Aircraft Systems Engineering – A Free Course

This course was administrated by shuttle astronaut and MIT Professor Jeff Hoffman and Professor Aaron Cohen, who was the Space Shuttle Orbiter Project Manager.

16.885J offers a holistic view of the aircraft as a system, covering: basic systems engineering; cost and weight estimation; basic aircraft performance; safety and reliability; lifecycle topics; aircraft subsystems; risk analysis and management; and system realization.

Small student teams retrospectively analyze an existing aircraft covering: key design drivers and decisions; aircraft attributes and subsystems; and operational experience.

Guest speakers provide the majority of the content in video lectures, discussing topics such as system design, accident investigation, and the future of NASA’s space mission.

Guest lecturers include Aaron Cohen, Dale Myers, John Logsdon, Tom Moser, J. R. Thompson, Bass Redd, Allen Louviere, Henry Pohl, Robert Seamans, Bob Ried, Walter Guy, Robert Sieck, Sheila Widnall, Philip Hattis, Christopher Kraft, Wayne Hale, Anthony Lavoie, Peter Young, and Gordon Fullerton.

Lecture 1: The Origins of the Space Shuttle

Lecture 2: Space Shuttle History

Lecture 3: Orbiter Sub-System Design

Lecture 4: The Decision to Build the Shuttle

Lecture 5: Orbiter Structure + Thermal Protection System

Lecture 6: Propulsion – Space Shuttle Main Engines

Lecture 7: Aerodynamics – (From Sub – to Hypersonic and Back)

Lecture 8: Landing and Mechanical Systems

Lecture 9: OMS, RCS, Fuel Cells, Auxiliary Power Unit and Hydraulic Systems

Lecture 10: The DoD and the Space Shuttle

Lecture 11: Use of Subsystems as a Function of Flight Phase

Lecture 12: Aerothermodynamics