NASA Structural Analysis System
NASTRAN is the NASA Structural Analysis System, a finite element analysis
program (FEA) completed in the early 1970's. It was the first of its kind and
opened the door to computer-aided engineering. Subsections of a design can be
modeled and then larger groupings of these elements can again be modeled.
NASTRAN can handle elastic stability analysis, complex eigenvalues for
vibration and dynamic stability analysis, dynamic response for transient and
steady state loads, and random excitation, and static response to concentrated
and distributed loads, thermal expansion, and enforced deformations.