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Space Shuttle Engineering: Design, Systems, and Operations
Discover the technical innovations, systems engineering, and operational achievements that defined NASA's revolutionary Space Shuttle transportation system.
Discover the technical innovations, systems engineering, and operational achievements that defined NASA's revolutionary Space Shuttle transportation system.
Delve into the fascinating world of space engineering with this comprehensive MIT course on the Space Shuttle. Learn from the very experts who designed, built, and operated this revolutionary spacecraft for three decades. Gain insights into the Shuttle's complex subsystems, from rocket engines to life support, and understand how politics and economics influenced its development. Explore the principles of systems engineering through the Shuttle's design and operation. This course offers a unique historical perspective on human spaceflight, valuable lessons for future space initiatives, and a deep dive into the challenges of reusable spacecraft design.
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What you'll learn
Understand the fundamentals of Systems Engineering as applied to spacecraft design
Analyze how political and economic factors influence major technical programs like the Space Shuttle
Explore the design principles of various human spaceflight systems and subsystems
Learn about the operational aspects of complex spaceflight systems
Understand the challenges and benefits of reusable spacecraft design
Analyze the Space Shuttle's successes and shortcomings as lessons for future space initiatives
Skills you'll gain
This course includes:
Live video
Graded assignments, exams
Access on Mobile, Tablet, Desktop
Limited Access access
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There are 16 modules in this course
This course provides a comprehensive overview of the Space Shuttle program, covering its history, technical design, and operations. Students will learn about the political and economic factors that shaped the Shuttle's development, as well as the intricate details of its various subsystems. The curriculum is divided into three main sections: the origins of the Space Shuttle program, detailed exploration of Shuttle subsystems, and the operational aspects of the Shuttle. Key topics include structures and thermal protection, rocket engines, aerodynamics, life support systems, mission control, and payload operations. The course also covers important events such as launch operations, abort modes, and accident investigations. Throughout the course, principles of systems engineering are emphasized, providing valuable insights for future space initiatives and complex engineering projects.
Introduction to Systems Engineering
Module 1
Structures and Thermal Protection
Module 2
Rocket Engines
Module 3
Aerodynamics
Module 4
Mechanisms
Module 5
Hydraulic Systems
Module 6
Environmental Control and Life Support
Module 7
Guidance, Navigation and Control
Module 8
Launch Operations
Module 9
Shuttle Abort Modes
Module 10
Mission Control
Module 11
Payload Operations
Module 12
Extravehicular Activity (Spacewalking)
Module 13
Shuttle Accident Investigations
Module 14
Flight Testing the Space Shuttle
Module 15
Origins of the Space Shuttle Program
Module 16
Fee Structure
Instructors
Pioneering Astronaut and Space Technology Innovator
Dr. Jeffrey Hoffman is a distinguished professor in MIT's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, combining remarkable achievements as both astronaut and academic. After earning degrees from Amherst College, Harvard University, and Rice University, he served as a NASA astronaut from 1978 to 1997, completing five space flights and becoming the first astronaut to log 1000 hours aboard the Space Shuttle. His groundbreaking missions included performing the first unplanned contingency spacewalk in NASA's history and participating in the initial Hubble Space Telescope repair mission. As Payload Commander of STS-46, he led the first flight of the US-Italian Tethered Satellite System and completed four spacewalks total. Following his NASA career, which included four years as NASA's European Representative in Paris, he joined MIT's faculty in 2001, where he teaches space operations and systems design. Currently, he serves as Director of the Massachusetts Space Grant Consortium and Deputy Principal Investigator for the MOXIE experiment on NASA's Mars 2020 mission, which has achieved the historic milestone of producing oxygen from Martian atmosphere. His research focuses on advancing space suit technology and designing innovative systems for human and robotic space exploration. His contributions to space exploration were recognized with his 2007 induction into the US Astronaut Hall of Fame.
Pioneering NASA Leader and Space Program Innovator
Aaron Cohen (1931-2010) was a transformative figure in America's space program, serving NASA for over three decades in crucial leadership roles. After earning his bachelor's from Texas A&M (1952) and master's from Stevens Institute of Technology (1958), he joined NASA in 1962, where he became instrumental in the success of both the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs. As manager of the Apollo Command and Service Modules (1969-1972), he played a vital role in all lunar landings. He then led the Space Shuttle Orbiter Project Office (1972-1982), overseeing the development of Earth's first reusable spacecraft. His leadership was particularly crucial during the challenging period following the 1986 Challenger disaster when, as Director of the Johnson Space Center (1986-1993), he provided steady guidance that helped return the shuttle program to flight. After retiring from NASA in 1993, he joined Texas A&M University as a professor, continuing to share his extensive knowledge with future generations of engineers. His contributions to space exploration earned him numerous accolades, including the ASME Medal and an honorary doctorate from Stevens Institute of Technology, cementing his legacy as one of NASA's most influential leaders during the golden age of space exploration.
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