This course is part of the Spacecraft Dynamics and Control Specialization

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297 ratings

Hanspeter Schaub

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Spacecraft Dynamics and Control SpecializationUniversity of Colorado Boulder

About this Course

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The movement of bodies in space (like spacecraft, satellites, and space stations) must be predicted and controlled with precision in order to ensure safety and efficacy. Kinematics is a field that develops descriptions and predictions of the motion of these bodies in 3D space. This course in Kinematics covers four major topic areas: an introduction to particle kinematics, a deep dive into rigid body kinematics in two parts (starting with classic descriptions of motion using the directional cosine matrix and Euler angles, and concluding with a review of modern descriptors like quaternions and Classical and Modified Rodrigues parameters). The course ends with a look at static attitude determination, using modern algorithms to predict and execute relative orientations of bodies in space.
After this course, you will be able to...

* Differentiate a vector as seen by another rotating frame and derive frame dependent velocity and acceleration vectors
* Apply the Transport Theorem to solve kinematic particle problems and translate between various sets of attitude descriptions
* Add and subtract relative attitude descriptions and integrate those descriptions numerically to predict orientations over time
* Derive the fundamental attitude coordinate properties of rigid bodies and determine attitude from a series of heading measurements

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Course 1 of 4 in the

Spacecraft Dynamics and Control Specialization

Advanced Level

Approx. 28 hours to complete

English

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Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Course 1 of 4 in the

Spacecraft Dynamics and Control Specialization

Advanced Level

Approx. 28 hours to complete

English

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Instructor

Instructor rating

4.97/5 (85 Ratings)

Hanspeter Schaub

Glenn L. Murphy Chair in Engineering, Professor

Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences

28,786 Learners

7 Courses

Offered by

University of Colorado Boulder

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating95%(2,420 ratings)

Week1

Week 1

5 hours to complete

Introduction to Kinematics

5 hours to complete

13 videos (Total 154 min)

13 videos

Professor Introduction6mKinematics Course Introduction1mModule One: Particle Kinematics Introduction50s1: Particle Kinematics13mOptional Review: Vectors, Angular Velocities, Coordinate Frames16m2: Angular Velocity Vector9m3: Vector Differentiation25m3.1: Examples of Vector Differentiation25m3.2: Example of Planar Particle Kinematics with the Transport Theorem16m3.3: Example of 3D Particle Kinematics with the Transport Theorem14mOptional Review: Angular Velocities, Coordinate Frames, and Vector Differentiation19mOptional Review: Angular Velocity Derivative1mOptional Review: Time Derivatives of Vectors, Matrix Representations of Vector2m

3 practice exercises

Concept Check 1 - Particle Kinematics and Vector Frames30mConcept Check 2 - Angular Velocities30mConcept Check 3 - Vector Differentiation and the Transport Theorem1h 5m

Week2

Week 2

9 hours to complete

Rigid Body Kinematics I

9 hours to complete

18 videos (Total 210 min), 1 reading, 10 quizzes

18 videos

Module Two: Rigid Body Kinematics Part 1 Introduction1m1: Introduction to Rigid Body Kinematics18m2: Directional Cosine Matrices: Definitions18m3: DCM Properties7m4: DCM Addition and Subtraction5m5: DCM Differential Kinematic Equations8mOptional Review: Tilde Matrix Properties2mOptional Review: Rigid Body Kinematics and DCMs21m6: Euler Angle Definition17m7: Euler Angle / DCM Relation16m7.1: Example: Topographic Frame DCM Development9m8: Euler Angle Addition and Subtraction8m9: Euler Angle Differential Kinematic Equations25m10: Symmetric Euler Angle Addition20mOptional Review: Euler Angle Definitions4mOptional Review: Euler Angle Mapping to DCMs9mOptional Review: Euler Angle Differential Kinematic Equations1mOptional Review: Integrating Differential Kinematic Equations10m

1 reading

Eigenvector Review10m

10 practice exercises

Concept Check 1 - Rigid Body Kinematics30mConcept Check 2 - DCM Definitions30mConcept Check 3 - DCM Properties30mConcept Check 4 - DCM Addition and Subtraction30mConcept Check 5 - DCM Differential Kinematic Equations (ODE)30mConcept Check 6 - Euler Angles Definitions30mConcept Check 7 - Euler Angle and DCM Relation30mConcept Check 8 - Euler Angle Addition and Subtraction10mConcept Check 9 - Euler Angle Differential Kinematic Equations45mConcept Check 10 - Symmetric Euler Angle Addition30m

