AAE 3125: Orbital Mechanics

3 Credit Hours

Prerequisite: MATH 2306 and ENGR 3122
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the fundamentals of orbital mechanics, focusing on two-body motion and conic sections. Students will explore Kepler’s laws, integrals of motion, and the universal variables formulation as they apply to spacecraft orbits. Emphasis is placed on both analytical and numerical methods for predicting orbits, accounting for gravitational, aerodynamic, and other perturbing forces. The course covers specific trajectory types, including ballistic missile trajectories, lunar and planetary orbits, and deep space missions. Additionally, students will learn the fundamentals of perturbation theory, variation of parameters, and Lagrange’s planetary equations, with applications to orbital maneuvers, rendezvous, and space navigation.

Course Learning Outcomes

Students who succcessfully complete this course will be able to:

1. Formulate two-body orbital mechanics problems.

2. Solve nonlinear algebraic and differential equations.

3. Analyze spacecraft orbits.

4. Calculate 2D and 3D space trajectories.

5. Derive motion of multiple bodies under gravitational force.

6. Describe relative motion between spacecraft in proximity.

7. Apply filtering methods to estimate orbits based on a few observations.