Spacecraft
System
Design
AE-501
University of Southern California (USC)
including books on Astronautics, Spacecraft Design and Spacecraft Systems
- USC
Astronautics Program (BS,
MS, Engineer, and PhD Degrees; Certificate)
(with downloadable brochure)
Number of visitors since September 1, 1997:
Homework Solutions for AE-501 and AE-482
Spring 2002
Comments on INTERIM REPORT
( Term Paper)
AE-482 Score/Grade Distribution
AE-501 Score/Grade Distribution
About the Course
- Spacecraft System Design course (AE-501) is offered by the USC Astronautics Program.
- This class is usually taken by Astronautics, Aerospace Engineering, and other science and engineering graduate students.
- This class is a core requirement for the USC Astronautics Program.
- This class is a must for science and engineering students,
regardless of major, considering work in space industry.
- Instructor: Professor
Mike Gruntman
- AE-501 is usually offered during the spring
semester.
- AE-501 is televised through
dedicated channels in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, available through
satellite channel nation-wide, and webcast through WWW.
- AE-501 is available through USC Distance
Education Network (DEN). The DEN classes are taken by students pursuing graduate degrees (MS and Ph.D.) and working at major aerospace companies with
DEN sites (Aerospace Corporation, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Lockheed-Martin, TRW, Boeing,
etc.), or have access to the satellite channels. AE-501 is available through
WWW (webcast). Check with DEN.
- AE-501 is also available through National Technological University (NTU) via TV (information available at
DEN).
The NTU class code AE 730-SC.
- To get more information (it can be mailed to you) on AE-501, other astronautics-related courses, USC graduate and undergraduate programs in Aerospace Engineering
(Astronautics), and on
DEN, please consult the astronautics web site at http://astronautics.usc.edu
for contact information.
AE-501 Spacecraft System Design
Course Outline
- Organization of the class. Term paper.
Introduction. History of space exploration. Units.
Universe, galaxy, solar system. Introduction to plasma.
Angular resolution. Error analysis.
- Space environment. Hardness.
- Space mission geometry; astrodynamics.
- Orbit design. Basic orbits, perturbations, delta-V.
- Spacecraft and mission design overview. Operations, launching facilities. Reliability.
- Guidance, navigation and control; attitude determination; reaction control system.
Global Positioning System.
- Propulsion. Launch systems.
- Introduction to communications; antennas.
- Communication link.
- TT & C; data handling.
- Electric power systems.
- Thermal control.
- Structures and mechanisms.
Term Paper
A 12-page Term Paper will be required.
An individual effort. Information during the first class.
REQUIRED TEXT
Space Mission Analysis and Design, ed. W.J.Larson and J.R.Wertz,
Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2nd or 3rd Edition.
The book is available in the softcover edition. The price should be around $50.
The best way to obtain the book is to purchase
it directly
from the publisher, Microcosm Corp.:
tel. 310-726-4100, fax 310-726-4110
e-mail: microcosm@smad.com
URL http://www.smad.com
REQUIRED CLASS NOTES
Class Notes (600+
pages) are essential and mandatory to the course.
The notes are available electronically through DEN (in the beginning of the
semester).
The notes for the first lecture are not password-protected.
Homework
There are 35-40 homework assignments (problems).
Late homework is graded with grades reduced by a 50% factor.
Grading
policy for AE-501(subject to change)
- 32% Midterm
- 32% Final
- 20% Homework
- 16% Term Paper
Astronautics and Spacecraft Design
including books on
astronautics and spacecraft design
AE-482 Spacecraft Design
This page URL - http://ae-www.usc.edu/bio/mikeg/spacecra/ae501_sd.html
Updated on 6 November 2002
To send e-mail to Mike Gruntman
Copyright © 2000-2002 by Mike Gruntman. All
rights reserved.