Explore spacecraft rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking through mission design, relative motion, guidance, and navigation. Analyze collision-safe trajectories, sensing strategies, and abort maneuvers for applications such as resupply, crew transfer, assembly, and refueling.
Online · Live sessions
- Live lectures via Zoom
- Recordings and downloadable slides
- Optional self-paced learning activities
This new essential course, offered in partnership with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), introduces students to the main elements of a Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) mission.
This course covers the general principles governing spacecraft Rendezvous, Proximity Operations, and Docking (RPOD). Students will be introduced to a variety of topics related to RPOD mission design including Near and Far Range Rendezvous, Natural Motion Circumnavigation (NMC), Contingencies and Safe Relative Motion, Lambert Guidance, Relative Sensing, and Navigation. These topics will be examined in the context of historical and upcoming flight missions. The goal is to equip students with tools necessary to analyze concepts related to RPOD applications such as ISS resupply, crew transfer, extra-vehicular activities, on-orbit assembly and manufacturing, refueling, and others. A basic knowledge of Newtonian Mechanics and Ordinary Differential Equations is expected.
Between classes, students will have optional self-paced readings, exercises, knowledge checks, etc. available in the Johns Hopkins learning platform to enhance the course experience.
Course fees
All prices in USD, per learner
Individual enrollment
AIAA members: email EngineeringExecEd@jhu.edu for help obtaining your member discount code before registering.
Group enrollment
For enrollment questions or Bright Horizons voucher payments, email EPE at EngineeringExecEd@jhu.edu. Include your voucher if using it for payment.
Live session schedule
March 4, 2027–April 8, 2027 · Thursdays, noon–2 p.m. Eastern Time
6 live sessions; 12 classroom hours; approximately 24 total hours. All sessions will be recorded and available for replay; course notes will be available for download.
Skills and learning outcomes
- Describe the various phases of a typical RPOD Mission
- Discuss operational considerations and constraints informing the design of a typical RPOD mission
- Explain common methods used in the design of collision-safe RPOD trajectories
- Analyze RPOD maneuvers for standard approaches such as V-bar, R-bar, Glideslope etc.
- Identify common relative navigation strategies
What this course covers
Module 1
Introduction
- Introduction to RPOD
- RPOD Definitions and Nomenclature
- Orbital Mechanics Review
Module 2
RPOD Mission Design Considerations
- Phasing Orbits and Plane Matching
- Mission Sequence from Launch to Docking
- Ideal Launch Time and Launch Windows
- Typical RPOD Mission Constraints
Module 3
Relative Motion Modeling and Relative Orbits
- Vehicle Local Coordinate Axes and the Clohessy-Wiltshire Equations
- Natural Relative Orbit Geometries
- Relative Motion for Eccentric Orbits
Module 4
Rendezvous Maneuvers and RPOD Safety
- The Lambert Guidance Strategy
- Multi-impulse Rendezvous Following a Glideslope
- Continuous Maneuvers
- Safety Ellipse in RPOD
Module 5
Overview of Relative Navigation
- Relative Navigation Sensors: Visual, Infra-red, LIDAR etc.
- RPOD Sensor Modeling
- Batch Least Squares Orbit Estimation
- Nonlinear Least Squares OD in RPOD
Module 6
Fault Tolerance and Mission Abort Strategies
- RPOD Anomaly Examples
- Fault-Tolerant Trajectories for Autonomous Rendezvous
- Breakout Maneuvers
Who is this course for?
Government, industry, academic, or commercial stakeholders of space systems without detailed background in space mission design and navigation.
Meet your instructor
Pradipto Ghosh, PhD
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Dr. Pradipto Ghosh is a member of the Senior Professional Staff at the JHU APL Space Exploration Sector. His interests include Astrodynamics, Navigation, Space Logistics, Stochastic Optimal Control, and Differential Games. Dr. Ghosh serves on the AIAA Astrodynamics Technical Committee, and on the editorial boards of the Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets (AIAA) and the Journal of the Astronautical Sciences (AAS). He earned his doctorate in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
Completion recognition
Complete the course to earn a Johns Hopkins University badge of completion and receive completion recognition from AIAA.
Course delivery and materials
The course lectures will be delivered via Zoom. Access to the Johns Hopkins learning platform will be provided to registrants near to the course start date.
All recorded classes will be available on-demand within 1-2 business days of the lecture. Once available, you can stream the replay video anytime, 24/7.
All slides will be available for download after each lecture. No part of these materials may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted, unless for course participants. All rights reserved.
Between lectures during the course, the instructor will be available via email for technical questions and comments.
Live session recording notice
Live virtual sessions are recorded and may be repurposed as course materials at the discretion of Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and viewed by future learners. Recordings may include your name, image, voice, questions, comments, and other participation. Although JHU will make reasonable efforts to remove or minimize personally identifiable information during editing, some identifying information and participation may remain in the recordings.
Have questions about this course?
Request additional information about course content, delivery, and enrollment.