Space Systems Engineering

Academic unit or major

Undergraduate major in Mechanical Engineering

Instructor(s)

Toshihiro Chujo / / Yasutaka Satou / Satoru Ozawa

Class Format

Lecture (Face-to-face)

Media-enhanced courses

-

Day of week/Period
(Classrooms)

5-8 Tue (I3-107(I311))

Class

-

Course Code

MEC.M331

Number of credits

200

Course offered

2023

Offered quarter

2Q

Syllabus updated

Jul 8, 2025

Language

Japanese

Syllabus

Course overview and goals

The instructors will lecture on
1) attitude control of spacecraft
2) orbit control of spacecraft
3) structural dynamics of spacecraft and rockets.

Course description and aims

In this course, the basics of the following topics are lectured.
1) Attitude control of spacecraft: coordinate transformation, attitude representations, kinematics, dynamics, disturbance torque (gravity-gradient, solar radiation, electromagnetic and other torque), nutation of spin satellites, and various types of attitude control, such as control of gravity gradient stabilized satellites, stabilization control of spin satellites, control of three-axis stabilized satellites, attitude change control.
2) Orbit control of spacecraft: sphere of influence, patched conic method, interplanetary/cislunar orbits, three-body problems.
3) Structural dynamics of spacecraft and rockets: loads and dynamics for rocket and spacecraft structures and their design, design for mechanisms for spacecraft, basics of flexible deployable structure.

Student learning outcomes

実務経験と講義内容との関連 (又は実践的教育内容)

This lecture provides fundamental knowledge on space engineering by professors and lecturers who have experience in the research and development of space science satellites and deep space exploration spacecraft in JAXA.

Keywords

attitude representations, kinematics and dynamics, disturbance torque, nutation, gravity-gradient stabilization, three-axis stabilized satellite, attitude change control, sphere of influence, patched conic method, interplanetary/cislunar orbit, three-body problem, coordinate transformation, rocket structure and spacecraft structure, mechanism design for spacecraft, flexible deployable structure

Competencies

• Specialist skills
• Intercultural skills
• Communication skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

Instructors will give lectures on attitude and orbit control and the structural dynamics of spacecraft using a blackboard, PowerPoint slides, and videos. Report assignments will be given as needed.

Course schedule/Objectives

Study advice (preparation and review)

To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterward (including assignments) for each class, referring to textbooks and other course material.

Textbook(s)

Ohkami, Tomita, Nakasuka and Matunaga, Introduction to Space Stations, Tokyo Univ Press, 2014

Reference books, course materials, etc.

B. Wie, Space Vehicle Dynamics and Control, American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics, 2008.
P.C. Hughes, Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics, John Wiley & Sons, 1986.

Evaluation methods and criteria

Report (40%) and final exam (60%).

Related courses

• MEC.M231 ： Introduction to Space Engineering
• MEC.A201 ： Engineering Mechanics
• MEC.B241 ： Exercises in Engineering Mathematics
• MEC.B242 ： Exercises in Applied Mathematics
• MEC.M333 ： Advanced Space Engineering
• MEC.M332 ： Space Systems Design Project
• MEC.M334 ： Aeronautical and Aerospace Technology

Prerequisites

Students are required to have a good knowledge of dynamics, vector calculus, and differentiation. It is desirable that students have completed the Introduction to Space Engineering course or have equivalent knowledge and basic knowledge of Control Theory or Theory of Vibration.