Mission Scenario: Mars CubeSat
The Goal: You are the lead systems engineer selecting an engine for a small satellite heading to Mars. You have a limited budget, but the trip is long and requires high efficiency.
The Task: Adjust the “Importance Weights” below to decide which engine is best for this specific mission. Does the mission prioritize saving money (Cost) or fuel efficiency (Isp)?
Define Priorities
Drag sliders to set how important each factor is (0 = Irrelevant, 1 = Critical).
Decision Matrix
| Option | Raw Data (1-10 Scale) | Weighted Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical Monoprop Old reliable, low efficiency. | Cost: 8, Isp: 4, TRL: 9 | 0.0 |
| Hall Effect Thruster High tech, expensive, efficient. | Cost: 2, Isp: 10, TRL: 6 | 0.0 |
| Cold Gas Very cheap, terrible efficiency. | Cost: 9, Isp: 2, TRL: 10 | 0.0 |
📝 Instructor Notes & Attribution
Additional space system student resources can be found at spacetechchronicles.com/student-resources.
This entire module, including the satellite simulation data, is Copyright © 2025 Dr. Daniel Singleton. All rights reserved. Please maintain this attribution when sharing or referencing this visualization.