National University of Science and Technology

College of Aeronautical Engineering – Aerospace

Engineering Department

Course Plan – AE-942

Department Group Semester No

Aerospace Engineering Astronautics
Course Title Code Credit Hours
Spacecraft Systems Design AE-942 3-0

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Spacecraft Systems Design is a graduate/post-graduate-level course in the field of flight vehicle
design and systems engineering. It is designed for students who have had a previous
understanding of the subject of astrodynamics, space mission design, space systems engineering,
space operations etc. After a brief revision of the previous vital topics, the course commences the
design process with mission and payload design schemes. The design methodology for five
major systems including structure, thermal, power, attitude control, telemetry, tracking,
command and data handling is discussed in detail. Interface with launch vehicle and overall
program as well as mission cost modeling is taught. The course culminates with selective case
studies on various spacecraft configurations.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
SNo CLO Statement PLO Domain
Students shall acquire the ability to analyze modern
1 PLO-2 C5
spacecraft systems design
Students shall have the ability to create novel spacecraft
2 design concepts in synch with technology trends in PLO-3 C6
space industry

PREREQUISITE:
1. AE-413: Fundamentals of Astrodynamics
2. AE-841: Orbital Mechanics
TEXT AND REFERENCE MATERIAL:
1. “Elements of Spacecraft Design” by Charles D. Brown (2002 Ed), AIAA Education Series,
ISBN 1-56347-524-3
2. “Space Mission Analysis and Design” by W. J. Larson, J. R. Wertz (7th Ed, 2005) Kluwer
Academic Publishers, ISBN 1-881883-10-8
3. “Spacecraft Systems Engineering” by John Stark & Graham Swinerd, (3rd Ed, 2005), John
Wiley & Sons, ISBN 0-470-85102-3
4. “Space Vehicle Design” by Michael D. Griffin, (2nd Ed, 2004), AIAA Education Series,
ISBN 1-56347-539-1

ASSESSMENT SYSTEM:
Quizzes 15-25 %
OHTs 35-45 %
Assignments 5-10 %
End Semester Exam 35-45%
Total 100%
 National University of Science and Technology
College of Aeronautical Engineering – Aerospace
Engineering Department

Course Plan – AE-942

LIST OF TOPICS
1. Introduction to Systems Engineering Process
2. Orbital Mechanics & Space Mission Design
3. Orbit & Constellation Design
4. Space Environment
5. Rocket Propulsion system
6. Payload Design & Sizing
7. Spacecraft Structure Design & Configuration
8. Attitude Determination & Control system
9. Telemetry, Tracking, Command & Data Handling
10. Spacecraft Thermal Control system
11. Power Generation System
12. Launch Systems Interface
13. Space System Cost Modeling
14. Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) Techniques
15. Space Vehicle Design Case Studies

LECTURE-WISE / WEEK-WISE BREAKDOWN

Lecture Description Reference Material
1. Introduction to Systems Engineering
1 Systems engineering process, requirements & tradeoffs, T1 (ch 2), T4 (ch 1)
spacecraft anatomy, redundancies, launch vehicle interface
2. Orbital Mechanics & Space Mission Design
2-3 Two-body problem, Keplerian orbits, Non-Keplerian T1 (ch 3), T2 (ch 6), T4 (ch
motion, Perturbation methods 4)
4 Basic orbital maneuvers, interplanetary trajectories, Orbital T1 (ch 3), T4 (ch 4)
rendezvous
3. Orbit & Constellation Design
5 Orbit design, Earth coverage, ∆V budget, orbit selection T2 (ch 7), T3 (ch 5)
(Polar/LEO/MEO/HEO)
6-7 Selection of transfer, parking & space referenced orbits, T2 (ch 7)
Constellation design
4. Space Environment
8 Pre-Operational, Launch & Operational space environment T3 (ch 8), T4 (ch 3)
9 hardness & survivability, Effects on design T2 (ch 8), T3 (ch 2)
 National University of Science and Technology
College of Aeronautical Engineering – Aerospace
Engineering Department

