Introduction to space engineering fundamentals, key concepts and missions

General outline

This session will provide our attendees with an overall summary of the various specific characteristics of the space environment and related constraints (module 1), along with the engineering concepts required to understand the technical fundamentals of a space mission (module 2).

Based on these background elements, our attendees will go through each component that make up a satellite communications system (module 3) and a satellite Earth observation system (module 4).

Contents

Module 1: Space environment and associated constraints

Vincent ASTIER, Senior Consultant, Satellite & Launcher Expert, Satconsult  

Space environment

• Key space environment characteristics
• Orbital mechanics

Space constraints

• Launch constraints
• Effects of orbital perturbations on spacecraft
• Effects of the space environment on materials and electrical components

Implications for spacecraft design

• On-board thermal regulation
• Electronic hardening
• Orbit determination and control
• Mechanical testing

Module 2: General introduction to space missions

Jérôme COLINAS , Senior Consultant, Satcom and Earth Observation Expert, Satconsult  

Key mission components

• Space segment architecture: platform and payload
• Ground and launch segment
• Mission operations

Key applications and system design

• Types of missions and objectives
• System design drivers

Module 3: Satellite communications systems overview

Olivier MURET, Senior Consultant, Satcom Systems Expert, Satconsult

Inventory and definition of satellite communications services

• Raw capacity
• Managed services
• Managed capacity
• End-to-end solutions

The space segment

• The satellite
• The satellite control center
• The frequency resource

The ground segment

• User terminals and RF gateways
• The resource manager
• Communication hubs

Most impacting mission concept trends

• High Throughput Satellite (HTS) systems
• Flexible & reconfigurable systems
• Constellation systems

Module 4: Satellite Earth observation systems overview

Jérôme COLINAS , Senior Consultant, Satcom and Earth Observation Expert, Satconsult 

Missions

• Environment (meteorology, agriculture, forestry, etc.)
• Intelligence (economic, security, defense)

Main parameters and drivers

• Main characteristics of the observation targets (size, frequency of occurrence, wavelength of observability)
• Design drivers (revisit, resolution, wavelength, day/night, all-weather, local, global, tasking cycle)
• Going from requirements to launch and operations

System architecture

• Space segment (number of satellites, orbits, agility, …)
• Ground segment (stations, ISL, processing, dissemination)

Technologies

• ‘Optical, radar (imagery, altimetry), lidar
• Connected systems: Geoint, Sigint

Duration & Timing

4 hours 

Module 1: ~60 mn (including Q&As)
Module 2: ~60 mn (including Q&As)
Module 3: ~60 mn (including Q&As)
Module 4: ~60 mn (including Q&As)  

Prerequisites

None. This session has been designed as an overview of space engineering for attendees with no technical background or alternatively as a general introduction to more advanced courses in space engineering for attendees with a technical background.