Spacecraft Systems 4 ENG4206

  • Academic Session: 2025-26
  • School: School of Engineering
  • Credits: 10
  • Level: Level 4 (SCQF level 10)
  • Typically Offered: Semester 1
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No
  • Curriculum For Life: No

Short Description

This course will investigate the design and sizing of major spacecraft subsystems and illustrate design choices and trades through a range of case studies.  The course will include the following topics of study; thermal, command and data handling, attitude and orbit control systems, propulsion, and structural aspects of satellites. Ethics and legal aspects of space will also be studied.

Timetable

2 lectures per week

Requirements of Entry

None

Excluded Courses

None

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

70% Written Exam

30% Individual Report - Students choose a space mission from a provided list and then write about the systems required, the trades offs required for these missions and provide a constructive discussion on the wider impacts (ethics, legal, sustainability and financial).

Main Assessment In: December

Course Aims

The aim of this course is to introduce the main subsystems on spacecraft, why these systems are required, and the variation within these systems. The environment these systems are required to work in is also presented with the various aspects of the environment presented and how this environment impacts satellites and spacecraft. The regulatory aspect of space is also presented as not only are satellites and spacecraft hardware subject to these regulations the missions that are undertaken and the systems that make up the satellites/spacecraft are also subject to a wide range of international and national regulations.

Access to space is also discussed, with the current developments presented.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of the course students will be able to:

■ Explain and evaluate the main aspects of the space environment and assess the gross effects on the spacecraft and personnel;

■ Explain the key concepts of major spacecraft subsystems, analysing the performance of these systems;

■ Critically assess which variation of systems to use in which circumstance;

■ Analyse and use fundamental design tools and relationships to develop satellites;

■ Discuss and evaluate legal (such as certification and insurance) , ethical, and sustainability issues with reference to UN treaties as well as EU and UK law.;

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.

 

Students should attend at least 75% of the timetabled classes of the course.