1. NASA ESMD Systems Engineering Workshop
NASA JSC
October 16, 17, 2008

2. How It Started Fall 2005 - NASA Administrator Michael
Griffin visited U of Texas at Austin
- Strongly suggested including Systems
Engineering instruction in engineering
programs.
ASE Department Chair invited Ms. Lisa Guerra of NASA ESMD
to UT Austin to accomplish this task.
Texas Space Grant was asked to facilitate the workshop and
dissemination of the course materials

3. Preliminary Events 2006-Present – Ms. Lisa Guerra (NASA ESMD)
IPA from NASA to UT Austin
Extensive Systems Engineering experience
Surveyed Systems Engineering Curricula across US ( )
Developed Space-focused Course Modules ( )
Space Capstone Design Course in Fall 2007
Pilot “Intro. To Systems Engineering” Course in Spring 2008
– Curriculum Revision Opportunity
Increased Space Flight Technical Area from 7 to 13 hours
“Intro to Systems Engineering” a required course in Tech Area

4. Systems Engineering Workshop
Planned for August 2008 at JSC
Cancelled by “Hurricane” Eduardo (JSC closed for one day)
Re-Scheduled for October 2008 at JSC
Hurricane Ike
Hilton at JSC severely damaged
A miracle – Hilton was operationaL
Conference was held as scheduled
70+ Attendees

5. Workshop Activities
Assembly of faculty associated with systems engineering and space design
Importance of Systems Engineering to NASA
Description of course materials created during project
Description of how course integrated into undergraduate curriculum
Panel -- student SE interns and their JSC mentors
Panel – faculty who would use materials

6. Course Topics / Modules
Project Life Cycles
Project Scoping
Concepts of Operations
System Hierarchy
Requirements
Functional Analysis
Trade Studies
Design Margins
Costs / Risks / Verification and Validation
Technical Reviews , etc.

7. Fall 2008 Transition Period Systems Engineering
Required for Space Flight Option (roughly half of students in department)
Spacecraft/Mission Design Course
Have 4 students with Systems Engineering background
Four Design Teams
Mid-Semester Presentations just finished
Content / Maturity much improved over previous semesters

8. Curriculum Expectations
Better understand the “whole picture”
Aware of the importance of subsystems and interfaces between them
View from multiple perspectives
Understand the importance of requirements
Understand the concept of “unintended consequences”
Earlier focus on problem identification and solving
Last week – mid-term design reviews – much more complete and mature than ever before

9. Materials lisa.a.guerra@nasa.gov fowler@csr.utexas.edu
Materials are on a CD
Contacts:

10. QUESTIONS?

11. Space Flight Technical Area
Basic Courses include one course:
2/3 Orbital Mechanics + 1/3 Attitude Dynamics
Courses in Technical Area
Advanced Orbital Mechanics Course (3)
Attitude Mechanics Course (3)
Spacecraft Subsystems Modeling Laboratory (1)
Systems Engineering Course (3)
TOTAL 13 Semester Credit Hours

12. S/C Systems Modeling Lab
Replaces Space Applications Lab
Replaced material goes into Advanced Orbital Mechanics course
Focus on Spacecraft Subsystems
Working Knowledge of Subsystems
Preliminary Sizing
Estimating Performance
Modeling and Simulation Techniques

13. One Hour Project Credits
Up to six one-hour credits (one per semester) for non-class related project participation.
Satellite build projects
Design – Build – Fly Projects
Student participation in research projects
Hours accumulate along with COOP hours for technical elective credit.
Previously, students received no formal credit for these efforts.