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Spaceflight Mechanics

Dynamics of Particles: reference frames and rotations, energy, angular momentum – Two Body Motion: equations of motion, Kepler laws, solution to two-body problem, conics and relations, vis- viva equation, Kepler equation, orbital elements – orbit determination: Lambert problem, satellite tracking, different methods of solution to Lambert problem – Non-Keplerian Motion: perturbing acceleration-earth aspherical potential, oblateness, third body effects, atmospheric drag effects, ap- plication of perturbations – Orbit Maneuvers: Hohmann transfer, inclination change maneuvers, combined maneuver

Atmospheric Flight Mechanics

Overview of aerodynamics – propulsion – atmosphere and aircraft instrumentation – Aircraft Perfor- mance: range, endurance, gliding, climbing flight, pull-up, pulldown, take-off, landing, accelerating climb, turning flight, V-n diagrams – optimal cruise trajectories – Static Stability & Control: frames of reference (body axis, wind axis) static longitudinal, directional, lateral stability and control, stick fixed and stick free stability, hinge moments, trim-tabs, aerodynamic balancing.

Aerodynamics

Introduction to tensors – Kinematics – Governing equations – Kelvin’s theorem – Potential flow – Uniqueness and Kutta condition – Foundations of panel methods – Airfoils – Thin Airfoil Theory: Forces and moments on airfoil, flaps – Finite Wings: Prandtl lifting line theory, Induced drag, El- liptic lift distribution – 3D panel methods – Viscous Incompressible Flows: Prandtl boundary layer equation, Similarity solutions, Flow separation and stall – Introduction to turbulence – Turbulent boundary layer – Viscous-inviscid coupling – High lift devices – Swept wing – Delta wing.

Introduction to Remote Sensing

Definition and overview of remote sensing, electromagnetic radiation and its interaction with matter, Spectral signatures of surface materials, physical basis of signatures, radiometric and geometric distortions and corrections, remote sensors and platforms – optical, infrared and microwave sensors, active remote sensing techniques: LIDAR and Microwave remote sensing, and radars, data formats, remote sensing data interpretation – visual and digital interpretation techniques, remote sensing applications.

 

Introduction to Earth, Atmosphere and Ocean Sciences

Atmospheric Science:
General introduction – Structure of the Atmosphere, Composition of Atmosphere.

Radiative processes – Black body radiation – Scattering & Absorption – Greenhouse effect.

Hydrostatic equation – First Law of Thermodynamics – Adiabatic processes – Dry & Moist air – Virtual temperature – Convection.

Clouds – Growth of clouds droplets to rain.

Frames of references – Fundamental forces – Equations governing conservation of mass, momentum, energy – Coriolis force.

Probability, Statistics, and Numerical Methods

Probability Theory: Elementary concepts on probability – axiomatic definition of probability – conditional probability – Bayes’ theorem – random variables – standard discrete and continuous distributions – moments of random variables – moment generating functions – multivariate random variables – joint distributions of random variables – conditional and marginal distributions – conditional expectation – distributions of functions of random variables – t and Ο‡2 distributions – Schwartz and Chebyshev inequalities – weak law of large numbers for finite variance case – central limit theorem for

Integral transforms, PDE, and Calculus of Variations

Integral Transforms: The Fourier transform pair – algebraic properties of Fourier transform – convolution, modulation, and translation – transforms of derivatives and derivatives of transform – inversion theory. Laplace transforms of elementary functions – inverse Laplace transforms – linearity property – first and second shifting theorem – Laplace transforms of derivatives and integrals – Laplace transform of Dirac delta function – applications of Laplace transform in solving ordinary differential equations.

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