College of Engineering > Academic Programs > Aerospace Engineering > Research and Outreach > Active Research Projects > Design Optimization > Liquid Rocket Reverse Engineering

Liquid Rocket Reverse Engineering

Research by: Dr. Roy Hartfield

The Aerospace Engineering Department has a current program to develop the tools necessary for reverse engineering of foreign missiles using liquid engine propulsion systems. This program uses a genetic algorithm to find the best match between observed performance for a given missile and the possible design choices which could be used to produce the missile. A sample of some missile designs produced using this approach are shown in figure below.

Liquid Engine powered Missile Designs produced using a Genetic Algorithm