Classes Offered · USC Schedule of Classes

Astronautical Engineering (ASTE)

http://astronautics.usc.edu/
D class assignments for undergraduates available in RRB230; phone (213) 821-4234.
D class assignments for graduate students available in RRB230; phone (213) 821-4234.
To be enrolled in an off-campus course, you MUST also be enrolled in the Distance Education Network (DEN). For more information, call 740-4488 or go to den.usc.edu. DEN courses are indicated by a location of OFF CAMPUS.

ASTE 280: Foundations of Astronautical Engineering (3.0 units)

Coordinate systems and transformations. Spherical trigonometry. Orientation angles. Spacecraft orbits and orbital maneuvers. Introduction to rocket propulsion, spacecraft attitude dynamics and control, and space environment. Prerequisites: MATH 226 and PHYS 152L. Recommended preparation: Skill in MATLAB programming.

Prerequisite: (MATH 226 and PHYS 152)

Section	Session	Type	Time	Days	Registered	Instructor	Location	Syllabus	Info
29102R	001	Lecture	4:00-5:20pm	Mon, Wed	60 of 80	Paul Giuliano	GFS106	PDF (977236 KB)

ASTE 291: Team Projects I (1.0 units, max 4)

Participation in ASTE undergraduate student team projects. Intended for lower-division students or those with little prior project experience. Departmental approval.

Section	Session	Type	Time	Days	Registered	Instructor	Location
Lunar Lander
29103D	001	Lecture	9:00-12:50pm	Wednesday	0 of 18	David Barnhart	OFFICE
Microsatellite Project
29104D	001	Lecture	5:00-6:20pm	Tuesday	0 of 18	David Barnhart	OFFICE
Rocket Laboratory
29105D	001	Lecture	4:00-5:50pm	Friday	2 of 18	Joseph Wang	OFFICE

ASTE 301b: Thermal and Statistical Systems (3.0 units)

Thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. Kinetics of atoms, molecules, and photons. Compressible fluid dynamics.

Prerequisite: 1 from (AME 311A or ASTE 301A)

Section	Session	Type	Time	Days	Registered	Instructor	Location	Syllabus	Info
29108R	001	Lecture	3:30-4:45pm	Tue, Fri	12 of 20	Joseph Wang	GFS107

ASTE 421: Space Mission Design (3.0 units)

Space systems engineering process: requirements definition; trade studies; system integration; technical reviews; cost and schedule development; case studies; ethics. Capstone design experience. Open only to seniors. Not for graduate credit.

Prerequisite: ASTE 330
Restriction: Registration open to the following class level(s): Senior

Section	Session	Type	Time	Days	Registered	Instructor	Location	Syllabus	Info
29112R	001	Lecture	3:30-4:50pm	Tue, Thu	12 of 20	Lisa Hill, David Barnhart	KAP138

ASTE 480: Spacecraft Dynamics (3.0 units)

Two-body motion. Rigid-body motion. Attitude dynamics and maneuvers. Spacecraft stabilization: gravity gradient, reaction wheels, magnetic torques. Thruster attitude control. Senior standing.

Restriction: Registration open to the following class level(s): Senior

Section	Session	Type	Time	Days	Registered	Instructor	Location	Syllabus	Info
29118R	001	Lecture	6:30-9:10pm	Wednesday	15 of 24	Bryan Cooley	VHE214	Word (26624 KB)

ASTE 490x: Directed Research (1.0-8.0 units, max 12)

Individual research and readings. Not available for graduate credit.

Restriction: Registration open to the following class level(s): Junior, Senior

Section	Session	Type	Time	Days	Registered	Instructor	Location	Syllabus	Info
29120D	001	Lecture	TBA	TBA	1 of 18	Mike Gruntman	OFFICE

ASTE 491: Team Projects II (1.0 units, max 4)

Participation in ASTE undergraduate student team projects. Intended for students with prior project experience. Departmental approval.

Section	Session	Type	Time	Days	Registered	Instructor	Location
Lunar Lander
29123D	001	Lecture	9:00-12:50pm	Wednesday	1 of 18	David Barnhart	OFFICE
Microsatellite Project
29124D	001	Lecture	5:00-6:20pm	Tuesday	0 of 18	David Barnhart	OFFICE
Rocket Laboratory
29125D	001	Lecture	4:00-5:50pm	Friday	14 of 35	Joseph Wang	GFS106

ASTE 499: Special Topics (2.0-4.0 units, max 8)

Course content to be selected each semester from current developments in astronautics, space technology, and related fields.

