DELTA-SIERRA · SPACE ACADEMY
SPACE ACADEMY
From zero to the scientific knowledge needed to understand the work of astronauts, mission engineers and flight teams - without assuming prior knowledge.
SPACE ACADEMY is an open self-study learning path. It does not award any diploma, certification, professional title, or authorization.
Your progress is saved automatically on this device. You can also export it from the left column.
Two ways to learn
Guided pathway
Start at module 00 and follow the numbers.
I want to understand now
Jump directly to a question; prerequisites are introduced just in time.
The real formula, explained
Every symbol, number, unit, convention and operation must be explainable.
What Space Academy is not
This pathway does not grant a professional astronaut or engineering qualification. It makes the reasoning, calculations, systems and technical culture of spaceflight accessible.
Curriculum in learning order
00 — I start from zero
Read formulas, recognize symbols, use a calculator, understand units and orders of magnitude.
- AM-00.01 — Use Space Academy without “going back to school”Available
- AM-00.02 — Read a formula without panickingAvailable
- AM-00.03 — The calculator: what it does and what it does not understandAvailable
- AM-00.04 — SI units: the common language that prevents confusionAvailable
- AM-00.05 — Orders of magnitude: know whether a result is plausible before the decimal pointAvailable
- AM-00.06 — Check whether a result is plausible: five tests before believing itAvailable
- AM-00.07 — The Delta-Sierra reflex: “where are the losses?”Available
01 — Useful mathematics
Fractions, percentages, powers, equations, trigonometry, vectors, derivatives and uncertainty - only when needed.
- AM-01.01 — Fractions, ratios, and proportions: compare without getting lostAvailable
- AM-01.02 — Percentages, efficiency, and losses: turn 98% into what it actually meansAvailable
- AM-01.03 — Powers of ten and scientific notation: write the huge and the tinyAvailable
- AM-01.04 — Equations: find the unknown without magical “move it to the other side” rulesAvailable
- AM-01.05 — Graphs: read change without being fooled by the axisAvailable
- AM-01.06 — Slope and rate of change: how much does it change per unit?Available
- AM-01.07 — Angles, sine, and cosine: turn a direction into componentsAvailable
- AM-01.08 — Vectors: a number that also has a directionAvailable
- AM-01.09 — Coordinates and reference frames: say where a spacecraft actually isAvailable
- AM-01.10 — Exponential and natural logarithm — why logarithms appear in rocketsAvailable
- AM-01.11 — Derivative — measure how fast a quantity changesAvailable
- AM-01.12 — Integral — calculate what accumulates in totalAvailable
- AM-01.14 — Uncertainty and error propagation — know how many digits deserve trustAvailable
02 — Fundamental physics
Motion, mass, weight, force, energy, pressure, fluids, heat, rotation, electricity and waves.
- AM-02.01 — Position, distance, and displacement: “where am I?” is not “how far did I travel?”Available
- AM-02.02 — Speed, velocity, and acceleration: how fast, which direction, and how quickly does it change?Available
- AM-02.03 — Mass, weight, and gravity: why 80 kg does not become 13 kg on the MoonAvailable
- AM-02.04 — Force and Newton’s laws: why a rocket changes motionAvailable
- AM-02.05 — Work, energy, and power: how much energy, and how fast?Available
- AM-02.06 — Momentum: why mass and velocity matter togetherAvailable
- AM-02.07 — Circular motion: why turning requires accelerationAvailable
- AM-02.08 — Gravitation and the 1/r² law: why distance is squaredAvailable
- AM-02.09 — Pressure, density, and fluids: understand what pushes in tanks and linesAvailable
- AM-02.10 — Gases, temperature and thermodynamics — track energy through a systemAvailable
- AM-02.11 — Rotation, torque and moment of inertia — make things turn without confusing force and rotationAvailable
- AM-02.14 — Electricity — voltage, current, resistance and power without magicAvailable
03 — Useful chemistry
Atoms, molecules, H₂O, O₂, CO₂, CH₄, reactions, electrolysis, Sabatier, combustion and cryogenics.
