SpaceResources

A curated list of useful resources for space mission design, space systems engineering, courses, visualisations, scripts and more. The focus is on free, open-source solutions. The list includes a range of fast, plain-english and web-based resources and more advanced ones.

Space Engineering 101

If you don't know much about space, orbits, engineering, this is where you start.

• Basic Orbit Shapes - Orbits in plain english
• orbit visualiser - Quick web-based orbit visualiser
• LeoLabs, satellitetracker3d - See all satellites and debris in real time
• Gentry Lee's - Systems Engineering When the Canvas Is Blank - Learn about space systems engineering: the process satellites are designed
• Sign up for these newsletters to gradually infiltrate the space industry

Full list of resources

Orbit visualisers

• orbitalmechanics

Space Object Trackers

• LeoLabs visualiser
• satellitetracker3d
• orbtrack
• KeepTrack
• ISS Trackers
  • astroviewer
  • isstracker

Free courses

Orbital Mechanics

• Plain English: Basic Orbit Shapes
• Plain English: Orbital Mechanics by Nick Morgan
• Orbit Types by NSSI
• Geometry of Parabolic and Hyperbolic Orbits
• Orbital Mechanics with Python - free on YouTube
  • Github Repo - Astrodynamics with Python - AWP

Space Environment

• Space Environment by NSSI

System Engineering

• Build a Cubesat - free on Youtube
• Gentry Lee videos on Systems Engineering
  • Gentry Lee's - So You Want to be a Systems Engineer?
  • Gentry Lee's - Systems Engineering When the Canvas Is Blank
• Common Definitions of Systems Engineering- Space Systems Engineering 101 w/ NASA
• MIT OpenCourseWare: Introduction to Space Systems Engineering
• https://github.com/mahran-sayed/awesome-aerospace-engineering - Aerospace Engineering learning master list

Software, packages, tools

• open-space-toolkit - collection of versatile libraries for aerospace engineering use
• CubeSatSim- CubeSatSim is a low cost satellite emulator that runs on solar panels and batteries, transmits UHF radio telemetry, has a 3D printed frame, and can be extended by additional sensors and modules
• AWP - Astrodynamics with Python
• openspaceproject - OpenSpace is open-source Astronomy interactive data visualization software
• awesome-spacecraft-engineering-datasets - list of awesome and diverse datasets related to space vehicle engineering for industry and research

Newsletters

Newsletters that I personally follow and recommend signing up for.

• For trends, high-level
  • Payload Space
  • Space Investor
  • Bloomberg Space Business
• More technical
  • Orbital Index
  • Jatan's Space
  • NASA newsletter

Articles

High-density articles on various topics.

• LEO vs. MEO vs. GEO Satellites: What’s the Difference?

Other useful master lists:

• awesome-space
• awesome-astronomy
• Awesome-GIS - A collection of geospatial related sources, including cartographic tools, geoanalysis tools, developer tools, data, conference & communities, news, massive open online course, some amazing map sites, and more.