University of Colorado Boulder
Spacecraft Dynamics Capstone: Mars Mission
University of Colorado Boulder

Spacecraft Dynamics Capstone: Mars Mission

This course is part of Spacecraft Dynamics and Control Specialization

Taught in English

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Hanspeter Schaub

Instructor: Hanspeter Schaub

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Course

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals

4.6

(45 reviews)

Advanced level
Designed for those already in the industry
43 hours (approximately)
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

  • Apply three-dimensional kinematics to create a mission-related orbit simulation and evaluate orbit frame orientation

  • Utilize knowledge of rigid body kinematics to determine attitude reference frames for different attitude pointing modes

  • Demonstrate the ability to numerically simulate spacecraft attitude dynamics and evaluate control performance

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Assessments

11 quizzes

Course

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals

4.6

(45 reviews)

Advanced level
Designed for those already in the industry
43 hours (approximately)
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

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This course is part of the Spacecraft Dynamics and Control Specialization
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There are 5 modules in this course

The goal of this capstone spacecraft dynamics project is to employ the skills developed in the rigid body kinematics, kinetics and control courses. An exciting two-spacecraft mission to Mars is considered where a primary mother craft is in communication with a daughter vehicle in another orbit. The challenges include determining the kinematics of the orbit frame and several desired reference frames, numerically simulating the attitude dynamics of the spacecraft in orbit, and implementing a feedback control that then drives different spacecraft body frames to a range of mission modes including sun pointing for power generation, nadir pointing for science gathering, mother spacecraft pointing for communication and data transfer. Finally, an integrated mission simulation is developed that implements these attitude modes and explores the resulting autonomous closed-loop performance.

What's included

2 videos1 reading1 programming assignment

Tasks 1 and 2 use three-dimensional kinematics to create the mission related orbit simulation and the associated orbit frames. The introductory step ensures the satellite is undergoing the correct motion, and that the orbit frame orientation relative to the planet is being properly evaluated.

What's included

2 quizzes2 programming assignments

Tasks 3 through 5 create the required attitude reference frame for the three attitude pointing modes called sun-pointing, nadir-pointing and GMO-pointing. The reference attitude frame is a critical component to ensure the feedback control drives the satellite to the desired orientation. The control employed remains the same for all three pointing modes, but the performance is different because different attitude reference frames are employed.

What's included

3 quizzes3 programming assignments

Tasks 6 through 7 create simulation routines to first evaluate the attitude tracking error between a body-fixed frame and a particular reference frame of the current attitude mode. Next the inertial attitude dynamics is evaluated through a numerical simulation to be able to numerically analyze the control performance.

What's included

2 quizzes2 programming assignments

Tasks 8-11 simulate the closed-loop attitude performance for the three attitude modes. Tasks 8 through 10 first simulate a single attitude at a time, while tasks 11 develops a comprehensive attitude mission simulation which considers the attitude modes switching autonomously as a function of the spacecraft location relative to the planet. Please note that the time it will take you to complete this module and the requisite tasks has increased from prior modules.

What's included

4 videos4 quizzes4 programming assignments

Instructor

Instructor ratings
4.5 (14 ratings)
Hanspeter Schaub

Top Instructor

University of Colorado Boulder
10 Courses31,746 learners

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