- From 25 August–1 October 2025 (6 Weeks, 12 Classes, 24 Hours)
- Every Monday and Wednesday at 4–6 p.m. Eastern Time (all sessions will be recorded and available for replay; course notes will be available for download)
- This course will familiarize students with the essential features of space flight dynamics for various types of space missions and will cover the requirements and design considerations for mission simulation systems.
- Joint course with the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS)
- All students will receive a joint AIAA/IIAS Certificate of Completion at the end of the course.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of the course students will
be able to:
- Explain the relationship of gravity and velocity in establishing suborbital, orbital, and escape trajectories.
- Describe an orbit around a celestial body using classical Keplerian Elements.
- Explain the use of velocity changes to change from an existing to a desired trajectory.
- Demonstrate the use of simplified linearized approximations and their effective use in rendezvous and proximity operations in preparation for docking.
- Describe profiles for establishing departure, rendezvous, encounters, entry, and landings between planets or other celestial bodies.
- Describe vehicle attitude representations and control methods.
- Identify the key elements and considerations for space system simulation design.
- Perform basic flight dynamics modeling using the NASA General Mission Analysis Tool (GMAT) software application.
AUDIENCE: Professionals, graduate students, upper-division undergraduate students.
COURSE FEES (Sign-In
to Register) It's not too late to register! Catch up by watching recorded lectures, available for one month from the lecture date.
- AIAA or IIAS Member Price: $995 USD
- Non-Member Price: $1,195 USD
OUTLINE
Class Schedule:
- Week #1. Mon, 25 Aug & Wed, 27 Aug
- Week #2. Mon, 1 Sept & Wed, 3 Sept
- Week #3. Mon, 8 Sept & Wed, 10 Sept
- Week #4. Mon, 15 Sept & Wed, 17 Sept
- Week #5. Mon, 22 Sept & Wed, 24 Sept
- Week #6. Mon, 29 Sept & Wed, 1 Oct
Lecture 1. Introduction to Orbital Mechanics
- Course overview
- Vectors and Kinematics
- Mass, Force, and Newton’s Law of Gravitation
- Why Satellites Orbit
- Angular Momentum
- The Energy Law
- Newton’s Laws of Motion
Lecture 2. In-Plane Orbital Motion
- Kepler’s Laws
- The Two-Body Problem
- Orbital Position as a Function of Time
- Time Since Periapsis
Lecture 3. Orbital Motion in Space
- Coordinate Systems
- Coordinate Transformations
- Inertial Versus Rotating Coordinates
- Transformations to Orient the Orbital Plane in Three Dimensions
- The Keplerian Orbital Representation
- Extension to Parabolic and Hyperbolic Trajectories
Lecture 4. Introduction to Rocket Dynamics
- Introduction
- Equations of Motion
- Rocket Equation
- Rocket Performance
Lecture 5. Orbital Maneuvering – Changing or Maintaining a Trajectory
- Impulsive versus non-impulsive maneuvers
- Intrack maneuvers
- The Hohmann Transfer
- Bielliptic Transfer
- Apsidal Line Rotation
- Chase (Intercept) Maneuvers
- Plane Change Maneuvers
Lecture 6. Intercept, Proximity Operations, and Rendezvous
- Introduction to the Lambert [Intercept] Problem
- Clohessy-Wiltshire [Hills] Equations as a Linearized Approximation
- Rendezvous – matching target velocity
- Docking
Lecture 8. Introduction to Orbital Perturbations
- Sources of Perturbative Accelerations
- Variation of Parameters
- Effect of Planetary Oblateness
- Numerical Integration
- High Fidelity Perturbational Modeling
Lecture 9. Lunar Trajectories
- Circular Restricted Three Body Problem
- Earth Departure
- Lunar Encounters
- Libration Points and Halo Orbits
- Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO)
Lecture 10. Interplanetary Trajectories
- Interplanetary Hohmann Transfer
- Planetary Departure
- Planetary Flyby
- Planetary Capture
Lecture 11. Rigid Body Dynamics
- Kinematics
- Moments of Inertia
- Torque Effects
- The Spinning Top
- Yaw, Pitch, and Roll Angles
- Quaternions
Lecture 12. Considerations for Space System Simulation
- Simulation basics
- Simulation for Mission Rehearsal
- Fidelity: Software versus Hardware-in-the-Loop
- Simulator Architecture
- Simulation Conduct
INSTRUCTOR
Ken has had the privilege of working with numerous space systems including NAVSTAR GPS and the GOES-R series of meteorological satellites, as well as being a member of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Inter-Operable Radio System (IORS) development team. For ARISS IORS he is primarily responsible for tracking hardware compliance against the rigid NASA crew safety requirements, coordinating with the design engineers, and preparing the corresponding documentation that is delivered to NASA.
Classroom
hours / CEUs: 24 classroom hours, 2.4 CEU/PDH
Course Delivery and Materials
- The course lectures will be delivered via the IIAS GoToMeeting Webinar Service.
- All sessions will be available on-demand within 1-2 days of the lecture. Once available, you can stream the replay video anytime, 24/7, available for one month from the lecture date. All slides will be available for download after each lecture.
- No part of these materials may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted, unless for course participants. All rights reserved.
- Between lectures, the instructor will be available via email for technical questions and comments.
Cancellation Policy: A refund less a $50.00 cancellation fee will be assessed for all cancellations made in writing prior to 7 days before the start of the event. After that time, no refunds will be provided.
Contact: Please contact Lisa Le or Customer Service if you have questions about the course or group discounts (for 5+ participants).