SECTION I
ENVIRONMENT

1 The Solar System
2 Reference Systems
3 Gravity & Mechanics
4 Trajectories
5 Planetary Orbits
6 Electromagnetics

SECTION II
FLIGHT PROJECTS

7 Mission Inception
8 Experiments
9 S/C Classification
10 Telecom
11 Onboard Systems
12 Science Instruments
13 Navigation

SECTION III
OPERATIONS

14 Launch
15 Cruise
16 Encounter
17 Extended Ops
18 Deep Space Network

      The people of Caltech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) create, manage and operate NASA projects of exploration throughout our solar system and beyond.

Basics of Space Flight is a training module designed primarily to help JPL operations people identify the range of concepts associated with deep space missions, and grasp the relationships these concepts exhibit. It also enjoys popularity among high school and college students, as well as faculty, and people everywhere who are interested in interplanetary space flight.

This website attempts to offer a broad scope, but limited depth, as a background for further investigation; many other resources are available, of course, for delving into each of the topics related here. Indeed, any one of these topics can involve a lifelong career of specialization. This module's purpose is met if the participant learns the scope of concepts that apply to interplanetary space exploration, and the relationships among them.

Basics of Space Flight is intended to be used online via the worldwide web (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/basics). Links to external sites provide further depth to many topics. There are interactive quizzes to let you check your own progress (no records are kept). No academic credit is offered for completion.

Interplanetary exploration begins . . .

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