Space Systems II
615.445

Course Description
This course examines the fundamentals necessary to design and develop space experiments and space systems. The course presents the technical background, current state-of-the-art, and example applications. Topics include spacecraft thermal control, spacecraft configuration and structural design, space communications, command and telemetry systems, data processing and storage, reliability and quality assurance, and systems integration and testing. (This course may be taken for 700-level credit with the additional requirement of a research paper.)

Syllabus

1. Introduction, Thermal Control
2. Thermal Control
3. Configuration and Structures
4. Configuration and Structures
5. Communications
6. Communications
7. Mid-Term Exam and Communications
8. Command and Telemetry
9. Data Processing and Storage
10. Data Processing and Storage and RQA
11. Reliability and Quality Assurance
12. Integration and Test
13. Mission Operations
14. Final Exam

Prerequisites
An undergraduate degree in physics or engineering or the equivalent. Although preferable, it is not necessary to have taken 615.444 or 615.744 Space Systems I.

Instructor
Vincent Pisacane, who has overall responsibility for the course, received his Ph.D. from Michigan State University and is currently employed by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.  However, this course is team taught by experts in each of the relevant fields who have considerable experience in the developing of space systems.

Textbook
Fundamental of Space Systems by Pisacane and Moore

Return to AP Courses | Applied Physics | Part-Time Engineering

December 1998