Introduction To Astrodynamics

This course will introduce basic topics in astrodynamics, the study of the motion of natural and artificial bodies in space. The course will cover 2-body motion, orbit determination, Kepler’s problem, Gauss/Lambert’s problem, impulsive burn orbit maneuvers, patch conic approximations for interplanetary trajectories, and lunar trajectories. By the end of the course, students should be able to calculate orbital motion around a given planet and calculate interplanetary trajectories for spacecrafts.