- AM-03.01 — Atom, element, nucleus, and electron: what chemical formulas already assumeAvailable
- AM-03.02 — Molecule and chemical formula: why H₂O means exactly two H for one OAvailable
- AM-03.03 — Why H₂O means two hydrogens for one oxygenAvailable
- AM-03.04 — Molar mass and the mole — count the invisible without counting atoms one by oneAvailable
- AM-03.05 — Chemical reaction and conservation: atoms rearrange; they do not vanishAvailable
- AM-03.07 — Water electrolysis — make oxygen without creating matterAvailable
- AM-03.10 — Combustion and mixture ratio: why an engine does not mix propellants randomlyAvailable
04 — Rockets & engines
Thrust, mass flow, nozzles, rocket equation, staging, liquid engines, turbopumps, cycles, Raptor, Vulcain and Vinci.
- AM-04.04 — Calculate rocket thrust — and understand where the equation comes fromAvailable
- AM-04.19 — Understand a simple liquid rocket engine — part by partAvailable
- AM-04.20 — From pioneers to the V-2: how a rocket engine becomes a systemAvailable
- AM-04.21 — V-2 anatomy: structure, engine, guidance, and limitsAvailable
- AM-04.22 — Why does a rocket wall have that thickness?Available
- AM-04.23 — Choosing launch-vehicle materials: steel, aluminum, copper, nickel, and compositesAvailable
- AM-04.24 — Saturn V F-1: why correct average thrust is not enoughAvailable
- AM-04.25 — Vulcain and Vinci: two European engines for two different jobsAvailable
- AM-04.26 — Steering thrust: gimbals, actuators, and thrust vector controlAvailable
- AM-04.27 — The rocket tilts by 2°: how does the control loop react?Available
- AM-04.28 — How does a Falcon 9 first stage return and land?Available
- AM-04.29 — Why could a V-2 not return and land like Falcon 9?Available
- AM-04.30 — How does an actuator hold a thrusting rocket engine?Available
- AM-04.31 — Pressurizing propellant tanks: why propellant does not simply “fall” into the engineAvailable
- AM-04.32 — Valves and regulators: how a digital command becomes fluid flowAvailable
- AM-04.33 — Turbopumps: why a powerful engine needs a pump driven by a turbineAvailable
- AM-04.34 — Cavitation: when liquid begins forming bubbles where the pump needs liquidAvailable
- AM-04.35 — Injectors: turn two feed streams into a mixture that can burn stablyAvailable
- AM-04.36 — Combustion chamber: turn chemical reaction into hot gas before the nozzleAvailable
- AM-04.37 — Nozzle throat: why the flow becomes chokedAvailable
- AM-04.38 — Nozzle: turn pressure and heat into velocityAvailable
- AM-04.39 — Regenerative cooling: keep the chamber from meltingAvailable
- AM-04.40 — Ignition and start sequence: start the reaction in the right orderAvailable
- AM-04.41 — Why 5 kg/s rather than 3 or 10? How an engine really controls flowAvailable
- AM-04.42 — O/F mixture ratio: how much oxidizer for how much fuel?Available
- AM-04.43 — Throttling: reduce thrust without shutting the engine downAvailable
- AM-04.44 — Engine sensors: how the machine knows what it is doingAvailable
- AM-04.45 — Engine controller: from sensor to decisionAvailable
- AM-04.50 — Understand the Raptor engine — from simple principle to full-flow cycleAvailable
05 — Orbits
Why satellites keep falling, ellipses, orbital speed, orbital elements, delta-v, Hohmann and rendezvous.
- AM-05.01 — Orbit: why a satellite keeps falling without hitting the planetAvailable
- AM-05.02 — Orbital speed, period and altitude: what changes when you go higherAvailable
- AM-05.03 — Ellipse, periapsis, apoapsis and eccentricity: reading a non-circular orbitAvailable
- AM-05.04 — Kepler’s laws: three rules for understanding orbital motionAvailable
- AM-05.05 — Delta-v, prograde and retrograde: how a short burn reshapes an orbitAvailable
- AM-05.06 — Hohmann transfer: moving between circular orbits with two burnsAvailable
- AM-05.07 — Rendezvous and orbital phasing: meeting an object that is already movingAvailable
06 — Earth → Moon
Where to aim when the Moon moves, windows, translunar injection, corrections, Apollo navigation and return.
