Post-Doc (IRC-ASE, KFUPM)

Date: Monday, September 29th, 2025

Time: 11:00 a.m.

Location: Bldg. 6/Room 125

Abstract:

Designing a successful space mission requires the seamless integration of physics-based principles with practical engineering considerations. This seminar, “Space Mission Design: From Physics to Engineering,” will provide a holistic overview of how mission concepts are transformed from theoretical models into operational systems. Beginning with the fundamentals of orbital mechanics, we will explore how parameters such as altitude, inclination, and repeat cycles directly influence mission objectives, lifetime, coverage, and communication opportunities. Emphasis will be placed on orbit selection and analysis, including trade-offs between Low Earth Orbit (LEO) configurations, ground station access windows, mission area coverage, and deorbiting strategies. Practical case studies will highlight how physics-based constraints—such as atmospheric drag, radiation environment, and orbital perturbations—shape engineering decisions in spacecraft design, from payload integration to subsystem placement. By bridging theory with application, the seminar aims to demonstrate how orbit design serves as the foundation for end-to-end mission planning, enabling engineers to align spacecraft capabilities with mission requirements and ensure reliable performance throughout the mission lifecycle.

Biography:

Dr. Atif Mahmood is a Post-Doctoral Researcher at the Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Aviation and Space Exploration (IRC-ASE), KFUPM, Saudi Arabia. With over 12 years of academic and industrial experience, he specializes in spacecraft control systems, mission planning, and orbit design. He served for two years with the Pakistan Air Force in the Space Division, contributing to the development of the 16U PAUSAT-1 commercial satellite, launched in January 2025 with SpaceX. He currently leads the Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) team for a flagship 6U Earth Observation Satellite project, with expertise spanning ADCS, EPS design, and simulation-based validation of satellite and planetary rover missions.

All faculty, researchers and students are invited to attend.