Teaching innovation at UPC: linking space design education with agency roadmaps for exploration

Abstract

This paper describes the approach of the authors in creating a new space systems design course for Aeronautics students in Catalonia. Exploration roadmaps provide interest and relevance, and so the course development principle was to associate material with actual projects and real ideas, rather than textbooks. In particular, the NASA and ESA roadmaps proved to be an excellent source for examining a number of disciplines, and joining them together in a consistent way. The course concluded with a team project, which with the help of agency professionals, generated a small incremental step in mission definition for Venus exploration. - directly linked to the Solar System Exploration Roadmap and the VEXAG white paper. This paper presents the course, the links to exploration, a description of the process, a summary of the team project conclusions, and additional examples of the ‘strategy of teaching strategies’.