07 — Earth → Mars
Launch windows, interplanetary transfer, flight time, corrections, arrival and capture.
- AM-07.01 — Earth–Mars launch window: why you cannot leave on just any dayAvailable
- AM-07.02 — Calculating a simplified Earth–Mars transfer: about 259 days and 44° leadAvailable
- AM-07.03 — Trajectory correction maneuvers: why an almost perfect launch is not enoughAvailable
- AM-07.04 — Arriving at Mars: flyby, orbital capture or atmospheric entryAvailable
08 — Guidance, navigation & control
IMUs, gyros, stars, optical navigation, attitude, guidance algorithms and control.
- AM-08.01 — Space navigation: reference trajectory, orbit determination and correctionAvailable
- AM-08.02 — Deep Space Network: measuring distance and velocity with radio signalsAvailable
- AM-08.03 — Reference frames and time: state where and when before computing a trajectoryAvailable
- AM-08.04 — IMU, gyroscopes and accelerometers: sensing motion without GPSAvailable
- AM-08.05 — Star trackers and sensor fusion: finding attitude from the starsAvailable
- AM-08.06 — Optical navigation: using images, planets and terrain to locate yourselfAvailable
- AM-08.07 — Attitude: roll, pitch, yaw and why quaternions existAvailable
- AM-08.08 — Reaction wheels, thrusters and saturation: turning a spacecraft without translating its centreAvailable
- AM-08.09 — GNC: the complete loop that observes, decides and actsAvailable
09 — The spacecraft
Structure, power, thermal control, computers, secondary propulsion, mechanisms and onboard systems.
- AM-09.01 — Spacecraft anatomy: bus, payload and subsystemsAvailable
- AM-09.02 — Structure: loads, vibration, stiffness and marginsAvailable
- AM-09.03 — Electrical power: generate, store, distribute and shed loadsAvailable
- AM-09.04 — Thermal control: radiators, insulation, heaters and heat pipesAvailable
- AM-09.05 — Onboard computer and data: compute, store, command and telemeterAvailable
- AM-09.06 — Flight software, watchdog, FDIR, redundancy and safe modeAvailable
- AM-09.07 — Mechanisms: deployments, actuators and reliabilityAvailable
- AM-09.08 — In-space propulsion: manoeuvring after launchAvailable
- AM-09.09 — Integration: interfaces, budgets, verification and validationAvailable
- AM-09.10 — Design a complete spacecraft: modes, tradeoffs, margins and system decisionsAvailable
10 — Communications
Waves, frequency, Doppler, antennas, light-time, Deep Space Network and autonomy without real-time control.
- AM-10.01 — Radio waves: frequency, wavelength and why λ = c/fAvailable
- AM-10.02 — Antennas: gain, beamwidth and why a large dish must point accuratelyAvailable
- AM-10.03 — Link budget: add gains and losses all the way to the receiverAvailable
- AM-10.04 — Mars relay network: UHF to the orbiter, X-band to EarthAvailable
- AM-10.05 — Light time, latency and atomic clocks: why Mars can never be controlled in real timeAvailable
- AM-10.06 — Optical communications: sending data with a laser through deep spaceAvailable
- AM-10.07 — Modulation and error correction: how bits survive an imperfect signalAvailable
11 — Entry, descent & landing
Entry energy, heat shields, corridors, parachutes, propulsion and heavy EDL.
