Spacecraft Dynamics

3 credits · College of Engineering catalogue

Advisory Prerequisite: None. Enforced Prerequisite: MECHENG 240, MATH 216 and AEROSP 201. Minimum grade requirement of “C-” for enforced prerequisite. (3 credits) Introduction to space flight mechanics. The two-body problem. Orbital transfers, maneuvers and orbital analysis. Ground tracks and relative motion in orbit. Gravity-assist trajectories. Spacecraft attitude and rotational dynamics. Euler’s and Poisson’s equations and their linearization. Stability analysis. Momentum management using thrusters and reaction wheels. Orbital simulation using Matlab and STK.