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GL5065: INSTRUMENTATION, DESIGN AND DATA FOR PLANETARY EXPLORATION (2024-2025)

Last modified: 23 Jul 2024 11:03


Course Overview

This course gives an overview of the main aspects of the development and exploitation of instrumentation for space exploration. In this course the student will get introduced to the main stages of design of space exploration mission and its instrumentation, the constraints that must be satisfied, and how the data are produced and released. The training will be focused on practical cases, using when possible online tools. Students will get some basic training on project management in space projects, structural and thermal modelling and will get familiarized with the ECSS standards and the planetary data archive.

Course Details

Study Type Postgraduate Level 5
Term First Term Credit Points 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Thasshwin Mathanlal

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Any Postgraduate Programme (Studied)

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

The course will include an up-to-date training on how space missions and instruments are planned. The training will always be guided through practical examples. The student will also get some basic training to the initial engineering design phases.

Some of the topics that will be covered in this subject are:

  • Overview of some of space exploration missions, including an up-to-date introduction to the Lunar and Mars exploration programs, the deep space exploration program and the missions that are devoted to searching for life and habitable environments beyond the Earth.
  • In-Situ Instrumentation and Remote Sensing – Comparison, Pros/Cons, Mission examples.
  • Space environment.
  • Instrument design for space missions. From proposal to integration and testing.
  • Science Traceability Matrix (STM): objectives, measurements, resolution.
  • Project management in space missions (schedule, cost, human resources, work packages).
  • Planetary Data System and Planetary Science Archive and online visualization tools.
  • European Standards for Space.

The intended learning outcomes of this course will be to:

  • Understand the conditions that instrumentation and missions face in the space environment.
  • Understand the main steps of the qualification of space instrumentation and the standards for space projects.
  • Understand how instrument data are released, documented, archived and how they can be interpreted.
  • Understand how the science objectives are connected with the instrument requirements.
  • Analyse coherently the purpose, design limitations and operation of one existing instrument for planetary exploration and create the contents of a Preliminary Design Review.

Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

Essay analysing one specific case of space mission data.

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 20
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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Assessment component B

Two-page essay: download data from one mission, plot and explain what is observed and the goals of the mission. Explain any label or readme file. Use JMARS or analyst NOTE book to have access to data of Mars/Moon.

There will be supporting online lectures.

Individual feedback for essay and Q&A session will be given online.

 

Assessment - week 11 of 1st sub-session

Feedback - week 12 of 1st sub-session

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualUnderstandUnderstand the main steps of the qualification of space instrumentation. Acquire knowledge about the European standards for space projects, learn to interpret the procedures and describe two of them.
FactualCreateAnalyse the purpose, design limitations and operation of one existing instrument for planetary exploration. Choose one existing space instrument, and present as in a Preliminary Design Review.

Essay

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 20
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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Assessment component C

Four-page essay describing two standards of space procedures and oral presentation to peers with Q&A session.

The student will browse through the ECSS and download two, understand them and summarize them in two pages each which will be given for evaluation.

The standards will also be presented online in a Q&A session.

There will be supporting online lectures.

Individual feedback for essay and Q&A session will be given online.

 

Assessment - week 11 of 1st sub-session

Feedback - week 12 of 1st sub-session

Word Count
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualUnderstandUnderstand the main steps of the qualification of space instrumentation. Acquire knowledge about the European standards for space projects, learn to interpret the procedures and describe two of them.
FactualCreateAnalyse the purpose, design limitations and operation of one existing instrument for planetary exploration. Choose one existing space instrument, and present as in a Preliminary Design Review.

Collection for 10 slides and oral presentation

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 20
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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Feedback

Assessment component A

A power point of 10 slides and a Q&A presentation describing the STM of an existing planetary exploration instrument. The students will search for information at the PDS, in refereed journals and in public pages of instrument providers.

There will be supporting online lectures.

Individual feedback for power point deliverable and the assimilation of the concepts as shown in the Q&A session will be given online.

 

Assessment - week 10 of 1st sub-session

Feedback - week 11 of 1st sub-session

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualUnderstandUnderstand the main steps of the qualification of space instrumentation. Acquire knowledge about the European standards for space projects, learn to interpret the procedures and describe two of them.
FactualApplyUnderstand the conditions that instrumentation and missions face in the space environment. Acquire knowledge about the environmental conditions that space exploration instruments have to withstand
FactualCreateAnalyse the purpose, design limitations and operation of one existing instrument for planetary exploration. Choose one existing space instrument, and present as in a Preliminary Design Review.
ProceduralEvaluateUnderstand how the science objectives are connected with the instrument requirements. Interpret the science traceability matrix of existing instrumentation.

Summary document for the instrument Preliminary Design Review

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 30
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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Assessment component E

Six-page essay (20%) and oral Q&A presentation (10%). Choose one space instrument, explain its technical conditions, the STM, scientific purpose, data products, scientific exploitation modes and results, environmental conditions and mission, agency, history of development of the instrument.

There will be supporting online lectures

Individual feedback for assay and Q&A presentation will be given online.

 

Assessment - week 12 of 1st sub-session

Feedback - week 13 of 1st sub-session

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualUnderstandUnderstand the main steps of the qualification of space instrumentation. Acquire knowledge about the European standards for space projects, learn to interpret the procedures and describe two of them.
FactualApplyUnderstand the conditions that instrumentation and missions face in the space environment. Acquire knowledge about the environmental conditions that space exploration instruments have to withstand
FactualCreateAnalyse the purpose, design limitations and operation of one existing instrument for planetary exploration. Choose one existing space instrument, and present as in a Preliminary Design Review.
ProceduralEvaluateUnderstand how instrument data are released, documented and how they can be interpreted. Acquire knowledge about data archiving and sharing policies and online tools for visualisation.
ProceduralEvaluateUnderstand how the science objectives are connected with the instrument requirements. Interpret the science traceability matrix of existing instrumentation.

Essay

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 10
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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Assessment component D

Two-page essay showing a case of online thermal simulation or radiation calculation or describing some prototyping laboratory work (if done on campus).

There will be supporting online lectures and, if laboratory conditions allow for it, there will be face-to-face practical lectures.

Individual feedback to the essay will be given online.

 

Assessment - week 12 of 1st sub-session

Feedback - week 13 of 1st sub-session

Word Count
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualUnderstandUnderstand the main steps of the qualification of space instrumentation. Acquire knowledge about the European standards for space projects, learn to interpret the procedures and describe two of them.
FactualApplyUnderstand the conditions that instrumentation and missions face in the space environment. Acquire knowledge about the environmental conditions that space exploration instruments have to withstand

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Resit Assessments

Resubmission of failed elements of assessment.

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 100
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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Feedback

Original element weighting

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
FactualCreateAnalyse the purpose, design limitations and operation of one existing instrument for planetary exploration. Choose one existing space instrument, and present as in a Preliminary Design Review.
ConceptualUnderstandUnderstand the main steps of the qualification of space instrumentation. Acquire knowledge about the European standards for space projects, learn to interpret the procedures and describe two of them.
ProceduralEvaluateUnderstand how instrument data are released, documented and how they can be interpreted. Acquire knowledge about data archiving and sharing policies and online tools for visualisation.
ProceduralEvaluateUnderstand how the science objectives are connected with the instrument requirements. Interpret the science traceability matrix of existing instrumentation.
FactualApplyUnderstand the conditions that instrumentation and missions face in the space environment. Acquire knowledge about the environmental conditions that space exploration instruments have to withstand

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