New graduate certificate for space domain awareness
Aerospace graduate students and working professionals can advance their education in space domain awareness (SDA) through a new ñ certificate program.
The Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences is now offering a certificate in the increasingly critical field of space domain awareness – the detection, characterization, and tracking of satellites and other objects in orbit around Earth.
The program is the first national or international graduate certificate in the space domain awareness field.
“There is a growing, foundational, and persistent need for domain awareness in space operations,” said Marcus Holzinger, an aerospace professor and expert in SDA. “This certificate is about building your understanding of what is on orbit, what those things are capable of doing, and being able to determine the intent of the companies and countries operating those objects.”
Students in the 15-credit-hour program will complete five courses, two of which are required for all enrollees, plus three additional courses from a chosen specialization area relevant to their career path.
Required Courses:
Specialization Areas:
- Phenomenology and Sensor Processing
- Estimation, Tasking, and Decision Theory
- Interfaces, Human Factors, and Cognitive Sciences
The classes cover important physics, engineering, and orbital mechanics topics and offer specialization in the human side of space operations, like decision making in uncertain conditions and human-robot interactions.
The certificate is open to aerospace graduate students and non-degree seeking students as a continuing education program. The certificate is available in-person or fully remote through online classes.
“There is a large population in Colorado and nationally where the remote option will be very appealing. There are very few institutions that have online classes already taught to offer a certificate like this,” Holzinger said.
Most of the certificate courses are within the aerospace department, but students also have interdisciplinary options in computer science, the ATLAS Institute, and information sciences, depending on their chosen specialization area.
To find out more or enroll in the program, visit the Smead Aerospace Space Domain Awareness Certificate page.