Orbital Mechanics and Astrodynamics

Dr. Gerald Hintz is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Astronautical Engineering at the University of Southern California. He was a technical manager and senior engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for 37 years before his retirement. He worked on the development and flight operations of space missions, including Viking I and II (two orbiters and two landers to Mars), Mariner 9 (orbiter to Mars), Seasat (an Earth orbiter), Voyager II (for the Neptune encounter), Pioneer Venus (orbiter to Venus), Galileo (probe and orbiter to Jupiter), Ulysses (solar polar mission), Cassini-Huygens (orbiter to Saturn and lander to Titan), and Aquarius (a future Earth orbiter). As a technical manager, he provided multi-mission navigation support via the Deep Space Network, developed a computer-based training and reference tool for the Orbit Determination Program, and provided a successful orbital design for an Earth-orbital mission.

• 1. Fundamentals of Astrodynamics.- 2. Keplerian Motion.- 3. Orbital Maneuvers.- 4. Techniques of Astrodynamics.- 5. Non-Keplerian Motion.- 6. Spacecraft Rendezvous.- 7. Navigation and Mission Design Techniques and Tools.- 8. Changing from Mission Design to Flight Operations.- 9. Further Study.