A curated list of useful resources for space mission design, space systems engineering, courses, visualisations, scripts and more. The focus is on free, open-source solutions. The list includes a range of fast, plain-english and web-based resources and more advanced ones.
- Space Engineering 101
- Full List of Resources
If you don't know much about space, orbits, or engineering, this is where you start.
- Basic Orbit Shapes - Orbits explained in plain English
- Orbit Visualiser - Quick web-based orbit visualiser, no install needed
- LeoLabs, SatelliteTracker3D - See all satellites and debris in real time
- Gentry Lee - Systems Engineering When the Canvas Is Blank - Learn how satellites are designed from scratch
- How a Satellite Works (ESA) - A beginner-friendly overview of spacecraft subsystems
- NASA's Beginner's Guide to Aeronautics - Great foundation in aerospace physics
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- orbitalmechanics.info - Interactive orbit shape visualiser (inclination, eccentricity, altitude)
- Celestia - Free, open-source real-time 3D space simulation
- Gpredict - Real-time satellite tracking and orbit prediction (desktop)
- OpenSpace - Open-source astronomy interactive data visualisation
- NASA Eyes on the Solar System - Real-time 3D exploration of the solar system and NASA missions
- Heavens-Above - Predict satellite passes, ISS visibility, and more for any location
- Stuff in Space - Real-time 3D visualisation of objects in Earth orbit
- LeoLabs Visualiser - Commercial-grade LEO object tracking
- SatelliteTracker3D
- OrbTrack - Track any satellite with TLE data
- KeepTrack - Open-source satellite tracking and space situational awareness tool
- Space-Track.org - Official US DoD catalogue of all tracked space objects (free account required)
- CelesTrak - TLE data and satellite situation reports; trusted reference for orbital data
- N2YO - Track satellites and predict passes for any ground location
- ISS Trackers
- Plain English: Basic Orbit Shapes - Best starting point
- Plain English: Orbital Mechanics by Nick Morgan
- Orbit Types by NSSI - LEO, MEO, GEO, HEO explained
- Geometry of Parabolic and Hyperbolic Orbits
- Orbital Mechanics with Python - YouTube Playlist - Full video series with code
- Rocket Trajectory Optimization - YouTube by RocketPy - Simulation and trajectory planning
- MIT OCW: Orbital Mechanics (Course 16.346) - Graduate-level astrodynamics lectures and notes
- Space Environment by NSSI - Radiation, plasma, thermal vacuum
- ESA Space Environment Information System (SPENVIS) - Web-based tool for modelling the space radiation environment
- Space Weather at NOAA - Real-time solar and geomagnetic activity data
- Build a CubeSat - YouTube Channel - End-to-end CubeSat design series
- Gentry Lee on Systems Engineering
- Common Definitions of Systems Engineering - NASA
- MIT OCW: Introduction to Space Systems Engineering - Full lecture notes, assignments
- NASA Systems Engineering Handbook (SP-2016-6105) - The definitive NASA SE reference, free PDF
- ESA's ECSS Standards (free) - European space engineering standards used across industry
- Awesome Aerospace Engineering - Broad aerospace learning master list
- Attitude Determination & Control (ADCS)
- Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics - YouTube by Euler's Method - Intro to attitude representations
- CubeSat ADCS Overview - NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative - State of the art overview
- Propulsion
- Plain English: Rocket Propulsion - Tsiolkovsky equation and propulsion basics
- Electric Propulsion Overview - ESA
- Power Systems
- Spacecraft Power Systems Overview - NSSI - Solar arrays, batteries, power budgets
- Thermal Control
- Spacecraft Thermal Control - NASA - NASA Thermal & Fluids Analysis Workshop materials
- Communications
- Link Budget Basics - How to calculate if your radio will work
- AMSAT: Introduction to Satellite Communications
- NASA Mission Design Introduction (YouTube) - Trade studies and concept of operations
- Fundamentals of Astrodynamics (Bate, Mueller, White) - Classic textbook, very affordable; widely used as intro reference
- GMAT Tutorials (NASA) - Free mission analysis tool with tutorial mission scenarios
- open-space-toolkit - Collection of versatile C++/Python libraries for astrodynamics (orbits, frames, physics)
- AWP - Astrodynamics with Python - Python scripts for orbital mechanics problems with worked examples
- Poliastro - Pure Python astrodynamics library; great for quick orbit analysis
- Orekit - Robust Java-based astrodynamics library backed by CNES; Python wrapper available
- GMAT - NASA's free General Mission Analysis Tool for trajectory design and optimization
- OpenSpace - Open-source interactive 3D space visualisation
- Celestia - Real-time 3D space simulation (desktop)
- RocketPy - Python-based 6-DOF rocket trajectory simulator
- STK (Systems Tool Kit) by AGI - Free Tier - Industry-standard mission analysis software; free personal-use license available
- GMAT - Trajectory and manoeuvre design from low Earth orbit to interplanetary missions
- Basilisk - Modular spacecraft simulation framework from CU Boulder; ADCS focused
- 42 Spacecraft Simulator (NASA) - Multi-body spacecraft simulation
- SatNOGS - Open-source global network of satellite ground stations; download data from any CubeSat
- GNU Radio - Open-source radio signal processing toolkit; widely used for satellite comms
- GPredict - Real-time satellite tracking; integrates with SDRs and rotator controllers
- gr-satellites - GNU Radio decoders for satellite telemetry
- FreeCAD - Open-source parametric 3D modeller; useful for spacecraft structures
- OpenVSP - NASA's vehicle sketch pad for aerodynamic geometry design
- awesome-spacecraft-engineering-datasets - Curated list of datasets for spacecraft engineering research and ML
- NASA Open Data Portal - Thousands of NASA datasets across missions, Earth science, and more
- ESA Open Data - ESA mission data and catalogues
- Space-Track.org - Full catalogue of tracked space objects with TLE data
- CelesTrak - TLE datasets, supplemental catalogue, and conjunction data messages
Useful references for professional and serious hobbyist use.