Section	Session	Units	Type	Time	Days	Registered	Instructor	Location	Syllabus	Info
Spacecraft Systems Engineering
28485R	001	3.0	Lecture	10:00-10:50am	MWF	14 of 15	Dan Erwin	KAP137

ASTE 528: Reliability of Space Systems (3.0 units)

Reliable space system design and operations for human and robotic space, applications, and commercial space. Reliability of space systems, subsystems, hardware, software and human reliability.

Restriction: Registration open to the following class level(s): Doctoral Student, Master Student
Restriction: Registration open to the following school(s): Andrew and Erna Viterbi School of Engineering

Section	Session	Type	Time	Days	Registered	Instructor	Location	Syllabus	Info
28475D	034	Lecture	5:10-7:50pm	Friday	13 of 40	Leila Meshkat	DEN@Viterbi	Word (17289 KB)
28476R	048	Lecture	5:10-7:50pm	Friday	5 of 30	Leila Meshkat	RTH105	Word (17289 KB)

ASTE 535: Space Environments and Spacecraft Interactions (3.0 units)

Space environments and interactions with space systems. Vacuum, neutral and ionized species, plasma, radiation, micrometeoroids. Phenomena important for spacecraft operations.

Section	Session	Type	Time	Days	Registered	Instructor	Location	Syllabus	Info
29135R	048	Lecture	6:40-9:20pm	Tuesday	9 of 30	Joseph Wang	OHE100D
29165D	034	Lecture	6:40-9:20pm	Tuesday	20 of 50	Joseph Wang	DEN@Viterbi

ASTE 552: Spacecraft Thermal Control (3.0 units)

Spacecraft and orbit thermal environments; design, analysis, testing of spacecraft thermal control system and components; active and passive thermal control, spacecraft and launch vehicle interfaces. Graduate standing in engineering or science.

Restriction: Registration open to the following class level(s): Master Student, Doctoral Student

Section	Session	Type	Time	Days	Registered	Instructor	Location	Syllabus	Info
29138R	048	Lecture	6:40-9:20pm	Thursday	6 of 20	Ghanshyam Purohit	RTH105
29168D	034	Lecture	6:40-9:20pm	Thursday	22 of 40	Ghanshyam Purohit	DEN@Viterbi

ASTE 555: Space Cryogenic Systems and Applications (3.0 units)

Theory and practice in cryogenic engineering as applied to space systems, emphasizing sensor cooling techniques; cryostats; cryoradiators; mechanical cryocoolers; introductions to superfluidity and superconductivity.

Restriction: Registration open to the following class level(s): Doctoral Student, Master Student

Section	Session	Type	Time	Days	Registered	Instructor	Location	Syllabus	Info
28477R	048	Lecture	5:10-7:50pm	Friday	5 of 30	Sidney Yuan	RTH109	PDF (283225 KB)
28478D	034	Lecture	5:10-7:50pm	Friday	8 of 40	Sidney Yuan	DEN@Viterbi	PDF (283225 KB)

ASTE 566: Ground Communications for Satellite Operations (3.0 units)

Theory, practice, architecture, operations of ground satellite communications with satellites. Practical implementation of satellite communications system and reception and analysis of satellite transmitted signals.

Prerequisite: ASTE 520
Restriction: Registration open to the following school(s): Andrew and Erna Viterbi School of Engineering

Section	Session	Type	Time	Days	Registered	Instructor	Location	Syllabus	Info
29116D	048	Lecture-Lab	12:00-1:20pm	Mon, Wed	11 of 12	David Barnhart	OHE230

ASTE 572: Advanced Spacecraft Propulsion (3.0 units)

Nuclear, electric, sails, and far-term propulsion systems. Overviews of nozzles, heat transfer, electromagnetics, rarefied gases, and plasma physics. Analysis of electrothermal, electrostatic and electromagnetic thrusters. Graduate standing in engineering or science.

Prerequisite: ASTE 470

Section	Session	Type	Time	Days	Registered	Instructor	Location	Syllabus	Info
29174D	034	Lecture	5:10-7:50pm	Friday	30 of 50	Keith Goodfellow	DEN@Viterbi	PDF (272140 KB)

ASTE 580: Orbital Mechanics I (3.0 units)

Physical principles; two-body and central force motion; trajectory correction maneuvers; position and velocity in conic orbits; Lambert's problem; celestial mechanics; orbital perturbations.

Section	Session	Type	Time	Days	Registered	Instructor	Location	Syllabus	Info
29145R	048	Lecture	6:40-9:20pm	Wednesday	13 of 30	Gerald Hintz	OHE100B	Word (84084 KB)
29175D	034	Lecture	6:40-9:20pm	Wednesday	26 of 50	Gerald Hintz	DEN@Viterbi	Word (84084 KB)

ASTE 586: Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics (3.0 units)

Dynamics of systems of particles and rigid bodies; spacecraft attitude systems; attitude maneuvers (spin, precession, nutation, etc.); attitude stabilization and attitude determination; simulation methods.

