Aerospace Vehicle Performance

Catalog description

This course introduces students to the performance evaluation of major classes of aerospace vehicles, including spacecraft and fixed-wing aircraft. Students are introduced to basic aerodynamic theory, airfoil and wing descriptions, atmospheric flight and orbital mechanics, and propulsion systems. These concepts will then be integrated to analyze vehicle behavior by formulating equations of motion, identifying and modeling relevant forces, and using these relationships to estimate key performance parameters. Emphasis is placed on understanding how design choices and vehicle characteristics influence achievable performance and operational limits.