Spacecraft Design Program At The Naval Postgraduate School

Abstract

Abstract : This paper presents a review of the spacecraft design program at the Naval Postgraduate School. This program is part of the space systems engineering curriculum. In this curriculum, the students take at least one course for each spacecraft subsystem. The spacecraft design is a three course design sequence. The first course is on spacecraft design tools. The students become familiar with the spacecraft design tools that are used in the final design course. The tools include STK, IDEAS, NASTRAN, and MATLAB/Simulink. They also become familiar with system software such as Aerospace Corporation Corporation Conceptual Design Center tools and spacecraft cost estimation. The second course is on spacecraft system engineering where they review the design aspects of all subsystems, systems engineering, and do an individual design project. In the final capstone course, they do a team spacecraft design project. The spacecraft performance requirements are given by a sponsor. The students have mentors in each subsystem from industry, Aerospace Corporation and government laboratories. The final review is attended by senior spacecraft designers from industry, Aerospace Corporation and government. The Naval Postgraduate School has a Spacecraft Design Center, which is dedicated to these courses. The paper will also present results of a spacecraft design project, Space Based Radar, recently undertaken under this program.