Atmospheric Mining in the Outer Solar System: Mission Scenarios and Options For In-Situ Resource Utilization

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryan Palaszewski
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Resource Utilization ◽  
Outer Solar System

scholarly journals Dust Measurements in the Outer Solar System

1994 ◽  
Vol 160 ◽  
pp. 367-380
Author(s):  
Eberhard Grün
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Interstellar Dust ◽  
Thermal Emission ◽  
Scattered Light ◽  
Interplanetary Dust ◽  
Dust Particles ◽  
Spatial Density ◽  
Outer Solar System ◽  
The Sun

In-situ measurements of micrometeoroids provide information on the spatial distribution of interplanetary dust and its dynamical properties. Pioneers 10 and 11, Galileo and Ulysses spaceprobes took measurements of interplanetary dust from 0.7 to 18 AU distance from the sun. Distinctly different populations of dust particles exist in the inner and outer solar system. In the inner solar system, out to about 3 AU, zodiacal dust particles are recognized by their scattered light, their thermal emission and by in-situ detection from spaceprobes. These particles orbit the sun on low inclination (i ≤ 30°) and moderate eccentricity (e ≤ 0.6) orbits. Their spatial density falls off with approximately the inverse of the solar distance. Dust particles on high inclination or even retrograde trajectories dominate the dust population outside about 3 AU. The dust detector on board the Ulysses spaceprobe identified interstellar dust sweeping through the outer solar system on hyperbolic trajectories. Within about 2 AU from Jupiter Ulysses discovered periodic streams of dust particles originating from within the jovian system.

In-Situ Resource Utilization

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.

Development of Mid-IR Lasers for Laser Remote Sensing

2005 ◽  
Vol 883 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Soibel ◽  
Kamjou Mansour ◽  
Gary Spiers ◽  
Siamak Forouhar
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Chemical Species ◽  
Outer Solar System ◽  
Current Effort ◽  
Solar Systems ◽  
Quantum Cascade ◽  
Laser Reflectance ◽  
Ir Reflectance ◽  
Illumination Source

AbstractThere is a need in NASA for development of mid-infrared (mid-IR) lasers, such as Quantum Cascade (QC) lasers, for in-situ and remote laser spectrometers. Mid-IR, compact, low power consumption laser spectrometers have a great potential for detection and measurements of planetary gases and biological important biomarker molecules such as H2O, H2O2, CH4, and many additional chemical species on Mars and other planets of Solar systems. Other applications of mid-IR QC lasers are in high power remote Laser Reflectance Spectrometer (LRS) instruments for future NASA outer solar system explorations. In LSR instruments, QC lasers will act as the illumination source for conducting active mid-IR reflectance spectroscopy of solidsurfaced objects in the outer Solar System. LRS instruments have the potential to provide an incredible amount of information about the compositions of surfaces in the outer Solar System. In this work, we will discuss our current effort at JPL to develop and improve the mid-IR QC lasers to a level that the laser performance, operational requirements and reliability will be compatible with the instruments demands for space exploration applications.

scholarly journals Spectroscopic and spectrometric differentiation between abiotic and biogenic material on icy worlds

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (S269) ◽  
pp. 165-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin P. Hand ◽  
Christopher P. McKay ◽  
Carl B. Pilcher
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Solar System ◽  
Organic Material ◽  
Outer Solar System ◽  
Biochemical Pathway ◽  
Biological Origin ◽  
Icy Moons ◽  
Biogenic Material ◽  
Critical Task

AbstractThe ability to differentiate abiotic organic material from material of a biological origin is a critical task for astrobiology. Mass spectrometry and spectroscopy provide key tools for advancing this task and are two techniques that provide useful and highly complementary compositional information independent of a specific biochemical pathway. Here we address some of the utility and limitations of applying these techniques to both orbital and in situ exploration of icy moons of the outer solar system.

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