Aerospace Engineering: What Is Astrodynamics? With Jez Turner & Dr Nishanth Pushparaj From University of Nottingham

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In this Aerospace Engineering session, Dr Nishanth Pushparaj, Assistant Professor in Aerospace Engineering, and Jez Turner, Assistant Professor, in the Faculty of Engineering at University of Nottingham, will run an interactive talk for students on Astrodynamics.

Astrodynamics involves the application of mathematical models and physical principles to understand and predict the motion of artificial objects in space, including spacecraft, satellites, and space probes.

Astrodynamics is a branch of celestial mechanics that applies the laws of physics, particularly Newton’s laws, to study and predict the behaviour of these man-made objects in space. It encompasses various space flight and mission design aspects, such as launch vehicle trajectories, orbit determination, spacecraft attitude control, and interplanetary transfers.

This session covers the fundamentals of astrodynamics, focusing on the two-body problem, Kepler’s law, orbital elements, space mission planning using the ‘Open Cosmos’ tool, and a brief introduction to astrodynamics applications in deep space exploration missions.

Lecturer Profile (Please Click): Jez Turner & Dr Nishanth Pushparaj

Our events are designed so that a group of students can take part from a classroom or students and teachers can take part as individuals, either from school or from home. This means that sessions will continue irrespective of possible school closures.

As a live, participative event, this session will not be recorded but slides and other resources will be shared after the event, where available.

Suitable for: Year 12 & 13 students (and equivalent) studying, or with a possible interest in studying, Aerospace Engineering and related disciplines. Student groups as well as students and teachers joining individually are very welcome.

Preparation/Pre-Reading: Students may wish to consider the topic in advance and questions they have. Students can also think about questions about studying Aerospace Engineering at university level.

The IT Setup: The event will be run on Bluejeans (similar to Zoom) and participants will be able to join using laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. If you are joining as a school group, we recommend connecting with one device and projecting on to a whiteboard. You will be able to interact with the university via a microphone and/or typed comments and questions. Full details will be sent to those who have registered (see below) prior to the event.

Booking a Place: This is free for schools and colleges. If you would like to take part in this event, please register your interest using the link to the registration form below:

Register here