Space Systems Design (formerly Spacecraft Systems Design)
Key information
- Start date:
- 14 July 2025
- Attendance dates:
- 14-18 July 2025
- Time commitment:
- 30 hours
- Venue:
- Stag Hill campus, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH
- Contact details:
- FEPS Short Courses Team
- Email: fepsshortcourses@surrey.ac.uk
Overview
This intensive five day course will provide you with an introduction to the engineering aspects of satellite and mission design - with particular emphasis on the design of small low-cost satellites. Through a series of intensive lectures and exercises, this course will give an introduction to the design and construction of spacecraft, showing how the mission, and the space environment itself constrain the engineering.
The course will be held at the University of Surrey on the Stag Hill campus.
Concepts and theories easily understood and expertly presented… Great lectures – encompassed all content of technology…Professor Underwood has really just a perfect knowledge about this area and the experiments were great!
Comment from previous studentLearning outcomes
On successful completion of this course, you will have a good understanding of the way that satellites are designed and built and have knowledge of:
- The space environment and its effects
- Spacecraft platform systems and design
- Satellite manufacture and testing
- Applications of small, low-cost satellites
- Space mission analysis and design.
Because this course gives emphasis to the theoretical aspects of the subject, you will be able to apply your knowledge to a wide range of spacecraft design problems ranging from single payloads to a whole spacecraft.
Course content
Please note that we reserve the right to alter the syllabus. Any major changes will be notified to delegates before the course starts.
Learning and teaching methods
Learning and teaching methods include the following:
- Lectures
- Tutorials.
Assessment
There is no assessment for those who take this as an individual short course.
Course leader
Professor Craig Underwood
Emeritus Professor of Spacecraft Engineering
Reading list
- Maral & Bousquet 'Satellite Communications Systems' (3rd Ed), Wiley ISBN 0-471-97166-9 : 1998
- Jerry Jon Sellers 'Understanding Space - An Introduction to Astronautics', McGraw Hill ISBN 0-07-057027-2 : 1994
- Fortesque & Stark (eds) 'Spacecraft Systems Engineering', John Wiley & Sons ISBN 0-471-93451-8 : 1992
- W.J. Larson (eds) 'Space Mission Analysis & Design'(2nd Ed), Kluwer Academic Publishers ISBN 0-7923-19982.
Entry requirements
There are no prerequisites required to do this course.
Recognition of prior learning
It will be assumed that you have a basic understanding of orbits and spacecraft dynamics.
Fees and funding
Price per person:
£2,000
IET members: Standard rate*£2,100
Non IET members: Standard rate*£2,300
For all bookings made after 14 June 2025*For bookings made before 14 June 2025
What these fees include
Lunch, refreshments and course notes which will be provided in electronic format.
Group bookings
Rate of £2,000 per person applies for bookings of three or more people from the same organisation
Payments
Payment can be accepted by purchase order, credit card or bank transfer on our online store.
Please note that we do not charge VAT as we are an educational establishment.
Payments will be accepted subject to availability. If making payment by credit card, please forward the transaction receipt by email to the FEPS Short Courses Team
How to apply
If you are interested in attending this course, then please email the FEPS Short Courses Team to register your interest.
Terms and conditions
When you accept an offer of a place at the University of Surrey, you are agreeing to comply with our policies and regulations and our terms and conditions. You are also confirming you have read and understood our privacy notice.
- Cancellations notified in writing ten working days before the event; we charge a cancellation fee of 35 per cent of the standard rate. If we have already received payment we refund 65 per cent of the full fee.
- Cancellations within 10 working days before the event; We charge these at the full rate and do not give refunds.
- If no written notice of cancellation is received, no refund can be made.
- The University of Surrey reserves the right to cancel any event. In this case, the full fee will be refunded unless a mutually convenient transfer can be arranged. Details of event changes or cancellations are available by emailing the FEPS Short Courses Team.
- Delegates can make a provisional registration for a course by email. However bookings are only acknowledged formally once payment has been received.
- Substitutions from the same company may be made following consultation with the FEPS Short Courses Team.
- The University reserves the right to cancel any course on the grounds of insufficient numbers or for other reasons beyond our control. In this case the full fee will be refunded unless a mutually convenient transfer can be arranged.
- Registrations cannot be accepted without a valid purchase order, credit card payment or cheque.
- Proof of payment.
- Registrations must come with a valid purchase order, credit card payment or cheque.
Disclaimer
This online prospectus has been prepared and published in advance of the commencement of the course. The University of Surrey has used its reasonable efforts to ensure that the information is accurate at the time of publishing, but changes (for example to course content or additional costs) may occur given the interval between publishing and commencement of the course. It is therefore very important to check this website for any updates before you apply for a course with us. Read more.
Course location and contact details
Campus location
Stag HillStag Hill is the University's main campus and where the majority of our courses are taught.
University of Surrey
Guildford
Surrey GU2 7XH