SpaceX Launching Dragon Capsule to Space Station

Update 4:10pm EST: "Thruster pods one through four are now operating nominally. Preparing to raise orbit. All systems green."

Updates from NASA News Conference 3pm EST:

* Pods 1 and 4 are pressure nominal and thrusters active.

* Pods 2 and 3 are pressure nominal and thrusters being tested; readings are optimistic; will be turned on shortly.

* NASA requires 3 of 4 pods working to enter safe zone.

* Initial indication of root cause is blockage in oxidizer pressurization system. They fixed the problem by cycling the valves.

* No leakage or debris; all systems intact.

* No rendezvous is likely in next few days.

"Pods 1 and 4 now online and thrusters engaged. Dragon transitioned from free drift to active control. Yes!!" https://twitter.com/elonmusk

Eighteen Draco thrusters are used on the Dragon spacecraft for attitude control and maneuvering. Dual-redun­dant in all axes: any two can fail and still have complete vehicle control in pitch, yaw, roll and translation.

Four Draco thrusters are used on the Falcon 9 second-stage as a reaction control system.

How normal is this? It strikes me as odd, but I know nothing.

Is there any chance of them getting all three thruster pods active? If not, will they have to abort the mission?

(DISCLAIMER: I am not an aerospace engineer by training)

Calculus:

You'll definitely need to be very comfortable with single variable calculus and vector calculus up to partial derivatives, vector calculus integrals (Green, Stokes, Gauss) will definitely help. I wouldn't learn that from a book, try MIT's OCW, there is a calculus course covering all that. Learn the basic about ODEs, and be comfortable around PDE notation.

Linear Algebra:

In some sub-disciplines such as control and signal processing you'll also need to be very comfortable with linear algebra, so that all those matrices and stuff don't get in the way when learning modern control/DSP. I definitely recommend Prof. Strang's course in OCW for this. Try to at least be comfortable with simple ODEs before starting it. Linear algebra also helps a lot with Physics.

To get more into lineal algebra maybe you can read Linear Algebra Done Right if you want to learn more about Hilbert Spaces, and then maybe Shilov for tensors... those two books should be optional...

Software:

You don't need to be fast or maybe even know how to solve complex integrals in pen and paper. Try to complement learning calculus, differential equations and linear algebra with learning Matlab/Simulink and Mathematica. I can't even find a word to emphasize how much Matlab/Simulink is used in aerospace engineering...

Dynamics:

Learn classical mechanics, lots of it. Be confortable with rigid body dynamics in 3D. This is the best reading guide I know about, oriented to game development, but also useful for simulation and control: http://chrishecker.com/Physics_references Code simulators, visualizations, etc... Know what rotation, nutation and precession are, when and how they happen, etc...

From that list I have read a little of Goldstein and some Symon. If you find this books too hard, don't follow the guide but instead jump directly to the Feynman lectures (if you want to read) or Physics I from OCW (Prof. Lewin course, really really good).

Physics II from OCW can also help, maybe.

Space:

Once you are not scared with simple problems from all the previous subjects and can solve them, and can understand complex ones you should have no trouble following the first chapters (about dynamics, orbital and attitude maneuvering, etc) of some classical but real space books, for example:

SMAD by Wertz, a really classical book for space engineering courses. You should really be able to read it cover to cover but its not a very specific book and more oriented torwards missions management. Sometimes it gets boring because of it lack of details. http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Space-Dynamics-Aeronautic... http://www.amazon.com/Spacecraft-Dynamics-Control-Practical-... http://www.amazon.com/Modern-Spacecraft-Dynamics-Control-Mar...

You can also browse here: http://astrobooks.com/ and see if you find something particularly interesting. I really would like to recommend a more engaging approach and less boring books, but this is the best that I can come up with now.

After you can comfortably read the first chapters of those space books you should really choose what to focus into. Dynamics, Simulation, Finite Element Analysis, Mechanics/Thermal engineering, Signal Processing, Control... then learn the basics of that discipline and then try to apply it to space exploration or spacecraft design. Each of this disciplines would need their own reply and reading list I guess... some require more physics than rigid body dynamics, like fluid dynamics or thermodynamics, electromagnetism, etc...

Also, as usual, try to have fun but still be disciplined about reading/learning.

You can pretty much work through the first two years of any technical degree by yourself by using online learning materials. Math is essential, so calculus, differential equations and linear algebra need to become something natural for you. You don't need to get fancy, standard undergraduate materials will get you through your bachelors, but if you are good at it keep on trying new things and learning as much math as you can, you won't regret it.

Physics is essential, and it can be harder to grok than math sometimes. You need to understand what the concepts and ideas mean, and be able to manipulate them with ease. Classical mechanics, besides being one of the most beautiful subjects in physics, is probably the most important one you will ever learn for your undergraduate degree. Also, physics requires math, lots of it, applied in creative ways. I learnt more math in a mechanics 1 class than in any other course I had ever taken. I recommend getting some minor or even better a dual degree in physics, but I realize this might be too much for some people.

You also need to know how to program, Matlab, LabVIEW and also C, C++ or Python are really popular, depending who you ask. knowing many languages well will put you a notch or two above everyone else when it comes to employment.

Finally, I would like to say that the space field is very very broad and there are multiple ways to make a career in it. Try to leverage your experience with computers, try moving towards the hardware side, learn about Arduino and embedded programming, complete a couple of fun projects and see if you like it. Maybe you will be better served by getting a degree in electrical than in mechanical engineering, there is no right answer. Try your best and if you decide to go through keep going at it no matter what, the payoff is definitely worth it. Good luck!

If you are close to an undergrad get that first, and then go for a masters as a masters only takes 2 years and it's much harder to get into astrophysics with an undergrad degree. Look into what courses they require for a masters in a school you want to go to and then study what you need to be to get ready for that. You can generally pick up the required books with little effort. If you don't understand them then that's what you study.

Physical chemistry, astrophysics basics of course, fluid dynamics, magnetohydrodynamics.

Good luck.