Aircraft/Spacecraft Design

At the end of this course, the students should be able to: 1. provide senior engineering students a capstone experience in spacecraft design; 2. offer an opportunity for going beyond a paper product (design report) into actual manufacturing and launching of microsatellites; 3. develop creative abilities in solving open-ended, spacecraft design problems; 4. develop an appreciation of the interrelationships between aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, flight mechanics, stability & control, manufacturing, maintenance and cost in an integrated spacecraft design; 5. develop students' engineering judgment as well as their confidence in making and accepting responsibility for design decisions; 6. develop students' oral and written communication skills, necessary to describe the assumptions, methods, and results of engineering analysis, synthesis and decision- making associated with spacecraft design; 7. be aware of the importance of teamwork in the design of a spacecraft and provide them with an opportunity to develop team and leadership skills; 8. be aware of their professional and ethical responsibilities as practicing engineers; and 9. discuss the role of identity, equality, social actions and culture in aerospace 10. engineering practice (Integration of area S and engineering).

Introduction to the principles and techniques of the detailed design of the constituent subsystems and related support systems for an aircraft/spacecraft. Aircraft/spacecraft systems engineering: aircraft/spacecraft programme phases; system engineering techniques; design drivers; trade-offs and budgets. Reliability analysis. Case studies. Prerequisite(s) or concurrent(s): AAE 401, AAE 407 or consent of instructor.