Skip to main contentSkip to Xpert Chatbot

UC3Mx: The Conquest of Space: Space Exploration and Rocket Science

Explore the history of space travel and learn the basics of aerospace engineering.

7 weeks
3–4 hours per week
Self-paced
Progress at your own speed
Free
Optional upgrade available

There is one session available:

26,225 already enrolled! After a course session ends, it will be archivedOpens in a new tab.
Starts Nov 20
Enroll
The Conquest of Space: Space Exploration and Rocket Science

About this course

Skip About this course

Space exploration plays a major role in the history of humankind. The cultural, political and sociological repercussions are extraordinary, and the amount of resources dedicated to space exploration is enormous. This aerospace course is a first step for those interested in learning more about the history of the space and the impact of space exploration on our daily lives.

Each week we will focus on a major chapter in the history of space exploration accompanied by an introduction to the relevant technical topics to fully understand these historical developments. During the seven weeks of the course, we will follow the technical, political and cultural contexts that lead to the birth of the space age, uncover the evolution of space exploration from competition to cooperation in the Apollo and post-Apollo era and finally, analyze current trends in space exploration.

By successfully completing this course, you will acquire the critical tools to understand the key events and developments of the Space Age. You will learn to solve basic technical and engineering problems of space travel, rocket propulsion, space systems, and human space flight.

Course image: Rosetta at Comet (landscape) / Copyright: ESA/ATG medialab; Comet image: ESA/Rosetta/Navcam.

At a glance

  • Institution: UC3Mx
  • Subject: Engineering
  • Level: Introductory
  • Prerequisites:

    High-school mathematics and physics

  • Language: English
  • Video Transcript: English
  • Associated skills:Spacecraft Propulsion, Cooperation, Space Exploration

What you'll learn

Skip What you'll learn
  • The history of space exploration and its cultural, political, and scientific impact
  • Fundamentals of aerospace engineering, including how to move in space and how rockets work
  • The key aspects of space systems and the space environment
  • Current trends and future projects in space exploration

Syllabus

Skip Syllabus

Week 1: The first dreamers and visionaries. Frau im Mond (1929)
Towards space travel. When the story begins. Imagining space travel. Spaceflight literature. Promoting space travel. Pioneers and visionaries. The motion of celestial bodies.

Week 2: The first missiles. The vengeance weapon V-2 (1944)
Times of Weimar Republic and the Third Reich. Principles of rocket operation. V-2. Rockets and the birth of the Cold War. Chemical rockets.

Week 3: The dawn of the Space Age. Sputnik (1957)
Treaty of Rome and Sputnik. Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. International Astronautical Federation. Rockets and Atmospheric exploration. IGY. The Space Environment. Sputnik and the birth of the space era.

Week 4: The Giant Leap. Apollo 11 (1969)
The Giant Leap. First Man in Orbit. Moon Race. Apollo. Introduction to Space Systems I.

Week 5: Space Cooperation. Birth of ESA (1975)
Post-Moon-race cooperation. Soyuz-Apollo programme. ESA example of cooperation. The International Space Station (ISS). Introduction to Space Systems II. Life in space. Accessing space.

Week 6: Using space for Humankind. The exploitation of space
Today’s life needs space. Telecommunications. Earth Observation. GNSS. Space Situational Awareness. Space technologies back on the Earth.

Week 7: Looking ahead. Ambition (2015)
What’s next? Human Exploration of the Solar System. Robotic Exploration of the Solar System. Scientific Exploration of the Universe. Space Tourism. Getting farther and beyond: electric propulsion.

Learner testimonials

Skip Learner testimonials

"From the first week I was impressed with the combination of videos, quiz questions, discussions and the weekly tests. I do like the blend of history and engineering. It is an engineering course but it does not feel like one. Both the instructors Manuel and Mario made me feel at ease while learning this material. My advise to all is that if you are having trouble with the math, use the power of the internet."
Previous learner

Ways to take this course

Choose your path when you enroll.

Certificate

Free

Price

$159 USD

-

Access to course materials

Unlimited

Limited

Expires on Jan 8, 2025

World-class institutions and universities

edX support

Shareable certificate upon completion

Graded assignments and exams

Read our FAQsin a new tab about frequently asked questions on these tracks.

Interested in this course for your business or team?

Train your employees in the most in-demand topics, with edX For Business.