Duration
Number of credits
| Master MSc. in Aerospace Engineering, professional focus in aerospace engineering | 10 crédits |
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
English language
Organisation and examination
All year long, with partial in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
This course aims at introducing the students to the concurrent design process of space instruments. The subject is inherently multi-disciplinary, each technical field being a sub-system interacting with all the others.
An introductory lecture uses a historical approach to describe the interactions between the different sub-systems. Various lectures will be given to describe the various aspects of space instrumentation design, including mechanical and thermal design. Space project management will also be covered. In the footspteps of ESA Clean Space initiative, life cycle assessment tailored to the space sector will also be addressed.
All this information will then be used by the students in order to carry out the conceptual and preliminary design of a space instrument. The specific project the students will be assigned will be introduced during a dedicated lecture.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
At the end of the class the student will have acquired the necessary methodological and technical tools to carry out the preliminary thermo-mechanical design of a space instrument considering all the major constraints of the space environment.
This course contributes to the learning outcomes I.1, I.2, II.1, II.2, II.3, III.1, III.2, III.3, III.4, IV.1, IV.3, V.1, V.2, VI.1, VI.2, VI.3, VII.1, VII.2, VII.3, VII.4, VII.5 of the MSc in aerospace engineering.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program but knowledge in:
- Solid Mechanics
- Theory of vibration
- Heat transfer
- Satellite Engineering
- Finite Element Method
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The course is divided into different types of activity:
- Theoretical lectures by several professors (attendance is compulsary);
- Lectures by industrial partners who will illustrate the practical application of theoretical concepts in the aerospace industry (attendance is compulsory);
- Numerical tools introduction sessions (attendance is compulsary)
- Supervised project sessions during which the student groups can interact with the professors and assistants to conduct their assignment (attendance is compulsory)
- If opportunity arises, visit of the cleanroom of the Centre Spatial de Liège will be organised (attendance is compulsory)
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus
Further information:
P. Fortescue, G. Swinerd, J. Stark, Spacecraft Systems Engineering. 4th ed., Wiley, 2011 https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119971009
A. M. Cruise, J. A. Bowles, T. J. Patrick, and C. V. Goodall, Principles of Space Instrument Design. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511584503.002
J.J. Wijker, Spacecraft Structures, Berlin: Springer, 2008. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-75553-1
D. Gilmore, Spacecraft Thermal Control Handbook - Volume I: Fundamental Technologies, 2nd ed., The Aerospace Press, 2002. https://doi.org/10.2514/4.989117
ECSS
Written work / report
Other : Oral presentation of the project
Further information:
The evaluation is based on a project fulfillment, which consists in the conceptual/preliminary design of a space instrument
This project will be presented in front of professors and classmates (attendance to all the presentations of all the groups is compulsory).
The evaluation will be based on group report(s) (80%) with the oral presentation(s) (20%).
During the first project session, the Work-Packages (WPs) will be assigned by the group to its members; At noon, before the beginning of each session, each group will deliver a short report (1 page) with the details of each student weekly achievements;
An individual report detailing the students' personal contribution to the group project can also be requested in case of problem in the group organization, in which case only the latter will be used for the grading.
Given the nature of the class content and of the requested work, both based on an extensive group project, partly conducted during supervised sessions, no resit is scheduled in case of failed mark in June. The grade obtained in June is the final grade.
The student who does not attend to compulsary sessions or who does not deliver the assignements on time will not receive a grade for the class.
Presentation will be on-site.
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
The design project is carried out during both terms.
Some practical sessions might be given at the Centre Spatial de Liège.
Contacts
Lionel Jacques, ljacques@uliege.be