Space Architecture

Students enrolled in this Certificate Program will study the theory and practice of designing and building inhabited environments in outer space.

This program is designed to guide students through architectural design of humans living and working environments in space. Students will gain an understanding about designing these forms of architecture and the challenges to ensure and support safety, sustainability, habitability, reliability and crew efficiency, productivity and comfort in the context of extreme environments.

Space Architecture

Choose any three of the courses listed below and one three-credit elective from any certificate program.

ARC 500: Mission Planning and Operations (3 credits)

This course will introduce students to the fundamental concepts of mission planning for various mission types and their impact on logistics and operations. Students examine drivers of habitat mass and volume requirements such as crew size, mission objectives and duration. They also consider evolutionary and adaptive planning for long term viability of space settlements, the effects of environmental factors with respect to safety, location, gravity and radiation, and explore active and passive methods of control and autonomy.

ARC 501: Advanced Habitat Design I (3 credits)

This course surveys the most advanced space architecture designs. Topics include, but not limited to: space vehicles, stations, habitats and lunar, planetary bases and manufacturing of infrastructure; free space structures, and space based and earth based control, experiment, launch, logistics, payload, and test facilities.

ARC 502: Advanced Habitat Design II (3 credits)

This course examines the principles and concepts of designing an analog on Earth. Students will incorporate the challenges faced by unique locations in space, and evaluate structures that replicate those environments, these may include extreme destinations such as: polar regions, airborne, desert, rugged terrain, high altitude, underground, undersea environments and closed ecological systems.

ARC 503: Independent Study – Space Architecture (3 credits)

Independent study courses are student initiated projects, open to Kepler Space Institute students, which allow students to work one-on-one with a faculty member. The student and supervising faculty member will develop a learning plan for the semester within the first week of term. Enrollment is limited.