Course Plan – AE-942

5. Rocket Propulsion
10 Rocket systems, Theoretical rocket performance, T1 (ch 4), T3 (ch 6)
propulsion requirements,
11 Monopropellant, Bi-propellant, Dual-mode, SRM systems T1 (ch 4),
12 Ascent flight mechanics, launch vehicle selection, T2 (ch 17), T4 (ch 5)
component sizing, Staging
6. Payload Design & Sizing
13 Mission requirements & payload trading, T2 (ch 9)
14-15 observation payload design & sizing T2 (ch 9)
16 Spacecraft design literature review: specific design cases at SCI/SCI(E) journal papers of
SNo 15 past 5-10 years
17 OHT # 1
7. Spacecraft Design & Configuration
18 Design drivers, design concepts, configurations, material T2 (ch10), T3 (ch8), T4 (ch8)
selection
19 Spacecraft bus design, mass properties, structural loads T2 (ch10), T3 (ch8), T4 (ch8)
20-21 Integrated bus design, large structures, design verification T2 (ch10), T3 (ch8), T4 (ch8)
& analysis
8. Attitude Determination and Control system
22 Rotational & rigid body dynamics, spacecraft disturbance T2 (ch 11), T4 (ch 7)
torques,
23-25 Attitude determination, attitude control system, maneuver T1 (ch 5), T3 (ch 9)
design
9. Telemetry, Tracking, Command & Data Handling
26-27 System architecture, telemetry data formatting, tele- T3 (ch 13), T4 (ch 11)
command, satellite tracking
28 Data handling, command processing, OBDH system T1 (ch 8), T2 (ch 11.2), T3
(ch 13)
29 Simulation: in-orbit satellite operations & track generation Class handouts
10. Spacecraft Thermal Control system
30 TCS design methodology, heat transfer mechanisms, basic T1 (ch 7), T2 (ch 11.5), T4
analytical eqns, (ch 9)
31 Thermal balance, thermal modeling & analysis, thermal T3 (ch 11)
design verification
32-33 preliminary TCS design, analysis and verification T3 (ch 11), T4 (ch 9)
11. Spacecraft Power Generation System
 National University of Science and Technology
College of Aeronautical Engineering – Aerospace
Engineering Department

Course Plan – AE-942

34 Power system requirements, primary & secondary power T1 (ch 6), T2 (ch 11.4), T3
systems, power system design drivers (ch 10), T4 (ch 10)
35 Power management distribution & control design, power T1 (ch 6), T2 (ch 11.4), T3
budget, solar array sizing, subsystem mass (ch 10)
36 Radioisotopes, Thermoelectric generators, power T4 (ch 10)
conditioning, fuel cells, future systems
37 OHT# 2
12. Launch Systems Interface
38 Launch vehicle performance, launch system selection T2 (ch 18), T3 (ch 7)
process, spacecraft launch plan design
39-40 Spacecraft design envelop, launch vehicle-spacecraft T3 (ch 7)
interface, reentry design
13. Space Systems Cost Modeling
41 Fundamentals of cost analysis, parametric cost estimation, T2 (ch 20)
42-43 Cost estimation Relations, Launch cost, satellite mission & T2 (ch 20)
program cost modeling
14. Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Techniques
43 Optimal Design Problem Formulation, Unconstrained Class notes
Functions in N Variables, Constrained Functions
44 Global Optimization: Simulated Annealing, Nelder-Mead Class notes
Simplex, Genetic Algorithm
45 Recent MDO Techniques: Approximations and Response Class notes
Surface Methodology in MDO, problem decomposition
15. Space Vehicle Design Case Studies
46 Large satellite platform designs Students presentation
47 Small satellite platform designs Students presentation
48 Discussion
End Semester Exam

Course Prepared by: Dr Ali Sarosh (CAE, NUST)

Course Reviewed by: Dr Najam Naqvi (IST)

Note:- While the instructor shall try to adhere to the above schedule, deviations in
sequence of meeting lecture-wise targets are possible. Preference would be given to the
students’ understanding of the subject rather than covering the lecture-wise topics.