How to Shoot for the Moon

Course Description

The new space industry has the potential to impact and sustain life on Earth and beyond. For example, emerging space technology can shape the way we design habitats, food, and spacecraft for low-Earth orbit or the Lunar surface, as well as the products we use here on Earth. However, this requires us to take a deeper look at the potential influence on humanity and pushes us to declare our life mission as a lens for what we engineer. The aim of this IntroSem is to help undergraduate students "shoot for the moon" and "declare their mission" via an integration of curriculum from aerospace engineering and human-centered design. In this 10-week course, students will engage with some of life's hardest questions: Who are you?; Why are you here (i.e., on Earth and at Stanford)?; What do you want?; and How will you get there (i.e., Mars or your dream job after Stanford)? In addition, students will pitch new space-related, human-centered technology to potential stakeholders. To give students exposure to actual careers in aerospace design and engineering, mentors from industry will be invited to engage with students throughout the course and provide feedback on design projects. Are you go for launch?