Lessons learned from the space exploration
Summary
The objective of the course is to present with different viewpoints, the lessons learned which lead to the decisions in the space exploration and their consequences today and for the decades to come. A semester continuous evaluation is done through a project (see below).
Content
1. Introduction – the first 15 years:
The geopolitical impact of the second World War. The start of the space conquest in the Cold-War context. The origin of the early Soviet successes, their working methodology, way of doing and designing, the technological limits. The American political, technological and industrial reactions, the Moon race. The reasons for the first space disasters and the Soviet failure in the lunar race. The end of the Apollo programme. The early conception and design of human-rated space vehicles and the associated risks.
2. Soviet and American Low Earth Orbit human occupancy:
The origin of the Soviet space stations programmes: Almaz, Salyut and Mir. The initial goals, the operational and human difficulties, the achieved results, the military hidden aspects. The US programmes: MOL, Skylab. The Space Shuttle Transportation System achievements, weakness and failures. The consequences of the Cold-War end on Soviet / Russian and American space activities. The start of the International Space Station (ISS) programme and a new worldwide-cooperation between the different Partners.
3. The Chinese Space programmes:
The early Soviet / China cooperation and technology transfer. The Long March launchers families and missions. The Chinese human space programme and space stations activities. The Moon and Mars exploration missions. The start of a new geopolitical space strategy at the dawn of a new Moon race.
4. The Launchers in the World:
Review and panorama of the launchers in the World with their associated technological choices: Soviet / Russian, American, Japanese, and others. From Europa to Ariane, the national and European projects. The successes of Ariane 1 to 5 and the evolution towards Ariane 6. The launchers family with Vega / Vega-C and Soyuz at the CSG (European Spaceport).
5. The automated probes and future human exploration programmes:
Review and panorama of the automated probes exploration missions towards Moon, Mars and Venus. The Artemis programme. Return to the Moon in the next 5 years, with Mars missions as an objective. The American human Mars exploration programme. Strategies and potential roles of the main Space agencies. The New Space™€™ actors roles and influences.
6. The next 50 years:
What can be expected in the next decades with respect to Space tourism, Solar Power Stations, Moon resources exploitation, the build-up of space colonies and a new vision for exploring, exploiting the solar system resources.
Keywords
Cold-War, Sputnik, Luna, Vostok, Voskhod, Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Soyuz, Salyut, Space Shuttle, Mir, ISS, Shenzhou, Tiangong, Moon race, Space cooperation, Space barter, Artemis, Launch service provider, Recovery and re-use of space elements, Space tourism, Space resources exploitation.
Learning Prerequisites
Required courses
Recommended courses
Prof. Claude Nicollier's, Prof. Bernard Foing's and Prof. Olivier de Weck€™ classes.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, the student must be able to:
- Conduct a trade-off assessment of a space project conceptual design
- Assess / Evaluate competing space ideas, concepts and early designs
- Identify the different roles that are involved in well-functioning teams and assume different roles, including leadership
- Take into consideration that learning from past space missions conception, design and experiences can greatly help to conceive and realize new space projects.
- Realize the importance of being aware of and follow the geopolitical space environment and evolution in which they will make their professional space carrier.
Transversal skills
- Plan and carry out activities in a way which makes optimal use of available time and other resources.
- Use a work methodology appropriate to the task.
- Keep appropriate documentation for group meetings.
- Negotiate effectively within the group.
- Demonstrate a capacity for creativity.
- Access and evaluate appropriate sources of information.
Teaching methods
Ex cathedra, in English or French. Lecturing every second week at EPFL during the semester, or through Zoom conferences if required due to the Covid-19.
Expected student activities
- Active participation in the project groups
- Participation during the lectures
Assessment methods
Semester continuous evaluation through a project
During the semester, a short Space project has to be performed. It is requested to set-up stand-alone independent groups (4 to 6 students max) to perform a space project conceptual design at system level, with trade-off€™ assessments of three missions€™ ideas issued from the groups€™ think-tank process. A System €œtrade-off€ method, as applied in the frame of preliminary conceptual design phases (pre-Phase A), is introduced and shall be used in the evaluation process. It requires definition of evaluation criteria, their weighting and application to the 3 mission€™ concepts. A project follow-up and guidance is provided during the semester. A draft mid-term report is requested. The project final report closes the activity at the end of the semester.
Supervision
| Office hours | No |
| Assistants | No |
| Forum | No |
| Others |
Resources
Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI)
No
Notes/Handbook
Lectures' syllabus delivered prior to each course.
Websites
- http://www.esa.int
- http://www.nasa.gov
- https://global.jaxa.jp
- http://en.roscosmos.ru
- https://cnes.fr/en
- https://www.dlr.de/EN/Home/home_node.html
- https://www.asi.it/en/
- https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-space-agency
- http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/english/index.html
Videos
Dans les plans d'études
- Semestre: Printemps
- Forme de l'examen: Pendant le semestre (session d'été)
- Matière examinée: Lessons learned from the space exploration
- Cours: 2 Heure(s) hebdo x 14 semaines
- Semestre: Printemps
- Forme de l'examen: Pendant le semestre (session d'été)
- Matière examinée: Lessons learned from the space exploration
- Cours: 2 Heure(s) hebdo x 14 semaines
- Semestre: Printemps
- Forme de l'examen: Pendant le semestre (session d'été)
- Matière examinée: Lessons learned from the space exploration
- Cours: 2 Heure(s) hebdo x 14 semaines