Delivery: face to face

Learning activities:

• attending lectures
• participation in seminar
• individual study

Attendance: Advised

Teaching methods:

• Lectures
• Seminar

Delivery: face to face

Attendance: Advised 

The course is designed to provide an introduction to the design of modern spacecraft platforms and payloads. Following an introduction on the space environment and operating conditions for various mission categories, the course introduces and discusses the main spacecraft subsystems. The topics presented include power generation, attitude control, thermal aspects of spacecraft design, telecommunications, and the basic types of space instrumentation and space sensors. The discussion covers aspects of satellite communications including topics related to signals and antennas; remote sensing as well as radar and image processing; telemetry and link budget. An introduction to space project management is also provided.

Required reading:

• James R. Wertz, David F. Everett, Jeffery J. Puschell, ed, Space Mission Engineering: The New SMAD, ISBN 978-1881883159, Springer - Microcosm Press, First edition, 2011. Available from www.astrobooks.com (An older edition of SMAD is available at the Library of the Faculty of Engineering: Wiley J. Larson, James R. Wertz, ed., Space Mission Analysis and Design, Third edition, Microcosm, Torrance, California; Kluwer, Dordrecht, 1996. Biblioteca della Facoltà di Ingegneria - Collocazione: 629.41 SPA r ING - 629.41 SPA g ING - 629.41 SPA v ING)

Suggested reading:

• Charles D. Brown, Elements of Spacecraft Design, AIAA Education Series, 2002, ISBN 1-56347-524-3
• Vincent L. Pisacane, The Space Environment and its Effects on Space Systems, AIAA Education Series, 2008, ISBN 978-1-56347-926-7
• A. M. Cruise, J. A. Bowles, T. J. Patrick, and C.V. Goodall, Principles of Space Instrument Design, Cambridge Aerospace Series 9, Cambridge University Press 1998, ISBN 0-521-45164-7

At "Bibiloteca della Facoltà di Ingegneria":

• Michael D. Griffin, James R. French, Space Vehicle Design, AIAA, Washington, 1991 Collocazione: 629.471 GRI r ING - 629.471 GRI v ING - 629.471 GRI g ING

At "Biblioteca del Dipartimento di Ingegneria Aerospaziale":

• Charles D. Brown, Spacecraft Mission Design, AIAA, Washington, 1992 Collocazione: 712-92-01-00

The exam is an oral test in the form of a discussion between the candidate and the lecturer and/or the lecturer’s collaborators. During the oral test the candidate may be requested to briefly present his/her knowledge in written form and/or to also solve written problems/exercises. If requested, the candidate shall demonstrate his/her capacity to link and relate notions and ideas from different parts of the course programme.

In order to pass the test, the candidate must show an ability to express him/herself in a clear manner using the correct terminology and to summarize concepts/notions in oral and/or written form in a simple, concise and exhaustive way. Quality of the presentation of the written parts will be taken into account in the evaluation of the student's performance.