Program Educational Objectives (PEOs)

• Make direct contributions to the area of space systems engineering and space science
  
  
• Successfully evaluate, monitor, and administer space systems research and development projects
  
  
• Use their AFIT education to approach and solve new technological challenges to meet the needs of the Department of Defense
  
  

Student Outcomes (SOs)

• Space Programs: Be knowledgeable about current and past US and international space programs. Understand the objectives of these programs and how they fit into military operations. Understand the basic technical means through which these objectives are achieved
  
  
• Spaceflight Dynamics: Understand the physics of orbital mechanics and what impact it has on orbital mission operations. Be able to calculate orbital maneuvers and understand the basics of orbit control in the presence of perturbations. Understand the basics of torque-free spacecraft attitude dynamics
  
  
• Satellite Communications: Understand modern communication principles with particular emphasis on applications to satellite and space communication systems including modulation, signals, multiplexing, demodulation, multiple access, coding, look angles, satellite hardware, earth station hardware, and link analysis
  
  
• Space Environment: Understand the physics of radiation, particles, and general conditions encountered in space. Understand spacecraft thermal equilibrium, orbit decay, spacecraft charging, space-to-ground communications, atmospheric chemistry, Van Allen belts, and solar phenomena
  
  
• Remote Sensing: Attain understanding of the remote sensing process with an emphasis on visible light and infrared systems. Understand the physics of interaction of light with matter, atmospheric absorption and scattering, radiometry, optical systems, spectral and spatial resolution and imaging, and electro-optical detectors
  
  
• Spacecraft Engineering: Be knowledgeable of the design issues related to complex space systems. Understand the key elements and subsystems of important classes of space systems. Gain experience with the systematic approach necessary to effectively design space systems through a group design process

Dr. Carl R. Hartsfield