- AM-11.01 — Mars EDL: understand entry, descent, landing and the energy to dissipateAvailable
- AM-11.02 — Mars atmosphere, drag and dynamic pressure: braking with very little airAvailable
- AM-11.03 — Heat shield, heat flux and ablation: surviving atmospheric entryAvailable
- AM-11.04 — Ballistic coefficient, lift and entry corridor: choosing how to cross the atmosphereAvailable
- AM-11.05 — Entry guidance: bank angle, lift, range and trajectory correctionAvailable
- AM-11.06 — Supersonic parachutes on Mars: operation, loads and scaling limitsAvailable
- AM-11.07 — Supersonic retropropulsion: braking a heavy lander with enginesAvailable
- AM-11.08 — Radar, altimetry and velocimetry: knowing where you are before the groundAvailable
- AM-11.09 — Terrain-relative navigation: recognising Mars to correct positionAvailable
- AM-11.10 — Hazard detection, landing ellipse and landing-site selectionAvailable
- AM-11.11 — Terminal descent, touchdown and plume-surface interaction on MarsAvailable
- AM-11.12 — Heavy human EDL: why moving from 1 tonne to more than 20 tonnes changes the architectureAvailable
12 — Survival
Air, water, CO₂, oxygen, food, ECLSS, hygiene, medicine and radiation.
- AM-12.01 — ECLSS architecture: connecting air, water, waste, thermal control and backup in a Mars habitatAvailable
- AM-12.02 — Habitable atmosphere: total pressure, oxygen and partial pressuresAvailable
- AM-12.03 — CO₂, trace contaminants and ventilation: preventing a toxic atmosphereAvailable
- AM-12.04 — Water recovery: correctly understanding NASA’s 98% milestoneAvailable
- AM-12.05 — Humidity, condensation and microbial control: keeping a habitat dry without over-drying itAvailable
- AM-12.06 — Fire in a Mars habitat: detect, isolate, suppress and recoverAvailable
- AM-12.07 — Depressurization: detecting a leak, isolating a volume and preserving a refugeAvailable
- AM-12.08 — Radiation on Mars: dose, shielding, storm shelter and mission strategyAvailable
- AM-12.09 — Mars spacesuit: pressure, PLSS, mobility and prebreatheAvailable
- AM-12.10 — Mars EVA: airlocks, suitports, planning, return and rescueAvailable
- AM-12.11 — Mars dust: contamination, filtration, abrasion and maintenanceAvailable
- AM-12.12 — Mars nutrition: calories, protein, micronutrients, storage and appetiteAvailable
- AM-12.13 — Crops on Mars: greenhouse, hydroponics, light, water and biological loopsAvailable
- AM-12.14 — Autonomous medicine: diagnostics, pharmacy, treatment and decisions far from EarthAvailable
- AM-12.15 — Sleep, fatigue, psychology and conflict: protecting crew performanceAvailable
- AM-12.16 — Multiple failures: designing a habitat that still saves lives after several failuresAvailable
13 — Living and working elsewhere
Habitats, EVA, vehicles, power, industry, ISRU and surface life.
- AM-13.01 — ISRU: use local resources instead of bringing everything from EarthAvailable
- AM-13.02 — Closed loops: why 90% recycling does not mean autonomyAvailable
- AM-13.03 — Selecting a Mars-base site: resources, hazards and useful distancesAvailable
- AM-13.04 — Utility network: distributing power, water, oxygen and data across the baseAvailable
- AM-13.05 — Pressurized zoning: compartmentalizing the habitat and preparing expansionAvailable
- AM-13.06 — Surface mobility: rovers, cargo, routes and rescueAvailable
- AM-13.07 — Robotics and autonomy: making machines work before, with and after the crewAvailable
- AM-13.08 — ISRU industrial chain: excavation, processing, quality control and storageAvailable
- AM-13.09 — Mars construction: earthworks, regolith, protection and geometric controlAvailable
- AM-13.10 — Logistics and inventory: knowing exactly what the base ownsAvailable
- AM-13.11 — Local manufacturing: metrology, quality control and part requalificationAvailable
- AM-13.12 — Growing the base: modularity, interfaces and commissioningAvailable
14 — Design so it does not fail
Reliability, redundancy, common causes, FMEA, FDIR, maintenance, spares and rescue.
