November 19, 2010 USC Astronautics – USC/VSOE 1/6

mikeg@usc.eduSpace Systems Modeling and DesignMike Gruntman

Space Systems Modeling and Design

Mike Gruntman

Department of Astronautical EngineeringViterbi School of Engineering

University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, California

November 19, 2010 USC Astronautics – USC/VSOE 2/6

mikeg@usc.eduSpace Systems Modeling and DesignMike Gruntman

Background – USC Astronautics – Department

• Established as Astronautics and Space Technology Division in 2004 “to take full advantage of growing opportunities in space”

– founding Chairman (2004–2007)

– history, rational, development – in AIAA-2007-6042, downloadable from http://astronauticsnow.com/SpaceEducation/

• Operated as a department from 2004

• Built upon astronautical specialization, started in 1995

• Followed standard process in building a new department in a university (degree approval, course development, student affairs, ...)

• Responsible for programs in space engineering in USC

• Established a full set of degrees, including a large nationally-prominent Master’s degree program

• Department of Astronautical Engineering since July 2010

November 19, 2010 USC Astronautics – USC/VSOE 3/6

mikeg@usc.eduSpace Systems Modeling and DesignMike Gruntman

Background – USC Astronautics – Education & Faculty

• Unique pure-space-engineering department

• Offers the full set of degrees in Astronautical Engineering (ASTE)

Bachelor of Science

Bachelor of Science Minor

Master of Science

Engineer

PhD

Graduate Certificate

• Among largest national programs in space engineering

• 4 tenured faculty + several joint appointments and research faculty; ~20 adjunct faculty and part-time lecturers

Nationally prominent MS Program

Student reachThrough DEN

November 19, 2010 USC Astronautics – USC/VSOE 4/6

mikeg@usc.eduSpace Systems Modeling and DesignMike Gruntman

Background – USC Astronautics – Research

• Astronautics• Space missions and space systems• Space environment and spacecraft interactions• Space science, instrumentation and sensors• Spacecraft propulsion• Space mission and spacecraft design• Non-equilibrium processes in gases and plasmas• Computational physics and high performance computing

• Faculty were/are PI’s and Co-I’s on programs supported by NASA, Air Force, Navy, NSF, industry

• Science team member/investigator/development:Pioneer 10/11, SOHO, Deep Space 1, IMAGE, Dawn

• Current NASA missions Co-I: TWINS and IBEX

• Student (undergraduate) projects Sounding rocket Lunar lander Student microsatellite International Student Satellite

November 19, 2010 USC Astronautics – USC/VSOE 5/6

mikeg@usc.eduSpace Systems Modeling and DesignMike Gruntman

Space Systems – Relevant Experience

• Key participant in effort in 2003-2007 (jointly with ISI) to advance satellite-related technologies for national security space

• Closely interacted with SMC and Aerospace and engaged other gov’t

• Part of the vision: to establish a Space Mission Development Center (SMDC), with heavy student participation

• Simplified version of Aerospace’s CDC and JPL’s Team-X

– Education of students in astronautics and system engineering

– Serve as testbed for new tools and concepts

• Mission concept (preliminary) design for outside customers

Never implemented or tried

• Co-I – two current NASA missions

• Interaction with Team-X and CDC

• Numerous (simplified) space missions (paper) designed by senior students (1998-2004)

• Graduate course in Spacecraft Design – perhaps largest in the U.S. (1000+ in 8 years);

also short courses for industry and gov’t

November 19, 2010 USC Astronautics – USC/VSOE 6/6

mikeg@usc.eduSpace Systems Modeling and DesignMike Gruntman

Space Mission Development Center

Space Mission Development Center

• very much the area of interests• Great educational and training tool• Testbed for development of new tools

and concepts• Possibility to expand to R&D, in

cooperation with systems engineering and others

• Possibility of providing mission design for outside customers

• Does not require significant hardware resources/investment

• Can be operated on campus as ITAR compliant – most astronautics students are U.S. citizens or greencards (U.S. persons)