Remote sensing and scientific missions Space Environment

Get knowledge and understanding on basic aspects of the space science, space missions, and how the design and operation of the space missions are linked to the requirements comming from the onboard scientifuc instruments. The course includes a short introductions to astrophysics, covering galaxies, stars, planets and their geology, comets, asteroids, astrobiology, and cosmological models. Special emphasis is made to the variables that we can measure and the instruments that are used for that purpose and their requirements. Practical knowledge on scientific missions will be acquired thanks to the talks delivered by invited experts. Students will acquire competences on the use of software to extract information from telescopes images, and the modelling of relativistics effects and cosmological models.

1) Stars 1.1) Luminosity 1.2) Color 1.3) Spectral Type 1.4) Radius and mass 1.5) The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram 2) Stellar Evolution 2.1) The birth of stars 2.2) Main sequence 2.3) Maturity 2.4) Stellar remnants 3) Galaxies 3.1) The Milky Way 3.2) Types of galaxies 3.3) Formation and evolution 3.4) Active galaxies and quasars 3.5) Missions: GAIA and the Hubble telescope. 4) Cosmology 4.1) The Hubble¿s law 4.2) The Cosmic Microwave Background. 4.3) The geometry of the Universe 4.4) Mass, radiation and dark energy. 4.5) Cosmological models. 4.5) Missions: Planck and LISA 5) The Solar System and exoplanets 5.1) Planetary geology 5.2) Comets and Asteroids 5.3) Habitability and Astrobiology 5.4) Missions: BepiColombo, Mars Express, Cassini, JUICE, CHEOPS, Solar Orbiter y PROBA.

Theory sessions Exercises essions working individually and in groups Lab-sessions in computer room.