Program Overview

Introduction to the Spacecraft Systems Engineering Short Course

The Spacecraft Systems Engineering course provides a comprehensive overview of spacecraft engineering and its applications. This three-day course, delivered at the University of Auckland city campus, covers the main aspects of a space mission lifecycle, from requirements development to spacecraft and ground system design, assembly integration and test, and in-orbit operations.

Target Audience

This course is aimed at professionals new to the space sector, government agencies, and those already working in the space industry who want to broaden their understanding of space technologies and applications. It is suitable for people from a range of backgrounds, including technical, industry professionals, management, and administration services.

• The course is designed for participants with some scientific, technical, or engineering background who want to gain a better understanding of space systems, technologies, and their applications.
  • Two sessions are offered per year:
    • Spacecraft Systems Engineering: Designed for participants with a scientific, technical, or engineering background.
    • Spacecraft Systems Engineering (BASIC): Tailored for administrative and management professionals without a scientific, STEM, or technical background.

Course Overview

The course covers the following topics:

Introduction

• Overview of space and space applications
• Introduction to orbits
• Space Environment
• Spacecraft engineering in the New Space era
• Project lifecycle
• Concept of Operations (CONOPS)

Spacecraft System Engineering

• Spacecraft system architecture
• Redundancy Reliability and FDIR
• System Budgets

Spacecraft Subsystems

• On Board Data Handling (OBDH)
• Communications / Telemetry Tracking and Command (TT&C)
• Power
• Attitude and Orbit Control System (AOCS)
• Propulsion
• Structure / thermal

AIT and Launch

• Overview
• AIT/AIV flow
• Environmental test descriptions
• Launch Operations

Spacecraft Operations

• Ground systems architecture
• Spacecraft Operations

Course Tutors

The course is taught by a team of experienced instructors, including:

• Professor G Aglietti: Director of the Space Institute, Te Pnaha tea, University of Auckland, NZ
• Professor Roberto Armellin: Professor of Astrodynamics, Te Pnaha tea, University of Auckland, NZ
• Chris Jackson: Leads the mission operations team at TPA-SI
• Vernon Lewis: Experienced space industry professional with a PhD in Physics from Bangor University, Wales
• Dr Ben Taylor: Leads the mission and spacecraft system development team at TPA-SI
• Dr Sha Luo: Received her B.Eng and Ph.D degrees in school of Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Nanyang Technological University
• Dr Thomas Dowling: Remote sensing specialist, focusing on environmental challenges in the maritime

Feedback From Participants

Previous attendees have provided positive feedback, including:

• Excellent
• Really enjoyed content, interaction with course tutors, discussions with other attendees
• Provided good overview of space operations from many perspectives
• Would recommend to both new to the sector & those wanting detail
• The course gave me an excellent, broad understanding of space systems engineering that compliments my existing background