Reddit reviews Space Mission Engineering: The New SMAD (Space Technology Library, Vol. 28)

The New S.M.A.D

Google it, its the shit

Source : recently graduated aero/astro engineer

Edit: https://www.amazon.com/Space-Mission-Engineering-Technology-Library/dp/1881883159

FYI, the newer version of SMAD is now called "Space Mission Engineering".

I have a BSME, working in the space industry. The big thing I feel I was missing from my undergrad was orbital mechanics. To get the math, pick up the SME/SMAD. To get an intuitive understanding, pick up KSP. Randall is not wrong.

Your undergrad should otherwise have comparable material science, physics, mathematics and programming (matlab, python, perl, whatever) to have you on an even field. The rest of it is the time to obtain the experience.

A decade out and I can hold my own at work with any of the aero's.

I am an ME major EE minor and would agree it is a better route to aerospace. But that need not stop you from studying aerospace topics!

I think an awesome space engineering (if you are interested in astronautics) book you can jump into without a lot of heavy pre-requisites is SMAD (http://www.amazon.com/Space-Mission-Engineering-Technology-Library/dp/1881883159/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462136211&sr=8-1&keywords=smad). If you are having fun it is easier to learn, rather than trying to plow through a calculus or thermodynamics book. Edit: But get the 3rd edition, not the most recent one.

Other really good options would be to get hands on experience building stuff, programming & wiring arduinos and building stuff at a hackerspace. Building a 3D printer from a kit would be a good starting point.

I think the Space Mission Engineering and Orbit and Constellation Design and Management textbooks should have what you're looking for!

My husband did his masters in space systems engineering and SMAD was pretty much the bible. Maybe you can find it at a library near you.

most of the costs come from developing the spacecraft and its life support systems, and then qualifying it to a level the operator feels safe with. 20 billion seems like a good number to wildy guess at.

if you want equations, they are in here https://www.amazon.com/Space-Mission-Engineering-Technology-Library/dp/1881883159

Space Mission Engineering/SMAD is a pretty good general overview of space mission engineering and spacecraft design, if that's what you're looking for. That's the senior design textbook for my program, but it's written by a number of engineers at NASA and in the industry. Braeunig also has some good information on some basics of the science (and it's free), but it's mostly undergrad-level orbital mechanics and rocket propulsion.

Is there anything more specific (other than heat transfer) that you're looking for?

oh boy, thank you so much for this detailed response! This is exactly what I was looking for. Seems like I have plenty to go on. In case anyone else is ever looking at this thread I have to add one more to your list of general space systems books- SMAD. SMAD and Griffin's book have been my bibles.

If you're looking to build a mission from scratch, SMAD (Space Mission Analysis and Design) is a textbook / reference book that'd probably help quite a bit. It'd give you a good overview of most of what you need to know. It can also help you answer questions about ADCS systems before you know you have them.

It depends on exactly what he's interested in(propulsion, structures, controls, launch vehicles or satellites, etc) but check out the new SMAD(or old, for cheaper). It's a thorough book that covers the basics of practically everything and good enough to do initial designs. It could also be good to help find what he's interested in if he doesn't know yet.

Pricey new but not to pricey if bought used. I'd recommend getting it used or getting the older version. Paying the extra 100$ or more isn't worth it imo but as always that's up to you.

https://www.amazon.com/Space-Mission-Engineering-Technology-Library/dp/1881883159