The Principles of Space Instrument Design
The Principles of Space Instrument Design
Lauren Shea
Based on research completed at MSSL
Alton Convent School
Mullard Space Science Laboratory
During February half-term I went to Mullard
Space Science Laboratory for workexperience.
Understanding the Process of Designing
Spacecraft
Our aim today is: to understand how complex the process of spacecraft design is and to
be able to name a few conditions in space that could be harmful to the spacecraft.
Requirements
When designing a spacecraft there are initial requirements that need to be
considered:
•
Achieve mission with payload and/or passengers.
• Be easily and economically produced and maintained.
• Be reusable and have as few stages as possible to reduce cost
and recover expensive materials.
• Pass all engineering and flight tests.
• BE COST EFFECTIVE.
Thought Process
From ‘Principles of Space Instrument Design’
by A.M Cruise, J.A Bowles, T.J Patrick and C.V Goodall
What is a Spacecraft to you?
What is a Spacecraft?
A spacecraft is designed to travel in space and may be launched from Earth by a launch vehicle. It
may carry a payload to accomplish a mission with or without people and return to Earth.
The Millennium Falcon
The Death Star
The Starship Enterprise
The Design Process
Mission Purpose
What is the purpose of the
mission? What is the payload,
how big is it?
Once these, and many more
requirements are decided, a
study is done to determine
whether the mission performance
requirement can be met.
Fabrication
Once a final design passes initial
tests, a full-scale model is fabricated
in fibre glass or other inexpensive
materials. Then, an actual
prototype, called the flight model,
may be built and then tested to
assure the quality of design. If it
passes many hours of tests
including a series of experimental
flight tests, it is ready for production
and operation.
Testing
Once the spacecraft has been
designed, it must be certified for flight
through a series of performance,
vibration and thermal tests. Engineers
build and test individual components.
After initial testing, parts of the
spacecraft that don’t meet
performance requirements are
redesigned and retested.
Design
The nature of the payload and its
special needs, help determine the
design (shape, size…). If people
are going, other requirements,
such as seating capacity are
needed. The spacecraft must
provide for all of the support
systems, such as
communications, electrical
systems and life support.
Analyses
NASA engineers must determine the
craft's general operation before launch
and upon its return. They must analyse
the aerodynamic characteristics of the
configuration, as well as monitor
structural stress, effects of high speed,
heat tolerances and the course it flies
to space and back.
Engineers must consider new materials
that could minimize cost and weight.
What do you know about the conditions in
space?
Adaptations
As we know, the conditions in space are different from those
on Earth.
The Launch
Temperatures
Solar Orbiter facing the sun, showing the
extreme scale of temperatures in space.
Radiation
Meteor
Showers
Your Challenge:
Your task : to design a spacecraft, which you believe
would survive a mission in space.
You will be given an information pack and A3 sheets of paper. In your
team you must draw and annotate your idea- your team name should
be written at the top of each page you work on.
You need to work together as a team. The decisions made need to
be accepted by all team members. Please ask for help at any point in
the lesson and any questions are welcome.
Don’t be afraid to use colour or try abstract ideas on your spacecraft!
BE CREATIVE!
The Criteria:
It must:
- travel quickly through the air
- withstand a variety of temperatures.
- be protected from radiation.
- be tough enough to endure meteor showers
or small particles travelling at extreme
speeds.
- be as lightweight as possible.
Mark Scheme
Categories
Points
Imagination/Creativity
/30
Teamwork
/20
Presentation
/50
TOTAL
/100
What have you learnt?
What could you improve?
Extension
‘Science Goals’
These are questions or theories that
you want to answer by completing a mission and collecting
data.
For example, sending the Curiosity Rover
to Mars- a science goal was to determine
whether Mars could or could not support
life.
With the spacecraft you have designed, choose a planet to
investigate and set three Science goals you would like
answered.
The Planets
Use your information pack to research the planets individually and decide which
one you want to explore.
Then determine what your Science Goals are.