Basics of Space Flight is a tutorial designed primarily as a quick training guide for mission operations people. But teachers, college and high-school students—anyone interested in the concept of interplanetary spaceflight—may find it useful.

This online course offers a broad scope, but limited depth, as a robust framework to accommodate further training or investigation. Many other resources are available for delving into each of the topics related here; indeed, any one of them can involve a lifelong career of specialization. Links to external sites provide further depth to many topics. There are interactive quizzes to let you check your own progress. No records are kept, nor does DIYGURU offer academic credit for this training.

Summary

The main objective of the course is to introduce the concept of space system design and engineering. The course will describe the various subsystems involved in the design of a satellite. It will also describe the techniques of systems engineering that are used to obtain a coherent satellite design.

Content

Introduction Highlights of space mission organization and engineering. Mission objectives, science objectives, mission architectures. Conception and Design of spacecraft General description of the space environment and survivability, and spacecraft subsystems including: science instruments, telecommunications, power management and distribution, command and data handling, thermal control, propulsion, structures and mechanisms, configuration, end-to-end information system, flight software. System Engineering Techniques Presentation of the major system engineering techniques: functional analysis, block diagrams, design trade-offs, design budgets, interface management, tradable parameters. Introduction to Project Engineering Other project considerations for a system engineer: requirements definition and tracking, spacecraft integration and test, mission operations, reliability and quality assurance, cost and risk management.

Keywords

satellites, space system, space environment and and orbital mechanics

Learning Prerequisites

Required courses

None.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, the student must be able to:

• Structure a space project in development phases
• Formulate the tasks and responsibilities of the system engineer
• Dimension the overall system
• Dimension each satellite subsystem
• Elaborate a coherent and consistent system design
• Design a space mission
• Integrate constraints due to the space environment

Transversal skills

• Set objectives and design an action plan to reach those objectives.
• Plan and carry out activities in a way which makes optimal use of available time and other resources.
• Use a work methodology appropriate to the task.
• Access and evaluate appropriate sources of information.
• Write a scientific or technical report.