- NASA Systems Engineering Handbook (SP-2016-6105) - The gold standard SE handbook; free PDF download
- ECSS Standards - European Cooperation for Space Standardization; free to download, widely required in European industry
- SMAD - Space Mission Analysis and Design - The industry "bible" for space mission design; not free but widely referenced
- NASA Human Integration Design Handbook (HIDH) - For crewed systems
- NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) - Free access to thousands of NASA technical papers and reports
- ESA Technical Memoranda - ESA internal technical knowledge base
- LSIC's Lunar Engineering 101 - 8-part video series by the Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium for NASA; covers design considerations for lunar surface infrastructure
- NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Data - High-resolution lunar surface data and maps
- Moon Trek (NASA) - Web-based portal to explore lunar datasets and plan surface missions
- Lunar ISRU Overview (ESA) - In-situ resource utilisation for Moon and Mars
A focused section for those building or studying small satellites.
- CubeSat Design Specification (CDS) - The standard document defining CubeSat form factors (1U, 2U, 3U, 6U, 12U)
- Build a CubeSat YouTube Channel - End-to-end design series
- CubeSatSim - Low-cost CubeSat emulator with UHF radio telemetry, solar panels, and 3D-printed frame
- NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) - How to get your CubeSat launched for free via NASA
- ESA's CubeSat Support Facility - ESA resources and launch opportunities for CubeSats
- LibreCube - Open-source CubeSat and space systems initiative
- SatNOGS - Open network to receive telemetry from your satellite post-launch
- Awesome CubeSat - Community-curated CubeSat resource list
Stay current with the industry.
- SpaceNews - Authoritative industry news
- NASASpaceFlight.com - In-depth launch and mission coverage
- Space.com - Broad space news for general and enthusiast audiences
- The Planetary Society - Science-focused space exploration advocacy and news
- SpaceX Mission Updates - Direct updates from the most active launch provider
Newsletters personally followed and recommended. Sign up to stay current.
- High-level trends & industry
- Payload Space - Daily briefings on the business of space
- Space Investor - Investment and startup landscape
- Bloomberg Space Business
- Technical & engineering
- Orbital Index - Weekly curated links on space engineering and science
- Jatan's Space - Deep-dive writing on space exploration and science
- NASA Newsletter - Mission and agency updates
- ESA Bulletin - ESA's technical and programmatic updates
High-density articles on specific topics.
- LEO vs. MEO vs. GEO Satellites: What's the Difference? - Clear breakdown of orbit regimes
- Understanding Sun-Synchronous Orbits - NASA explainer on SSO and Earth observation orbits
- Delta-V Budget: What It Means and Why It Matters - Planetary Society explainer
- How Do Spacecraft Survive the Thermal Extremes of Space? - ESA thermal control overview
- Power Budget for a CubeSat (Practical Guide) - Step-by-step power budgeting
- Link Budget Explained - RF link margin calculations
- ESA's Space Debris Overview - Comprehensive overview of the debris problem
- Deorbit Regulations and Standards (IADC) - Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee guidelines
Connect with practitioners, hobbyists, and researchers.
- r/SpaceEngineers - Game-based but inspires real interest
- r/SpaceX - Detailed technical discussion of SpaceX missions
- r/Satellite - Amateur satellite enthusiasts
- AMSAT Forums - Amateur satellite operator community
- Space Stack Exchange - Q&A for space exploration and engineering
- NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS) - Free programme connecting students with NASA engineers
- awesome-space - The most comprehensive space resource list on GitHub
- awesome-astronomy - Astronomy tools, data, and learning resources
- Awesome Aerospace Engineering - Broad aerospace engineering learning resources
- Awesome-GIS - Geospatial tools and data, with relevance to Earth observation satellites
- awesome-spacecraft-engineering-datasets - Datasets for spacecraft engineering and ML research