Online Graduate Certificate in Space Studies

MUST BE TAKEN AS THE SECOND COURSE IN THE SPACE STUDIES PROGRAM. This course is designed to build the student's ability to organize and conduct research in the space studies discipline, and to enable the student to present findings in a clear, concise, coherent manner. It is devoted to thinking about research logically, creatively, critically, structurally and scientifically. Course material covers qualitative research designs, theory building, role of argumentation in presenting a research report (thesis), as well as describing and analyzing quantitative variables. IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY COMPLETED COLLEGE ALGEBRA BEFORE TAKING THIS COURSE

This course serves as an introduction to the APUS Space Studies Master’s program. It describes on the main concentrations in Space Studies: Astronomy, Aerospace Science, Space Policy, and Space Entrepreneurship. It also focuses on the technical writing proficiency expectation for graduate study and the importance of the peer review process in scientific literature. The course explores both current and future directions in NASA space exploration. It also introduces the new United States Space Force (USSF), and considers the implications of the USSF for the direction of our country’s space exploration policy.

CORE COURSE: What is an orbit? How does a spacecraft fly to the Moon or Mars? What does NORAD use to track all of the satellites currently in orbit around Earth? How does a spacecraft move from one orbit to another? These questions and more are answered in this course. From Kepler and Newton to the modern telecommunications, navigation, and remote sensing spacecraft, knowledge of orbital mechanics is essential for the modern Space Manager to be able to plan future space missions and to converse with orbital analysts that perform the day-to-day calculations determining IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY COMPLETED COLLEGE ALGEBRA BEFORE TAKING THIS COURSE. (Prerequisites: SPST500 and SPST501)

CORE COURSE: Earth orbiting remote sensing satellites play a key role in the lives of human beings. This course is a study of the major components of contemporary remote sensing satellites, the various methods of remote sensing capability, and the advantages and disadvantages of each method. Course topics also include study of remote sensing orbits, launch vehicles, and technology. IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY COMPLETED COLLEGE ALGEBRA BEFORE TAKING THIS COURSE. (Prerequisites: SPST500 and SPST501)

Space exploration and exploitation have become global activities. While the United States and the Soviet Union were battling for supremacy during the Cold War and striving for “firsts” in the Space Race, several nascent space powers were blossoming in the background. Not limited to the U.S. and USSR, the dream of spaceflight sprouted in lands as diverse as France, Germany, China, Japan, India, Israel and Brazil. The European Space Agency, the Chinese Space Program, the Japanese Space Program and the Indian Space Program have become space powerhouses. A study of these various programs is essential to gain a thorough understanding that space exploration is not only a global enterprise, but also an important concern for our own national security.

This course is a comparative study of the major industrialized nations' space organizations. It begins with the US and presents an overview of NASA and non-NASA government agencies supporting space exploration. Comparative views are presented for other countries which then allows the student to select the country of their choice (as approved by the instructor) to compare/contrast its space organization with that of the United States. Students will review the fundamental roles of significant space organization, budgets, and goals and objectives in comparison and contrast between the US and another country.