Syllabus

Aerospace Engineering 413 at NMT

Aerospace Engineering 362 at NMSU

Orbital Mechanics

Fall, 2007

Three credits

Prerequisites: Physics 122 or 132, and Math 332

Instructor: Prof. David Westpfahl

Office: 361 Workman Center

Office Phone: 835-5792

Email: dwestpfa@nmt.edu

Course Designation: This course is required for the Aerospace Engineering option of the B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. It is an elective in Physics. It may not replace Physics 321 in the Physics curriculum.

Course Description: This is a first upper-division course covering the Newtonian mechanics of orbits. Applications include ballistic missiles, satellites, and lunar and interplanetary orbits.

Readings, Materials, and Resources: Our text is Fundamentals of Astrodynamics by Roger R. Bate, Donald D. Mueller, and Jerry E. White. We will cover the material that the authors recommend for a one-semester course: all of Chapter 1, Sections 1 through 7 and 13 through 15 of Chapter 2, all of Chapter 3, Sections 1 through 5 of Chapter 4, all of Chapter 6, and selected topics from Chapters 7 and 8.

Course Content: Here is a brief description of the course content areas:

We will start with a review of Newtonian mechanics and Newtonian gravitation. We will derive the constants of the motion and the trajectory equation, showing that specific mechanical energy and specific angular momentum are conserved and that all possible orbits are conic sections. We will relate the energy and angular momentum to the size and shape of the orbit.

We will go on to define appropriate coordinate systems for the study of orbits, the classical orbital elements, and basic methods for determining the orbit of an object from observations. We will use these to study basic orbital maneuvers and to calculate space vehicle positions and velocities as functions of time. We will apply these techniques to the trajectories of ballistic missiles and satellites around the Earth, to the Moon, and among the planets of the Solar System.

Course Goals: Our goal is to master the course content well enough to go on to graduate study or work in the aerospace industry. This is a first course in orbital mechanics. It will allow you to calculate orbits from observations and to participate in the planning of orbital and suborbital missions. Students will become conversant in these subjects, but it is impossible to become an expert in a single course.

Attendance: Students are expected to attend class. Acceptable reasons for missing class include illness, travel to visit grad schools, personal or family emergencies, special research opportunities, and field trips for work in other classes

Grading: Grades will be based on performance on homework and class projects. The initial standard will be

A - 90% or above

B - 89% to 80%

C - 79% to 70%

D - 69% to 60%

F - 59% or below.

The scale will never be more demanding than this, and I anticipate curving the scale to make it more lenient.

Assessment: We will use an Orbital Mechanics Concept Inventory at the beginning and end of the semester for assessment. You may remember the Force Concept Inventory from Physics 121 or 131. The Orbital Mechanics Concept Inventory is similar in spirit, and covers the man topics of this course.

Pace of the Class: The class is paced to cover most of the text in one semester. This is a rate that accommodates most students. If you find this pace too slow please let me know; I am willing to provide the assignments and allow you to work at a more rapid pace.

Getting Help: Students are encouraged to work together. I will be available for help during office hours, after class meetings, and at other times by appointment. Informal drop-in visits to my office are strongly encouraged.