and mathematical grounding needed before you engage with degree-level space engineering content.

You will study the core disciplines of aerospace and astronautics engineering alongside topics specific to spacecraft: orbital mechanics, satellite systems, space propulsion, attitude control, space environment effects, and mission design.

Graduates from Surrey's space engineering programme move into the space industry, including satellite design and manufacture, launch services, earth observation, space communications, defence and government space agencies, and the growing commercial space sector. Postgraduate study in space engineering or related fields is a well-supported pathway.