AAE 590: Spacecraft Engineering and Conceptual Mission Design I
Also appears as “Spacecraft Engineering Mission Design”

Tentative Course Outline and Other Details

Spring 2016
Time:  M W F 4:30-5:20 | ARMS 1021
Instructor: Prof.  Sarag  Saikia
Contact: sarag@purdue.edu

Credits: 3
Office Hours: TBD

Open to: Open to graduate students (MS. Ph.D.) in the College of Engineering, and College of Science at Purdue University, upper division undergraduates (seniors), or have permission of the instructor.

Assessment: Weekly homework and reading assignment, and a final project. No exams.

Pre-requisite: Knowledge of differential calculus, analytical reasoning, and critical thinking. Computer programming in Matlab and Microsoft Excel. Knowledge of Model-Based Systems Engineering Tool like MagicDraw will be a bonus, but not required. Passionate about space exploration, unparalleled curiosity, and a knack to learn!

Co-requisite: None

Tentative Course Outline:

1. The Solar System: The Fundamental Unanswered Science Questions
2. Mission Types: NASA, ESA, Other Countries (Japan, China, India etc.)
3. Space Environment (including Extreme Environments) and Its Effects on Space Systems
4. Space Mission Design Process
5. Overview of Trajectory Design
6. Spacecraft Subsystems

• Power Systems
• Telemetry, Tracking, and Command
• Thermal Control Systems and Analysis
• Attitude Determination and Control
• Structures and Mechanisms
• Command and Data Handling
• Guidance and Navigation
• Communications

7. Launch Vehicles and Upper Stages
8. Space Propulsion Systems
9. Design of Planetary Probes
10. Science Instruments: Orbiter, Probes
11. Cost Analysis, Risk and Programmatics
12. Space Systems Failures
13. Planetary Data System: data analysis from missions
14. Conceptual Space Mission Design
15. Science Traceability Matrix and Descoping
16. Concurrent Engineering (Model-Based Systems Engineering)

Required Texts: None. Class notes, technical reports, and refereed papers will be provided by the instructor. (It will be useful to have at least one text in hand – the first of the recommended texts by Griffin and French.)

Guest Lectures: NASA Jet Propulsion Lab’s Team X members, NASA mission team members, and AAE faculty members.

Recommended Texts

1. Space Vehicle Design, Second Edition (AIAA Education) by Michael D. Griffin, James R. French
2. Elements of Spacecraft Design (AIAA Education) by Charles D. Brown
3. Spacecraft Systems Engineering 3rd Edition by Peter Fortescue (Editor), John Stark (Editor), Graham Swinerd (Editor)
4. Space Mission Engineering: The New SMAD (Space Technology Library, Vol. 28) Edited by James R. Wertz, David F. Everett, and Jeffrey J. Puschell
5. Basics of Spaceflight, Dave Doody, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
6. The Space Environment and Its Effects on Space Systems (AIAA Education Series) by Vincent L. Piscane
7. Space Modeling and Simulation: Roles and Applications Throughout The System Life Cycle by Larry B. Rainey
8. The Space Environment: Implications for Spacecraft Design by Alan C. Tribble

Student Learning Outcomes:

On completing this course the student will be able to:

1. Understand the outstanding questions in planetary science
2. Understand different space mission types of NASA, ESA, and other space agencies
3. Understand the NASA JPL’s mission design process
4. Design various spacecraft subsystems and understand their interconnectedness
5. Perform preliminary design of planetary entry probes
6. Perform cost, risk, and programmatics analysis of complex space missions
7. Understand concurrent engineering as applied to conceptual space mission design