Amata MERCURIO | SUSTAINABILITY AND AEROSPACE

cod. FS22700008

SUSTAINABILITY AND AEROSPACE

	FS22700008
	DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS "E. R. CAIANIELLO"
	EQF7
	NANOTECHNOLOGY AND PHYSICS FOR SUSTAINABILITY
	2025/2026

PERCORSO COMUNE

	OBBLIGATORIO
	YEAR OF COURSE 1
	YEAR OF DIDACTIC SYSTEM 2025
	SPRING SEMESTER

TEACHING UNITS

SSD	CFU	HOURS	ACTIVITY	TYPE OF ACTIVITY
FIS/05	4	32	LESSONS	COMPULSORY SUBJECTS, CHARACTERISTIC OF THE CLASS
FIS/05	2	24	LAB	COMPULSORY SUBJECTS, CHARACTERISTIC OF THE CLASS

PROFESSORS

	AMATA MERCURIO T Curriculum
	VALERIO BOZZA Curriculum

	Objectives
	THE COURSE PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF SUSTAINABILITY IN AEROSPACE RESEARCH AND ECONOMY, FOCUSING ON THE PROBLEM OF OVERCRWODING OF LOW-EARTH ORBITS AND THE ACCUMULATION OF SPACE DEBRIS. IN THE COURSE THE STUDENT WILL LEARN ABOUT THE BASICS OF CELESTIAL MECHANICS, THE EARTH AND SPACE ENVIRONMENT, CURRENT MODELS OF SPACE DEBRIS DISTRIBUTION AND EVOLUTION. THE IMPACT ON CURRENT AND FUTURE SPACE STRATEGIES, WITH MITIGATION TECHNIQUES AND THE INTERNATIONAL REGULATIONS WILL ALSO BE INTRODUCED. APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: THE STUDENT WILL MASTER THE METHODS FOR ORBITS MODELING AND PREDICTIONS AND WILL LEARN ABOUT THE STATE-OF-ART REGULATIONS OF THE PROBLEM.

THE COURSE PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF SUSTAINABILITY IN AEROSPACE RESEARCH AND ECONOMY, FOCUSING ON THE PROBLEM OF OVERCRWODING OF LOW-EARTH ORBITS AND THE ACCUMULATION OF SPACE DEBRIS. IN THE COURSE THE STUDENT WILL LEARN ABOUT THE BASICS OF CELESTIAL MECHANICS, THE EARTH AND SPACE ENVIRONMENT, CURRENT MODELS OF SPACE DEBRIS DISTRIBUTION AND EVOLUTION. THE IMPACT ON CURRENT AND FUTURE SPACE STRATEGIES, WITH MITIGATION TECHNIQUES AND THE INTERNATIONAL REGULATIONS WILL ALSO BE INTRODUCED.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING:
THE STUDENT WILL MASTER THE METHODS FOR ORBITS MODELING AND PREDICTIONS AND WILL LEARN ABOUT THE STATE-OF-ART REGULATIONS OF THE PROBLEM.

	Prerequisites
	CLASSICAL MECHANICS, NEWTONIAN GRAVITY, ELECTROMAGNETISM.

	Contents
	HISTORIC INTRODUCTION ON SPACE EXPLORATION (2 HR) SOURCES OF SPACE DEBRIS (4 HR) ASTRONOMICAL COORDINATES (4 ORE) BASICS OF CELESTIAL MECHANICS (8 HR) EARTH GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL (2 HR) EARTH ATMOSPHERE (4 HR) MODELING OF THE CURRENT SPACE DEBRIS ENVIRONMENT (4 HR) COLLISION FLUX FOR THE SPACE DEBRIS (4 HR) EVOLUTION OF THE FUTURE SPACE DEBRIS ENVIRONMENT (4 HR) MITIGATION MEASURES AND THEIR EFFECTS (4 HR) DAMAGE ASSESSMENT AND PROTECTION TECHNIQUES (2 HR) RE-ENTRY PREDICTION AND ON-GROUND RISK ESTIMATION (4 HR) INTERNATIONAL REGULATIONS AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES (2 HR)

