Syllabus Spotlight for Spring 2011
Course: Introduction to Human Spaceflight
School: Engineering and Applied Science
Professor: Jim Voss (MAero’74, HonDocSci’00), former astronaut
Course description: This class introduces students to the challenges and rewards of human spaceflight. It covers past and present space programs and spacecraft, along with the motivation, cost and rationale for such exploration. An overview of the space environment is presented in the context of what is needed to sustain human life and health — including physiological and psychological concerns — in a space habitat.
Textbook: Albert Harrison’s Spacefaring: The Human Dimension (University of California Press)
Voss says: “I think this class is important because it offers students the chance to hear about spaceflight firsthand from someone who has been there. There are no other university courses like this, covering all aspects of human spaceflight with personal insight and experiences used to highlight the teaching points in class.”