Research in Engineering works under the premise of the normal (climatic) boundary conditions within the earth’s atmosphere.
How to proceed in environments with parameters different from usual?

For example, large water pressures (deep sea structures), extreme temperatures (deserts, poles and high mountain zones), flood risks or extreme ground movements create boundary conditions that challenge and question common approaches.

This is especially true for the extraterrestrial construction with altered gravity, intense radiation and limited resources.

What happens when the environment and the demands on structures change extremely?

Droughts, melting permafrost, heavy rain and strong wind events: climate change is already creating such changing boundary conditions and requires holistic and innovative solutions.
And obviously this is true also for aircrafts and spacecrafts.
A major goal of the research area in Extreme Engineering is the development of such solutions for extreme environmental conditions.
One focus is the development of new living and working spaces (e.g. extraterrestrial or deep underground on Earth) and the associated creation of new building structures.
This will result in innovative research topics such as:
• Monitoring environmental conditions to prevent catastrophic impacts of climate change and to analyze individual events.
• Retrofitting of existing structures against strong wind events.
• Testing of building materials for use under high pressures, for example in mining against very high water pressures of up to 150 bar.
• Development and testing of innovative concepts and structures for extraterrestrial construction and operation of structural buildings.
• 3D printing with only locally available building materials e.g. arid zones (terrestrial areas) or on the Moon or Mars (extraterrestrial locations).
• Determination of the effects of extreme weather on infrastructures and development of suitable protection concepts, e.g. in alpine regions.
• Sensor-based construction progress control for the management of megaprojects.
• Construction in earthquake-prone areas.
• Design, manufacture, transport and assembly of extremely lightweight, easily assembled or bulky components.

Aerospace engineering develop leading-edge technologies (using skills in aerodynamics, materials and structures, propulsion, vehicle dynamics and control, and software) and integrate them into aerospace vehicle systems used for transportation, communications, exploration, and defense applications.
This involves the design and manufacturing of aircraft, spacecraft, propulsion systems, satellites, and missiles, as well as the design and testing of aircraft and aerospace products, components, and subassemblies.