Proposed mission for in-situ detection of microorganisms in Low Earth Orbit

In Situ Measurement of Carbon Fibre/Polyether Ether Ketone Thermal Expansion in Low Earth Orbit

Aerospace ◽

10.3390/aerospace7040035 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 35 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Farhan Abdullah ◽

Kei-ichi Okuyama ◽

Isai Fajardo ◽

Naoya Urakami

Keyword(s):

Thermal Expansion ◽

Carbon Fibre ◽

Material Science ◽

Low Earth Orbit ◽

Earth Orbit ◽

Small Satellite ◽

Polyether Ether Ketone ◽

Ether Ketone ◽

Orbit Data

The low Earth orbit (LEO) environment exposes spacecraft to factors that can degrade the dimensional stability of the structure. Carbon Fibre/Polyether Ether Ketone (CF/PEEK) can limit such degradations. However, there are limited in-orbit data on the performance of CF/PEEK. Usage of small satellite as material science research platform can address such limitations. This paper discusses the design of a material science experiment termed material mission (MM) onboard Ten-Koh satellite, which allows in situ measurements of coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) for CF/PEEK samples in LEO. Results from ground tests before launch demonstrated the feasibility of the MM design. Analysis of in-orbit data indicated that the CTE values exhibit a non-linear temperature dependence, and there was no shift in CTE values after four months. The acquired in-orbit data was consistent with previous ground tests and in-orbit data. The MM experiment provides data to verify the ground test of CF/PEEK performance in LEO. MM also proved the potential of small satellite as a platform for conducting meaningful material science experiments.

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Localized In-Situ Density Measurement in Low Earth Orbit via Drag Torque Estimation

Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets ◽

10.2514/1.a34338 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 56 (5) ◽

pp. 1564-1579

Author(s):

Riley M. Fitzgerald ◽

Kerri L. Cahoy

Keyword(s):

Density Measurement ◽

Low Earth Orbit ◽

Earth Orbit ◽

Drag Torque ◽

Torque Estimation

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Combustion Synthesis Technology for a Sustainable Settlement Overnight

Eurasian Chemico-Technological Journal ◽

10.18321/ectj703 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

pp. 3

Author(s):

Osamu Odawara

Keyword(s):

Combustion Synthesis ◽

Resource Utilization ◽

High Vacuum ◽

Thermal Control ◽

Low Earth Orbit ◽

Earth Orbit ◽

The Moon ◽

The Earth

Space technology has been developed for frontier exploration not only in low-earth orbit environment but also beyond the earth orbit to the Moon and Mars, where material resources might be strongly restricted and almost impossible to be resupplied from the earth for distant and long-term missions performance toward “long-stays of humans in space”. For performing such long-term space explorations, none would be enough to develop technologies with resources only from the earth; it should be required to utilize resources on other places with different nature of the earth, i.e., in-situ resource utilization. One of important challenges of lunar in-situ resource utilization is thermal control of spacecraft on lunar surface for long-lunar durations. Such thermal control under “long-term field operation” would be solved by “thermal wadis” studied as a part of sustainable researches on overnight survivals such as lunar-night. The resources such as metal oxides that exist on planets or satellites could be refined, and utilized as a supply of heat energy, where combustion synthesis can stand as a hopeful technology for such requirements. The combustion synthesis technology is mainly characterized with generation of high-temperature, spontaneous propagation of reaction, rapid synthesis and high operability under various influences with centrifugal-force, low-gravity and high vacuum. These concepts, technologies and hardware would be applicable to both the Moon and Mars, and these capabilities might achieve the maximum benefits of in-situ resource utilization with the aid of combustion synthesis applications. The present paper mainly concerns the combustion synthesis technologies for sustainable lunar overnight survivals by focusing on “potential precursor synthesis and formation”, “in-situ resource utilization in extreme environments” and “exergy loss minimization with efficient energy conversion”.

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In-Situ Resource Utilization

Advances in Public Policy and Administration - Promoting Productive Cooperation Between Space Lawyers and Engineers ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-7256-5.ch012 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 193-210

Author(s):

Claas Tido Olthoff ◽

Philipp Reiss

Keyword(s):

Solar System ◽

Resource Utilization ◽

Local Environment ◽

Low Earth Orbit ◽

Background Information ◽

Earth Orbit ◽

Use Of Resources ◽

Exploration Mission ◽

The Cost

Human spaceflight is an expensive endeavor. Every kilogram that needs to be transported to low Earth orbit or beyond costs tens of thousands of dollars, with the cost increasing exponentially the farther humanity extends its reach into the solar system and beyond. It is therefore prudent, if not necessary, to consider the use of resources that are available at the destination of a given exploration mission. This concept is called in-situ resource utilization (ISRU). The processes that are required to extract useful materials from the local environment can not only be used to support a human crew, but also to obtain resources that are of value on Earth and can thus be returned there for commercial gain. This chapter provides background information on ISRU in general and discusses the most important technologies and processes that are currently employed or under development.

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