Overview
The course provides an overview of the atmospheric and space environment experienced by suborbital spacecraft. It builds an understanding of the Earth’s atmosphere from the troposphere over the stratosphere and mesosphere to the thermosphere and the near-Earth space environment. The course will introduce the relevant aspects of each environment with a focus on dynamics, chemistry, radiation environment and energetic particle environment. It will outline commonalities as well as differences between these environments and discuss effects on spacecraft where applicable. The course will also introduce measurement techniques for key quantities in the various environments. The course will close with an outlook on space weather and an overview of the atmospheric environment of Mars. While the course is part of the aeronomy concentration in IIAS, concepts introduced in the course will also be applicable to space flight operations and flight test engineering concentrations.

Course Objectives
The course will provide the student with fundamental knowledge about the Earth’s atmosphere from the troposphere to the near-Earth space environment. The student with be able to apply basic concepts that describe these environments. The course will introduce the student to simple models of Earth’s atmosphere and allow him or her to apply them to questions concerning the atmospheric environment. It will introduce the student to relevant measurement techniques of atmospheric environments and outline how suborbital measurements contribute to the characterization of these environments. Students will be able to apply this knowledge to environmental effects on spacecraft and
measurement design.

Recommended Textbooks
The course is largely based on material found in the following textbooks:

• Frederick, J. F., Principles of Atmospheric Science, Jones and Bartlett, 2008.
• Moldwin, M., An Introduction to Space Weather, Cambridge University Press, 2008.

Other literature relevant to the course includes:

• Sagan C., The Demon-haunted World – Science as a Candle in the Dark, Random house, 1996.
• Catling, D. C. and Kasting, J. F., Atmospheric Evolution on Inhabited and Lifeless Worlds, Cambridge, 2017.
• Tascione, T. F., Introduction to the space environment (2 nd ed.), Krieger, 2010.
• Fortescue, P., Swinerd, G., Stark, J., Spacecraft Systems Engineering (4 th ed.), Wiley, 2011.
• Haberle, R. M., et al., The Atmosphere and Climate of Mars, Cambridge, 2017.

Prerequisites

• AST 101 ‘Fundamentals of Astronautics’ desired.

Lectures and Assignments
This is a 3-credit course that consists of ten webinars in two-hour blocks (1.5 hours of lectures plus time for discussion of assignments) and six assignments. Two assignments will consist of self-study tasks to be summarized in write-ups/presentations, four assignments will be based on questions and calculations. Students will receive either a Pass or Fail grade.

Webinar 1:

• Introduction to the Scientific Method
• Introduction to the Earth’s Atmosphere
• Atmospheric structure
• Ideal gas law

Webinar 2:

• Radiative Properties of the Atmosphere – Climate
• Black body radiation
• Interactions of light with matter
• Atmospheric transmission
• Atmospheric energy balance and greenhouse effect

Webinar 3:

• Troposphere (1)
• Variation of pressure with altitude
• Hydrostatic equation
• Concept of scale height
• Barometric formula
• Variation of temperature with altitude
• Atmospheric lapse rate
• Atmospheric stability
• Clouds
• Hazardous weather

Webinar 4:

• Troposphere (2)
• Forces driving wind
• Tropospheric circulation
• Synoptic weather systems and fronts
• Numerical weather prediction
• Impact of weather on spacecraft operations

Webinar 5:

• Stratosphere
• Stratospheric dynamics
• Concept of potential temperature and gravity waves
• Concept of potential vorticity and planetary waves
• Stratospheric ozone chemistry and polar stratospheric clouds
• Impact of air traffic on the stratosphere

Webinar 6:

• Mesosphere
• Mesospheric composition and chemistry
• Mesospheric temperatures and energy balance
• Mesospheric dynamics, gravity waves and tides
• Polar mesospheric clouds and polar mesospheric summer echoes

Webinar 7:

• Upper Atmosphere: Thermosphere
• Thermospheric energy input
• Thermospheric composition and chemistry
• Thermospheric structure
• Environmental effects on spacecraft

Webinar 8:

• Upper Atmosphere: Ionosphere
• Ionospheric layers
• Impact on radio transmissions
• Optical effects in the upper atmosphere
• Aurora
• Airglow
• Optical effects above Thunderstorms

Webinar 9:

• Upper Atmosphere: Exosphere and Near-Earth Space Environment
• Movement of charged particles
• Earth’s magnetic field
• Magnetosphere and Van Allen radiation belts
• Solar energetic particles and cosmic rays – space weather
• Exobase and atmospheric escape
• Environmental effects on spacecraft

Webinar 10:

• Comparative Planetology: Introduction to Mars’ Atmosphere
• Mars’ atmospheric structure and composition
• Seasonal and diurnal temperature cycles
• Dust and condensates and their radiative effects
• Entry, descent and landing of spacecraft on Mars

Course Start: First week of February

Duration: 10 weeks

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