Spacecraft Design

Course Focus: End-to-end spacecraft conceptual design emphasizing mission definition, subsystem integration, and design tradeoffs.

Topics Covered

  • Mission objectives, requirements flowdown, and constraints
  • Orbit selection and basic trajectory considerations
  • Spacecraft subsystem sizing (power, thermal, ADCS, communications, structures)
  • Mass, power, and reliability budgeting across the full vehicle
  • Design reviews, risk assessment, and verification planning

Deliverables

  • Mission concept and system requirements package
  • Subsystem trade study with selected architecture
  • Integrated preliminary spacecraft design report