Week3

Week 3

10 hours to complete

Rigid Body Kinematics II

10 hours to complete

29 videos (Total 251 min)

29 videos

Module Three: Rigid Body Kinematics Part 2 Introduction45s1: Principal Rotation Parameter Definition9m2: PRV Relation to DCM18m3: PRV Properties6mOptional Review: Principal Rotation Parameters6m4: Euler Parameter (Quaternion) Definition20m5: Mapping PRV to EPs1m6: EP Relationship to DCM16m7: Euler Parameter Addition10m8: EP Differential Kinematic Equations5mOptional Review: Euler Parameters and Quaternions16m9: Classical Rodrigues Parameters Definitions8m10: CRP Stereographic Projection9m11: CRP Relation to DCM8m12: CRP Addition and Subtraction1m13: CRP Differential Kinematic Equations1m14: CRPs through Cayley Transform9mOptional Review: CRP Properties6m15: Modified Rodrigues Parameters Definitions9m16: MRP Stereographic Projection5m17: MRP Shadow Set Property7m18: MRP to DCM Relation4m19: MRP Addition and Subtraction4m20: MRP Differential Kinematic Equation14m21: MRP Form of the Cayley Transform7mOptional Review: MRP Definitions8mOptional Review: MRP Properties8m22: Stereographic Orientation Parameters Definitions6mOptional Review: SOPs14m

17 practice exercises

Concept Check 1 - Principal Rotation Definitions30mConcept Check 2 - Principal Rotation Parameter relation to DCM30mConcept Check 3 - Principal Rotation Addition12mConcept Check 4 - Euler Parameter Definitions15mConcept Check 5, 6 - Euler Parameter Relationship to DCM15mConcept Check 7 - Euler Parameter Addition10mConcept Check 8 - EP Differential Kinematic Equations20mConcept Check 9 - CRP Definitions30mConcept Check 10 - CRPs Stereographic Projection30mConcept Check 11, 12 - CRP Addition12mConcept Check 13 - CRP Differential Kinematic Equations20mConcept Check 15 - MRPs Definitions30mConcept Check 16 - MRP Stereographic Projection5mConcept Check 17 - MRP Shadow Set30mConcept Check 18 - MRP to DCM Relation8mConcept Check 19 - MRP Addition and Subtraction10mConcept Check 20 - MRP Differential Kinematic Equation30m

Week4

Week 4

5 hours to complete

Static Attitude Determination

5 hours to complete

13 videos (Total 120 min)

13 videos

Module Four: Static Attitude Determination Introduction53s1: Attitude Determination Problem Statement17m2: TRIAD Method Definition11m2.1: TRIAD Method Numerical Example9m3: Wahba's Problem Definition11m4: Devenport's q-Method16m4.1: Example of Devenport's q-Method7m5: QUEST9m5.1: Example of QUEST3m6: Optimal Linear Attitude Estimator5m6.1: Example of OLAE2mOptional Review: Attitude Determination14mOptional Review: Attitude Estimation Algorithms10m

5 practice exercises

Concept Check 1 - Attitude Determination30mConcept Check 2 - TRIAD Method10mConcept Check 3, 4 - Devenport's q-Method15mConcept Check 5 - QUEST Method15mConcept Check 6 - OLAE Method12m

Reviews

4.9

93 reviews

5 stars
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4 stars
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3 stars
1.01%
2 stars
0.67%

TOP REVIEWS FROM KINEMATICS: DESCRIBING THE MOTIONS OF SPACECRAFT

by SMOct 18, 2017

Brilliant classes! Absolutely brilliant, enjoyed every bit of it. All you need is that you should love Physics and Maths to attend these classes. If you do, it is an enriching experience for you.

by MKAug 11, 2020

Lectures are great and professor method of teaching is superb i would highly recommend this course for space enthusiasts

by CRDec 26, 2018

Very good course! Few of the quizzes have the wrong answers marked as correct which can be confusing when learning the material (see the discussion forum for specifics).

by DAJun 2, 2019

if you are an aerospace engineering student and would like to get into orbital mechanics/ control and dynamics of satellites or celestial bodies, it's a decent course (series) to take.

View all reviews

About the Spacecraft Dynamics and Control Specialization

Spacecraft Dynamics and Control covers three core topic areas: the description of the motion and rates of motion of rigid bodies (Kinematics), developing the equations of motion that prediction the movement of rigid bodies taking into account mass, torque, and inertia (Kinetics), and finally non-linear controls to program specific orientations and achieve precise aiming goals in three-dimensional space (Control). The specialization invites learners to develop competency in these three areas through targeted content delivery, continuous concept reinforcement, and project applications.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

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