STIA 4005: Foundations of Space Studies

From launching satellites that power global communications to exploring distant planets, space has become one of the most dynamic arenas of human activity.

Today, it is shaped by strategic rivalries such as the U.S.–China competition, the rise of private launch companies, new missions to the Moon and Mars, and pressing debates over orbital debris and planetary defense. Navigating these developments requires both technical understanding and an appreciation of international dynamics.

Foundations of Space Studies introduces students to the scientific, economic, political, security, and ethical dimensions of outer space, highlighting the ways in which decisions on Earth set the course for humanity’s collective future in space.

Open to both undergraduate and graduate students, this team-taught gateway course anchors the Graduate Space Studies Certificate and STIA Space Concentration. Depending on the semester, students may participate in exercises such as planning a commercial satellite launch strategy, calculating the motions of objects in space, negotiating a multilateral space treaty, addressing the risks of space conflict, and managing a mission to Mars.