Space Instrumentation

Catalog description

Developing instrumentation systems for space requires multidisciplinary knowledge that bridges science to engineering, starting from formulating a science enquiry, then deriving the measurement specifications, and finally developing the instrument to meet the set specifications. This course introduces instrumentation for space applications, linking the science goals to measurement requirements, selecting the method of measurement, and defining the key characteristic of the instrument. The course covers three fundamental elements to building space instruments: (1) understanding the space environment and how it influences the design and performance of the instrument, (2) knowledge of basic detectors, their principle of operation, capabilities and limitations, and (3) familiarity with measurement techniques and the capabilities of existing instruments. A term project will be utilized to explore specific instrumentation applications in space.