Enrollment is restricted via permits. Please contact the course instructor for more information at cecarr@gatech.edu
This course will cover the interdisciplinary foundations of space instrument development focusing on the search for life beyond Earth. Both non-contact and destructive methods of sample analysis, including fluid handling, and analytical methods for detecting life as we know it and don’t know it, will be covered in the context of specific mission scenarios. Environmental and engineering challenges will be addressed as well as common solutions; examples include autonomy, radiation resistance, thermal control, and data analysis methods such as machine learning. Group projects will involve modifying, building, or modeling a life detection instrument or supporting hardware.