Contents

HISTORIC INTRODUCTION ON SPACE EXPLORATION (2 HR)
SOURCES OF SPACE DEBRIS (4 HR)
ASTRONOMICAL COORDINATES (4 ORE)
BASICS OF CELESTIAL MECHANICS (8 HR)
EARTH GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL (2 HR)
EARTH ATMOSPHERE (4 HR)
MODELING OF THE CURRENT SPACE DEBRIS ENVIRONMENT (4 HR)
COLLISION FLUX FOR THE SPACE DEBRIS (4 HR)
EVOLUTION OF THE FUTURE SPACE DEBRIS ENVIRONMENT (4 HR)
MITIGATION MEASURES AND THEIR EFFECTS (4 HR)
DAMAGE ASSESSMENT AND PROTECTION TECHNIQUES (2 HR)
RE-ENTRY PREDICTION AND ON-GROUND RISK ESTIMATION (4 HR)
INTERNATIONAL REGULATIONS AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES (2 HR)

	Teaching Methods
	CLASS LECTURES AT THE BLACKBOARD AND/OR WITH SLIDE PROJECTIONS. COURSE ATTENDANCE, ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT MANDATORY, IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.

	Verification of learning
	ORAL INTERVIEW: THE STUDENT ILLUSTRATES A TOPIC OF HIS/HER CHOICE IN GREAT DETAIL AND ANSWERS TWO MORE QUESTIONS ON DIFFERENT TOPICS REPORTING THE ESSENTIAL PHYSICAL CONCEPTS. THE ORAL EXAM TYPICALLY LONG LASTS 30 MINUTES. THE ORAL EXAM IS CARRIED OUT AT THE END OF THE COURSE. THE MINIMUM SCORE (18) IS OBTAINED WITH THE PHYSICAL CONCEPTS OF THE CHOSEN ARGUMENT. THE MAXIMUM SCORE (30) IS ASSIGNED TO STUDENTS WHO MASTER THE PHYSICAL CONCEPTS OF THE WHOLE COURSE AND ARE ABLE TO ILLUSTRATE ALL DETAILS OF THE CHOSEN TOPIC. STUDENTS WITH EXCEPTIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND LANGUAGE SKILLS, EVEN IN BROADER CONTEXTS WITH RESPECT TO THOSE PROPOSED IN THE LECTURES, ARE AWARDED WITH A LAUDE.

Verification of learning

ORAL INTERVIEW: THE STUDENT ILLUSTRATES A TOPIC OF HIS/HER CHOICE IN GREAT DETAIL AND ANSWERS TWO MORE QUESTIONS ON DIFFERENT TOPICS REPORTING THE ESSENTIAL PHYSICAL CONCEPTS. THE ORAL EXAM TYPICALLY LONG LASTS 30 MINUTES.
THE ORAL EXAM IS CARRIED OUT AT THE END OF THE COURSE. THE MINIMUM SCORE (18) IS OBTAINED WITH THE PHYSICAL CONCEPTS OF THE CHOSEN ARGUMENT. THE MAXIMUM SCORE (30) IS ASSIGNED TO STUDENTS WHO MASTER THE PHYSICAL CONCEPTS OF THE WHOLE COURSE AND ARE ABLE TO ILLUSTRATE ALL DETAILS OF THE CHOSEN TOPIC. STUDENTS WITH EXCEPTIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND LANGUAGE SKILLS, EVEN IN BROADER CONTEXTS WITH RESPECT TO THOSE PROPOSED IN THE LECTURES, ARE AWARDED WITH A LAUDE.

	Texts
	"SPACE DEBRIS: MODELS AND RISK ANALYSIS", H. KLINKRAD, SPRINGER 2006. "FUNDAMENTAL ASTRONOMY", H. KARTTUNEN ET AL., SPRINGER 2018. "PHYSICS OF THE SPACE ENVIRONMENT", T.I. GOMBOSI, CAMBRIDGE, 2009.

	More Information
	STUDENTS ARE RECEIVED AFTER APPOINTMENT SET BY E-MAIL.

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Amata MERCURIO | SUSTAINABILITY AND AEROSPACE