- AM-14.01 — Qualify a material: how do we know it will really survive on Mars?Available
- AM-14.02 — Additive manufacturing: why a printed part is not automatically qualifiedAvailable
- AM-14.03 — Requirements, hazards and FMEA: designing failures before they happenAvailable
- AM-14.04 — Reliability: understanding probability of success in a chain of systemsAvailable
- AM-14.05 — Redundancy and common causes: two machines do not always make two backupsAvailable
- AM-14.06 — Margins, derating and worst case: not designing at the edgeAvailable
- AM-14.07 — Fatigue, thermal cycles and dust: designing for thousands of repetitionsAvailable
- AM-14.08 — Seals, valves and tightness: controlling leaks in a pressurized worldAvailable
- AM-14.09 — Radiation, electronics and data: detecting errors before they become commandsAvailable
- AM-14.10 — Diagnostics and FDIR: detecting, isolating and recovering from anomaliesAvailable
- AM-14.11 — Maintainability: access, repair time and spare strategyAvailable
- AM-14.12 — Verification, validation, qualification and configuration: proving what fliesAvailable
15 — Work as a mission team
Procedures, checklists, mission control, human factors, decisions and autonomy.
- AM-15.01 — Roles, authority and shifts: who decides when Earth cannot answer?Available
- AM-15.02 — Procedures and checklists: guiding action without preventing thoughtAvailable
- AM-15.03 — Delayed communications: working with Earth without waiting for every replyAvailable
- AM-15.04 — Logbook and handover: transmitting the real system stateAvailable
- AM-15.05 — Alarms and decisions under stress: separating urgency, noise and cascadesAvailable
- AM-15.06 — Fatigue and workload: planning a mission humans can actually sustainAvailable
- AM-15.07 — Teamwork: communication, cross-checking and managing disagreementAvailable
- AM-15.08 — Anomaly management: commanding the incident and recovering a safe stateAvailable
- AM-15.09 — Simulation and training: learning failures before experiencing themAvailable
- AM-15.10 — Earth-Mars team: planning science, maintenance and autonomy over several daysAvailable
16 — Final missions
Complete case studies where the learner builds, calculates, critiques and defends a mission architecture.
- Design an end-to-end Earth–Mars missionAvailable
- Precursor cargo mission: deliver and activate a base before the crewAvailable
- Crewed transit: close air, water, power and maintenance budgetsAvailable
- Land a heavy payload: trade a 20–30 tonne EDL systemAvailable
- The first thirty sols: move from landing to a stable baseAvailable
- Water–oxygen–power campaign: operate a small industrial plantAvailable
- Long-range EVA: rover failure and crewmember rescueAvailable
- Dust storm and degraded power: survive one weekAvailable
- Leak plus fire: manage two emergencies that conflictAvailable
- Failure with no spare: manufacture, inspect and requalify a local partAvailable
- Medical emergency under radio delay: decide before Earth repliesAvailable
- Final mission: grow the settlement for 500 sols despite failuresAvailable
Final missions — architecture defense
Twelve integrative case studies. Each includes assumptions, calculations, an injected failure, a decision, deliverables and a scoring rubric. The goal is to defend a coherent architecture, not recite a lesson.
AM-16.01Design an end-to-end Earth–Mars missionCalculate · trade · justify · defendAM-16.02Precursor cargo mission: deliver and activate a base before the crewCalculate · trade · justify · defendAM-16.03Crewed transit: close air, water, power and maintenance budgetsCalculate · trade · justify · defendAM-16.04Land a heavy payload: trade a 20–30 tonne EDL systemCalculate · trade · justify · defendAM-16.05The first thirty sols: move from landing to a stable baseCalculate · trade · justify · defendAM-16.06Water–oxygen–power campaign: operate a small industrial plantCalculate · trade · justify · defendAM-16.07Long-range EVA: rover failure and crewmember rescueCalculate · trade · justify · defendAM-16.08Dust storm and degraded power: survive one weekCalculate · trade · justify · defendAM-16.09Leak plus fire: manage two emergencies that conflictCalculate · trade · justify · defendAM-16.10Failure with no spare: manufacture, inspect and requalify a local partCalculate · trade · justify · defendAM-16.11Medical emergency under radio delay: decide before Earth repliesCalculate · trade · justify · defendAM-16.12Final mission: grow the settlement for 500 sols despite failuresCalculate · trade · justify · defend
Personal progress
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