Space Mission Design and Operations

This introductory unit covers the course objectives, motivation behind space exploration and utilization, a brief history of human space exploration, main space agencies in the world, and an overview of space utilization and exploration.

This unit reviews the laws of mechanics and introduces the space environment, including the transition from atmosphere to space, microgravity, electrical and thermal environments, orbital lifetime, space debris, and collision threats from asteroids and comets.

This unit covers the dynamics of spaceflight, gravitational wells, orbital motion, Kepler's Laws, circular and elliptical orbits, reference frames, orbital maneuvers, perturbations of orbital motion, and peculiar orbits.

This unit focuses on rendezvous in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), including the relative motion of the chaser vs. the target and strategies to successfully achieve a rendezvous in LEO.

This unit covers interplanetary trajectories, Gravity Assist or Slingshot maneuvers, and propulsion in space, including the law of propulsion, specific impulse, types of thrusters, electric propulsion, ascent into space, and re-entry.

This unit introduces attitude measurement and control, electrical power generation and distribution, thermal balance, space tethers, reliability, systems redundancy, risk management, and safety design for space systems.

This unit covers the Space Shuttle concept, design, and operations, including the Challenger and Columbia accidents. It also discusses the ISS, Soyuz and Progress vehicles, and logistic supply to ISS with various spacecraft.

This final unit covers Extravehicular Activity (EVA) and space suits, space robotics, astronaut training, commercial space, suborbital flights, Orion and the Space Launch System (SLS), and the future of space exploration.