The course presents basic elements to perform experiments in physics or astronomy in space. Different aspects are taken into account: the motivation for going into space, the environment and the limits to instrumentation, types of available space mission, types of experiment in various fields and instruments that can be used, the orbits used and problems related to spacecraft attitude. Visits to laboratories and companies complete the training.
Texts and presentations from the lectures
Articles and scientific reviews
Fortescue, Stark e Swinerd, Spacecraft Systems Engineering,
Wiley Editore
Learning Objectives
Knowledge acquired: experimental methods in space, space mission types, elements of celestial mechanics and calculation of the orbits, optical telescopes, photon detectors, spectrometers and imaging cameras, radiation damage on the instrumentation, risks related to the space environment for operating the instrumentation.
Competence acquired: systemic view of a space experiment, optical instrumentation for space, detectors for space, radiation and environmental damage to the instrumentation, attitude and dynamics of a probe, calculation of the orbits.
Skills acquired (at the end of the course): definition of scientific requirements for space instrumentation, select the type of space mission and the best instrumentation for a given experiment in physics or astronomy, evaluation of benefits and environmental risks for a space mission as a function of the orbit or travel.
Prerequisites
Basic courses in physics and mathematics.
Teaching Methods
6 CFU
Lectures hours: 48
Further information
Office hours
E.Pace: on demand
S. Bottai: on demand
Website: --
Type of Assessment
Oral examination
Course program
Scientific motivations for space experiments.
how design and carry out a space mission.
Types of missions: suborbital, orbital and planetary.
Calculation of the orbits.
Dynamics of the spaccecraft.
Structure of a scientific payload.
Optical elements, photometry and radiometry.
Optical systems: telescopes, spectrographs, imaging cameras.
Systems for the detection of cosmic rays.
Photon and particle detectors.
Power systems.
The space environment: interactions with the scientific payload.
Cosmic rays and the Van Allen belts.
Radiation damage.
Ground support equipment.
Examples of space mission.