Space Down to Earth – An Introduction to Orbital Mechanics

Satellites might be hard to spot, and we tend to forget about them, but they have significant importance in our daily life. From weather forecasting to GPS, from enviorment and agriculture monitoring to emergency response. But how do they get up there? Rockets are the first answer that comes to mind, but thrust on its own is not enough. Orbital mechanics is the science that studies how gravity affects the motion of objects in space, this knowledge allowed us to use gravity to our advantage, rather than fight against it. A key subject in orbital mechanics is the movement between different points in space, by choosing timings and maneuvers the same movement can come at very different costs both in time and money. Understanding these concepts is fundamental for the operations of any of the satellites that constantly affect our lives.

In this project you will learn the fundamentals concepts of orbital mechanics. Starting with geometrical and physical parameters of the orbits and how the launchers affect them, you will then understand different ways to change those parameters. The objective is to come up with different sequences of maneuvers to perform orbital transfers and learn how to discuss and compare the results. By doing so you will also gain valuable knowledge about coding that is fundamental to run various calculations and visualize what you're learning.