Astronautics

Learning Outcomes

Engineering practice

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Ability to work with technical uncertainty (P8)
• Understanding of appropriate codes of practice and industry standards (P6)
• Understanding use of technical literature and other information sources (P4)
• Understanding of contexts in which engineering knowledge can be applied to spacecraft subsystem design (P1)

Economic, legal, social, ethical and environmental context

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Knowledge and understanding of the commercial, economic and social context of spacecraft engineering (EL2)

Additional general skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Exercise initiative and personal responsibility, which may be as a team member or leader (G4)
• Apply skills in problem solving, communication, information retrieval, working with others and the effective use of general IT facilities (G1)
• Plan self-learning and improve performance, as the foundation for lifelong learning/CPD (G2)

Science and Mathematics

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Contributes to a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the scientific principles and methodology necessary to underpin spacecraft engineering, and an understanding and know-how of the scientific principles of related disciplines, to enable appreciation of the scientific and engineering context, and to support understanding of relevant historical, current and future developments and technologies (SM1m)
• Awareness of developing technologies related to Astronautics (SM4m)
• Understanding of concepts from a range of areas, including some outside engineering, and the ability to evaluate them critically and to apply them in a spacecraft engineering context (SM6m)

Engineering analysis

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Understanding of, and the ability to apply, an integrated or systems approach to solving spacecraft systems engineering problems (EA4m)
• Ability to identify, classify and describe the performance of systems and components of spacecraft subsystems through the use of analytical methods and modelling techniques (EA2)

Design

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Investigate and define problems related to spacecraft systems engineering, identifying any constraints including environmental and sustainability limitations; ethical health, safety, security and risk issues; intellectual property; codes of practice and standards (D2)

Introduction and Systems Engineering

Introduction to spacecraft subsystems, the design approach from an industrial perspective

Payload

Types, operation, interface requirement

Mission Analysis

Orbit selection, Keplerian (idealised) orbits, co-planar orbit transfers

Attitude Control

Spacecraft angular momentum, types of spacecraft stabilisation, the closed loop system and impacts on the spacecraft design

Propulsion

Types, fundamental performance parameters, chemical systems, electrical systems

Power

Power sources, solar arrays, power storage (batteries), sizing up the system component

Communications

Frequencies, encoding, modulation, bandwidth, the communications link analysis

Thermal Control

Material properties, spacecraft thermal balance, thermal control

A spacecraft design case study

A specific spacecraft type and mission (remote sensing) is treated as a case study to illustrate spacecraft design features. This case study includes:

Overview of Mission Objectives

Spacecraft Payload

Review of payload types suitable/available for proposed mission.

Selection of payload. Study of payload operation to provide a mission

and payload interface requirements.

Mission Analysis

Assessment of payload derived mission requirements to establish

candidate mission orbits. Orbit trade-off and mission specification.

Spacecraft System Design

Identification of subsystem design requirements, and system design

drivers. Establishment of candidate configurations. Feasibility study

phase trade-off. Selection of spacecraft configuration.

Subsystem Design

Overview of subsystem design, taking account of interactions and

drivers for the particular mission: attitude control, propulsion,

spacecraft power, thermal control, communications, structures.

Impact of ground segment and operations.

Example Classes

Coursework Briefing

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching methods will include lectures andcoursework tutorial sessions. Learning activities include directed reading, problem solving and report writing.

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External