Panel: “Improving SWE Content in
Aerospace Engineering Curriculum”
Chair: Ronald Kohl
President, R. J. Kohl & Assoc.
AIAA Software Systems Technical Committee (SSTC)
&
Vice-chair: Dolores Krausche
Program Director, Florida Center for Engineering Education
AIAA Academic Affairs Committee (AAC)
AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting
Jan., 2011
Lyle N. Long, [email protected], www.lylelong.com
1/22
Purpose of Panel:
• Software and computing assets have become an ever more
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significant portion of aerospace systems.
It is the opinion of some that there is not sufficient content about
Software Engineering (SWE) in the Aerospace engineering
curriculum to match this increasing significance of software and
computing assets in these aerospace systems.
This panel will identify various concerns related to this problem
and propose some fixes, where appropriate, and identify others
that should be tackled in the future. The panel is comprised of
industry, academic and government representatives who will
bring a variety of perspectives to this topic.
We hope that this panel will be a starting point for future related
efforts.
Lyle N. Long, [email protected], www.lylelong.com
2/22
Panel Outline
• 9:00-9:30 a.m. - Allen Arrington: <insert topic here>
• 9:30- 10:00 a.m. – Ronald Kohl: <insert topic here>
• 10:10 – Noon - Panel
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
Ronald Kohl, Chair, opening remarks
Allen Arrington, NASA Glenn RC and GT TC -Topic:
An approach as to how to
determine just what specific areas of SWE should be considered for inclusion in Aerospace
Engineering curriculum. This approach is based on a study that Allen has performed over the
past few years.

Ella Atkins, Univ. of Michigan, Courses I've developed (and continue to
mature) in software & algorithms, from freshman to graduate level and why this approach
seems to work. This approach may one of several to consider for other adopters.

Ken Nidiffer, Software Engineering Institute - Topic: SEI development
efforts of a Software Engineering Curriculum- This SEI effort could lead to candidate topics
within SWE that could become adopted by Aerospace Engineering curriculum and would still
be consistent with general SWE curriculum topics.

Audience Q&A
Lyle N. Long, [email protected], www.lylelong.com
3/22
Modern Aerospace Systems Are Dominated by
Computers, Networks, and Software
• Cyber systems are crucial for modern aerospace systems
• 65% of new engineers hired recently in Aerospace were involved in
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computer and related work
The Boeing 777 has 4 million lines of software onboard and 1,280
processors
The F/A-22 Raptor has 2 million lines of software
A Blackhawk S.O. helicopter has roughly 2,000 pounds of wire
Autonomous Vehicles and Intelligent Systems will mean more complex and
less deterministic software
A few quotes:
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Boeing: “It’s not about the airplane.”
Lockheed: “The wiring harness is more difficult than the airplane structure.”
U.S. Air Force: “The airplane is just “the platform” and it is mainly there to carry
the computers”
Long, Lyle N., "The Critical Need for Software Engineering Education," in CrossTalk: The Journal of Defense Software
Engineering, Vol. 21, No. 1, Jan., 2008.
Lyle N. Long, [email protected], www.lylelong.com
4/22
There are Five Technology Pillars in
Aerospace Engineering – Not Four
The four traditional
areas are now
fairly mature, while
software has been
called the Achille’s
heal of aerospace
systems.
Long, L.N., Journal of Aerospace Computing, Information, and
Communication, Vol. 1, No. 1, Jan., 2004.
http://www.personal.psu.edu/lnl/papers/LNL2005e.pdf
Lyle N. Long, [email protected], www.lylelong.com
Aerospace
engineers at a
minimum need to
be able to talk to
computing and
software
engineers
5/22
Aerospace Engineering Education Programs
Need More Computing, Software, and EE
• Penn State (Aero degree) requires 131 credits
• Only 6 credits in Computing are required:
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Freshman programming (c): 3 credits
Intro to Software Engineering or Circuits: 3 credits
This is typical of other programs
• Most aerospace engineering faculty are in traditional areas:
aerodynamics, structures, guidance/control, or propulsion – not
IT – and change happens at glacial speed
• 50% of the cost of many Aerospace Systems is now in
computing, software, and EE
• Engineering education programs have not adjusted fast enough
to these changes
http://www.aero.psu.edu/ug_curriculum/
Lyle N. Long, [email protected], www.lylelong.com
6/22
Next Steps?
• AIAA develops a ‘position’ on this issue and promotes across
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AIAA (lead by AAC, support by TAC/TCs, etc)
AIAA engages related groups across industry, government and
academia
Should this panel be repeated in other venues?
AIAA contributes to suggested SWE topical areas for addition to
curriculum
AIAA supports existing efforts in this area, as candidate ‘reuse’
approaches (set up a SWE ‘speaker’s guild’ to provide
speakers?)
Perhaps there are other non-traditional Aerospace Engineering
content that should also be looked at??
http://www.aero.psu.edu/ug_curriculum/
Lyle N. Long, [email protected], www.lylelong.com
7/22
Thank You
Ronald Kohl
[email protected]