So this is my first semester, but I started in 2nd semester of the academic year, not 1. So in this semester I have 4 courses: Space Propulsion, Dynamics and Control and Space Structures, Heat Transfer and Thermal Analysis, and Technical Communication in English. So I would like to start from the first course.
Space propulsion course is really unique for me personally. Even I had taken quite a lot of space related courses during my undergrad in ITB, I have never met such course before. In space propulsion we learn about all stuffs related to propulsion which are used for space mission: liquid propulsion, solid propulsion, electric propulsion, and nuclear propulsion. The materials covered in each chapter is also quite detail and deep. At first at the early beginning of the course I thought that the course would only something like ‘nice to know’ knowledge, but it’s apparently not! For example, we are taught how to calculate the thrust of a rocket starting from chemical reaction calculation, or we are taught about how to reverse engineering of a rocket from a limited number of data available. But I feel that the detail leve in every chapter is a bit different though. For example, in chemical propulsion (liquid and solid) we learn quite deep and detail, while in electric and nuclear propulsion we learn only in general fashion. But overall, this course is really worth it and indeed it increases my knowledge much.
Okay, let’s move to the next course, Dynamics and Control and Space Structures. Well, this course has been being a nightmare for both aeronautical and space students for years! Why though?? Well, because it mixes a lot of preliminary knowledge: vibration, structure, continuum mechanics, and control! And the bad news is, I am not good at that subjects since during my undergrad I was more into astrodynamic stuffs. Actually If I started my study in 1st semester of the academic year, that would be much easier for me because I got Space Structures course which covers continuum mechanics and structure part. So I suggest you guys to start the study in the 1st semester instead of 2nd semester. Well, aside from its abundant prequisite knowledges, this course also employs such very high level of mathematics, escpecially linear algebra. We will meet quite often about matrix operation, and some fundamental ideas of linear algebra. So in short, until now, I am still figuring out how to deal with this nightmarish course.
The third course is heat transfer and thermal analysis. It’s quite similar to a course which I got during my undergrad, heat transfer course. The only difference is the exam question is much harder. So, nothing much to say about this course guys, I believe most of you also got this course during your undergrad.
And the final course, technical communication in english. I can say that this course is like ‘not too serious’ course. Yeah seriously guys, in this course we are only told to form a group of 10 people, choose a topic to work on, and present the result at the end of the semester. And in this course everybody will pass the exam since this exam does not have any mark to grade. But actually, if there’s no lockdown and everything goes normal, this course is kinda fun, we will meet new people from different countries and backgrounds to work on something. But since there’s a lockdown, we only communicate via microsoft teams, and everything feels not too serious.
Okay guys, maybe that’s all for this post. I dont want to make this post too long too read. See you next post guys.
Ardi's Notes 