Online Space Systems Engineering Master's Program

This course emphasizes the development of modeling and simulation concepts and analysis skills necessary to design, program, implement, and use computers to solve complex systems/products analysis problems. The key emphasis is on problem formulation, model building, data analysis, solution techniques, and evaluation of alternative designs/ processes in complex systems/products. Overview of modeling techniques and methods used in decision analysis, including Monte Carlo and discrete event simulation is presented.

This project-based course exposes students to tools and methodologies useful for forming and managing an effective engineering design team in a business environment. Topics covered will include: personality profiles for creating teams with balanced diversity; computational tools for project coordination and management; real time electronic documentation as a critical design process variable; and methods for refining project requirements to ensure that the team addresses the right problem with the right solution.

This course presents the fundamental principles and process for designing effective and reliable, supportable, and maintainable systems. The participants will also understand the concept of system operational effectiveness, and the inherent "cause and effect" relationship between design decisions and system operation, maintenance and logistics. Furthermore, the course will also discuss system life cycle cost modeling as a strategic design decision making methodology and present illustrative case studies.

This course examines the real-world application of the entire space systems engineering discipline. Taking a process- oriented approach, the course starts with basic mission objectives and examines the principles and practical methods for mission design and operations in depth. Interactive discussions focus on initial requirements definition, operations concept development, architecture tradeoffs, payload design, bus sizing, subsystem definition, system manufacturing, verification and operations. This is a hands-on course with a focus on robotic missions for science, military and commercial applications.

This course provides the conceptual framework for developing space missions of human spacecraft starting from a blank sheet of paper. It describes and teaches the human space mission design and analysis process. The entire course is process oriented to equip each participant with practical tools to complete a conceptual design and analyze the impacts of evolving requirements. At the end of this course you will be better able to tie mission elements together and perform tradeoffs between system design and mission operations that must occur, during the early stages of planning, in order to deliver cost-effective results.

This course will explore and discuss issues related to the integration and testing of complex systems. First and foremost, students will be exposed to issues relating to the formulation of system operational assessment and concept. Subsequently, functional modeling and analysis methods will be used to represent the system functionality and capability, leading to the packaging of these functions and capabilities into high-level system architecture. Specific focus will be given to issues of interface management and testability. The course will also address the related management issues pertaining to integrated product teams, vendors and suppliers, and subcontractors. In addition, selected articles will be researched to demonstrate the techniques explored in class.

This course examines the real-world space mission operations. Taking a process-oriented approach, the course provides an in-depth view of the entirety of space mission operations, including the concept of operations and all functions that are performed in support of a space mission. Interactive discussions focus on initial requirements definition, operations concept development, functional allocation among spacecraft, payload, ground system and operators. A detailed model is provided that allows the user to estimate operations complexity and then prepare an estimate of the number of operators required and overall cost. This is a hands-on course with a focus on space missions for science, military and commercial applications.

This course provides the participant with the tools and techniques that can be used early in the design phase to effectively influence a design from the perspective of system reliability, maintainability, and supportability. Students will be introduced to various requirements definition and analysis tools and techniques to include Quality Function Deployment, Input-Output Matrices, and Parameter Taxonomies. An overview of the system functional analysis and system architecture development heuristics will be provided. Further, the students will learn to exploit this phase of the system design and development process to impart enhanced reliability, maintainability, and supportability to the design configuration being developed. Given the strategic nature of early design decisions, the participants will also learn selected multiattribute design decision and risk analysis methodologies, including Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). As part of the emphasis on maintainability, the module addresses issues such as accessibility, standardization, modularization, testability, mobility, interchangeability and serviceability, and the relevant methods, tools, and techniques. Further, the students will learn to exploit this phase of the system design and development process to impart enhanced supportability to the design configuration being developed through an explicit focus on configuration commonality and interchangeability, use of standard parts and fasteners, adherence to open system standards and profiles, and use of standard networking and communication protocols. Examples and case studies will be used to facilitate understanding of these principles and concepts.

This course is a study of analytic techniques for rational decision-making that addresses uncertainty, conflicting objectives, and risk attitudes. This course covers modeling uncertainty; rational decision-making principles; representing decision problems with value trees, decision trees and influence diagrams; solving value hierarchies; defining and calculating the value of information; incorporating risk attitudes into the analysis; and conducting sensitivity analyses.

It takes something special for the term system to have such ubiquity. The downside is that it is overused, improperly so, detracting from its power. This class builds upon a solid conceptual foundation to ensure that the system/enterprise is properly defined, conceived, and realized. Uniquely, the class shows how it is possible to use systems in order to think more deeply and to act more decisively. This approach is made possible by emphasizing the simultaneity of perspectives, the role of paradox, and the centrality of soft issues in resolving complexity. The SystemitoolTM is used to structure and conduct analysis of decisions. This class is aimed at policy and decision-makers at all levels in an organization.