Section	Session	Type	Time	Days	Registered	Instructor	Location	Syllabus	Info
29149R	048	Lecture	6:40-9:20pm	Thursday	10 of 30	Troy Goodson	RTH115	PDF (56131 KB)
29179D	034	Lecture	6:40-9:20pm	Thursday	11 of 50	Troy Goodson	DEN@Viterbi	PDF (56131 KB)

ASTE 590: Directed Research (1.0-12.0 units)

Research leading to the master's degree. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the division. Graded CR/NC.

Section	Session	Type	Time	Days	Registered	Instructor	Location	Syllabus	Info
29180D	048	Lecture	TBA	TBA	4 of 18	David Barnhart, Azad Madni, Joseph Wang, Mike Gruntman,Gerald Hintz,Michael Kezirian	OFFICE

ASTE 594a: Master's Thesis (2.0 units)

Credit on acceptance of thesis. Graded IP/CR/NC.

Section	Session	Type	Time	Days	Registered	Instructor	Location	Syllabus	Info
29181D	048	Lecture	TBA	TBA	0 of 8	Mike Gruntman	OFFICE

ASTE 594b: Master's Thesis (2.0 units)

Credit on acceptance of thesis. Graded IP/CR/NC.

Prerequisite: ASTE 594A

Section	Session	Type	Time	Days	Registered	Instructor	Location	Syllabus	Info
29182D	048	Lecture	TBA	TBA	1 of 8	Mike Gruntman	OFFICE

ASTE 594z: Master's Thesis (0.0 units)

Credit on acceptance of thesis. Graded IP/CR/NC.

Prerequisite: ASTE 594b

Section	Session	Type	Time	Days	Registered	Instructor	Location	Syllabus	Info
29183D	048	Lecture	TBA	TBA	1 of 8	Mike Gruntman	OFFICE

ASTE 599: Special Topics (2.0-4.0 units, max 9)

Course content to be selected each semester from current developments in astronautics, space technology, and related fields.

Section	Session	Units	Type	Time	Days	Registered	Instructor	Location	Syllabus
Solid Rocket Propulsion
29109D	048	3.0	Lecture	6:40-9:20pm	Thursday	4 of 30	David Reese	OHE100C	PDF (1055420 MB)
Solid Rocket Propulsion
29119D	034	3.0	Lecture	6:40-9:20pm	Thursday	1 of 40	David Reese	DEN@Viterbi	PDF (1055420 MB)

ASTE 690: Directed Research (1.0-4.0 units, max 8)

Laboratory studies of specific problems by candidates for the degree Engineer in Astronautical Engineering. Graded CR/NC.

Section	Session	Type	Time	Days	Registered	Instructor	Location	Syllabus	Info
29190D	048	Lecture	TBA	TBA	0 of 8	Mike Gruntman	OFFICE

ASTE 694a: Thesis (2.0 units)

Required for the degree Engineer in Astronautical Engineering. Credit on acceptance of thesis. Graded IP/CR/NC.

Section	Session	Type	Time	Days	Registered	Instructor	Location	Syllabus	Info
29191D	048	Lecture	TBA	TBA	0 of 8	Mike Gruntman	OFFICE

ASTE 694b: Thesis (2.0 units)

Required for the degree Engineer in Astronautical Engineering. Credit on acceptance of thesis. Graded IP/CR/NC.

Prerequisite: ASTE 694A

Section	Session	Type	Time	Days	Registered	Instructor	Location	Syllabus	Info
29192D	048	Lecture	TBA	TBA	0 of 8	Mike Gruntman	OFFICE

ASTE 694z: Thesis (0.0 units)

Required for the degree Engineer in Astronautical Engineering. Credit on acceptance of thesis. Graded IP/CR/NC.

Prerequisite: ASTE 694B

Section	Session	Type	Time	Days	Registered	Instructor	Location	Syllabus	Info
29193D	048	Lecture	TBA	TBA	0 of 8	Mike Gruntman	OFFICE

ASTE 790: Research (1.0-12.0 units)

Research leading to the doctorate. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the division. Graded CR/NC.

Section	Session	Type	Time	Days	Registered	Instructor	Location	Syllabus	Info
29194D	048	Lecture	TBA	TBA	13 of 35	Mike Gruntman,Joseph Wang, Azad Madni, Dan Erwin, Joseph Anthony Kunc, Paul Ronney	OFFICE