By the end
What you'll build
- Explain and compute two-body orbits — speed, period, shape and energy — from first principles with the vis-viva equation
- Solve Kepler's equation numerically with numpy and locate a satellite anywhere on its orbit from time alone
- Read real Two-Line Element sets fluently and recover orbital elements, including semi-major axis from mean motion
- Design and price orbital maneuvers — Hohmann transfers, plane changes and GTO insertions — in delta-v
- Propagate real satellites with SGP4 and skyfield to generate ground tracks and predict passes over your own city
Curriculum
What's inside
6 modules · 30 lessons
- 01
Two-Body Motion & Conic Sections
5 lessons- Start Here: Your Mission Map
- Gravity and the Two-Body Problem
- Conic Sections: The Only Four Shapes an Orbit Can Take
- Orbit Playground: Make It a Circleorbit playground
- Quiz: Two-Body Motion & Conicsquiz
- 02
Kepler's Laws, Computationally
4 lessons- Kepler's Three Laws — the Working Version
- Vis-Viva: The One Equation You'll Use Every Day
- Python Lab: Solve Kepler's Equation with numpypython lab
- Quiz: Kepler, Anomalies & Vis-Vivaquiz
- 03
Orbital Elements & TLEs
5 lessons- The Six Orbital Elements
- Reading a TLE, Line by Line
- Flashcards: Elements, TLEs & Orbit Vocabularyflashcard sr
- Fill in the Blanks: Element Numericalsfill blank
- Quiz: Elements & TLEsquiz
- 04
Maneuvers: Hohmann, Plane Changes & Delta-v Budgets
6 lessons- Delta-v: The Currency of Spaceflight
- The Hohmann Transfer, Step by Step
- Python Lab: Vis-Viva & the LEO-to-GEO Hohmann Budgetpython lab
- Orbit Playground: Fly the GTOorbit playground
- Rocket Sim: Earn Your Insertion Budgetrocket sim
- + 1 more lesson
- 05
Real Satellite Tracking with SGP4
6 lessons- Why Real Satellites Disobey Kepler: Perturbations & SGP4
- Sat Tracker: Read the ISS Ground Tracksat tracker
- Python Lab: Propagate the ISS with SGP4python lab
- Python Lab: Predict a Pass with Skyfieldpython lab
- Sat Tracker: The Pass-Prediction Viewsat tracker
- + 1 more lesson
- 06
Mission Capstone: Design an Orbit
4 lessons- Designing an Orbit for a Use Case
- Orbit Playground: Escape & Precision Shapingorbit playground
- Writing Lab: Your Mission Design Briefwriting lab
- Final Mock: The Full-Course Mixed Examquiz
The shape of it
How this course works
Short lessons
30 lessons across 6 modules, each small enough to finish in one sitting.
Practice as you go
Every lesson ends with a small space for what you noticed — the doing is the learning.
A certificate at the end
Finish the course and earn a certificate anyone can verify with a link.
Ready when you are.
Make an account and this course opens up — your progress is saved from the very first lesson.