Building a CubeSat Capstone for Master's Students

Aerospace education encompasses both a broad and deep technical domain with many focuses and specializations which can present challenges to the design of an all-encompassing graduate capstone course. This paper outlines methodologies used for the redesign of the Johns Hopkins Space Systems Engineering master's program capstone course by its graduating students. The objective of the graduate course redesign is to integrate students' prior coursework in a cumulative manner compatible with a diverse range of experiences and technical knowledge while still presenting challenges and opportunities for the most experienced students. The course progressively builds on prior learning and labs through the integration of industry standard tools and practices. Based on The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) CubeSat Simulator platform, the updated course embraces open-source software and hardware utilizing modern, affordable materials which also enable global education as International Traffic in Arms Regulations (IT AR) free resources. Potential expansion into a two-semester course and undergraduate course is also discussed.