Frontiers in Space Technologies最新文献

{"title":"Editorial: Space environment characterization","authors":"W. Bauer, V. Braun, Y. Kitazawa, I. Telichev","doi":"10.3389/frspt.2023.1159825","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frspt.2023.1159825","url":null,"abstract":"The space environment poses many challenges to spacecraft operations in Earth’s orbits. The environment is composed of various factors that must be taken into account, such as micrometeoroids and orbital debris (MMOD), space weather events, and harsh thermal and radiation conditions. Therefore, a thorough understanding of these factors and the ability to effectively address them is essential for the design, operation, and performance of spacecraft in Earth’s orbits. Space-based sensors and detectors are a growing trend that enables real-time measurements and observations of the space environment. The article by Dignam et al. discussed in this Research Topic presents a new design for a passive space dust detector intended for deployment in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) for roughly 1 year. Upon its return to Earth, the detector will be analyzed for impact features generated by dust particles. The detector design includes using multiple Kapton foils, which have been demonstrated to effectively preserve details of the impacting particles’ size and chemistry. The residue chemistry can be used to determine their origin (whether it is from human-made debris or naturally occurring micrometeoroids). The study also found that a thin coating of 10 nm of palladium effectively reduces the loss of mass on Kapton foils when exposed to atomic oxygen. A novel method of in-situ space debris detection was proposed in the article by Fexer that uses a combination of conductance and characteristic impedance measurements, enabling the detection of multiple small impacts along one line. In addition, this proposed system can be used in conjunction with existing detection methods, providing an additional level of redundancy. The use of CubeSats satellites as cost-efficient platforms for MMOD characterization is a new and promising approach. The article by Oikonomidou et al. describes the current progress of the MOVE-III CubeSat project at the Technical University of Munich, which focuses on obtaining in-situ measurements of sub-millimetre space debris and meteoroids in the Low Earth Orbit. The data collected on flux, particle mass, and velocity will be used to verify and enhance existing models for space debris. OPEN ACCESS","PeriodicalId":137674,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Space Technologies","volume":"42 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132895668","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mindfulness for adaptation to analog and new technologies emergence for long-term space missions","authors":"B. Le Roy, C. Martin-Krumm, M. Trousselard","doi":"10.3389/frspt.2023.1109556","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frspt.2023.1109556","url":null,"abstract":"Long-term space missions require a good understanding of human adaptation to hostile environments in space. Some professional environments have space constraints that are isolating, confined, extreme, or unusual constraints. They can serve as space analogs for studying challenge adaptation as their environmental constraints disrupt the balance between the demands of the environment and the resources mobilized by individuals. This disruption in homeostasis leads to increased stress, decreased performance, and poor overall health for these professionals. Nevertheless, as analogs, these professional environments can also offer information for better identifying the individual psychological and cognitive resources that are effective in adapting to the constraints caused by these exceptional environments. Studies suggest that mindfulness (i.e., awareness that emerges by paying attention purposefully, in the present moment, without judgment to the experience that is unfolding moment by moment) may be a relevant candidate for dealing with these issues. Thus, we address mindfulness as a relevant psychological resource to face the constraints of space missions based on experiences in analog environments and military contexts. We propose to open discussions on new countermeasures focused on developing mindfulness, especially through the use of new technologies (e.g., “immersive reality” and others), to increase adaptation to the space environment and offer programs tailored to the needs of astronauts for long space journeys.","PeriodicalId":137674,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Space Technologies","volume":"47 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114468668","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"ORIGO: A mission concept to challenge planetesimal formation theories","authors":"R. Marschall, N. Thomas, S. Ulamec, S. Hviid, S. Mottola, J. Vincent, F. Ferri, A. Hérique, D. Plettemeier, Á. Kereszturi, M. Lavagna, J. Prinetto, Alice Dottori, A. Falke, Francisco da Silva Pais Cabral","doi":"10.3389/frspt.2022.1054360","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frspt.2022.1054360","url":null,"abstract":"Comets are generally considered among the most pristine objects in our Solar System. There have thus been significant efforts to understand these bodies. During the past decades, we have seen significant progress in our theoretical understanding of planetesimal/cometesimals (the precursors of comets) formation. Recent space missions—such as ESA’s Rosetta mission to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko—have provided observations claimed by proponents of different comet formation theories to validate their scenarios. Yet, no single formation paradigm could be definitively proven. Given the importance of understanding how the first bodies in our Solar System formed, we propose a dedicated mission to address this issue. ORIGO will deliver a lander to the surface of a cometary nucleus where it will characterise the first five m of the subsurface. With remote sensing instruments and the deployment of payload into a borehole, we will be able to study the physico-chemical structure of ancient, unmodified material. The mission has been designed to fit into the ESA M-class mission budget.","PeriodicalId":137674,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Space Technologies","volume":"29 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128881317","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Editorial: Transport phenomena in microgravity","authors":"D. Beysens","doi":"10.3389/frspt.2022.1092802","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frspt.2022.1092802","url":null,"abstract":"It is in fluids that the effects of gravity—and its absence, microgravity—mainly matter. Fluids are essential in the functioning of spacecrafts and satellites and for sustaining life in crewed missions. It happens that the phenomena of transport in fluids and mixtures of fluids are specially affected by the absence of Earth gravity. On Earth, the variations of mass density under the action of temperature or concentration indeed lead to stratification and/or convection phenomena due to buoyancy effects. Transport phenomena related to other causes, e.g., thermal or mass diffusion, can be thus misleadingly minimized or even ignored. The question that arises when the buoyancy-induced convection and sedimentation effects are canceled is therefore how altered are the transport phenomena. The latter is concerned with different processes and can be classified into three main classes: transport of heat, mass, and momentum. In the absence of forced convection, the transport of heat under microgravity conditions becomes only due to a diffusion process, natural convection under the action of buoyancy forces being canceled. This effect becomes particularly important near the critical point of fluids. Here, due to the critical anomalies in compressibility and thermal expansion, heat transport becomes very unstable on Earth even for minutes temperature gradients. Microgravity allows a very close approach to the critical point and the detailed study of thermal diffusion processes without spurious gravity-induced convection flows (Oprisan et al. contribution). Other phenomena, however, become important. It is the case of the isentropic heating or cooling of a fluid by the expansion or contraction of a thermal boundary layer (the “Piston Effect”). This phenomenon, which provokes a slight motion of the fluid near the edge of the boundary layer, is all the more pronounced that the fluid is close to its critical point (Beysens et al. contribution). It is present on Earth but is masked by the natural convection flows; it was detected thanks to microgravity. Mass transport in a phase separation process under weightlessness is no more dominated by the denser constituent going down and the lighter going up. The effects of diffusion and surface tension lead to only two specific patterns and growth evolution. Boiling, which is a liquid-vapor transition, has been the object of many studies OPEN ACCESS","PeriodicalId":137674,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Space Technologies","volume":"27 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129607051","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advancements in autonomous mobility of planetary wheeled mobile robots: A review","authors":"M. Zarei, R. Chhabra","doi":"10.3389/frspt.2022.1080291","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frspt.2022.1080291","url":null,"abstract":"Mobility analysis is crucial to fast, safe, and autonomous operation of planetary Wheeled Mobile Robots (WMRs). This paper reviews implemented odometry techniques on currently designed planetary WMRs and surveys methods for improving their mobility and traversability. The methods are categorized based on the employed approaches ranging from signal-based and model-based estimation to terramechanics-based, machine learning, and global sensing techniques. They aim to detect vehicle motion parameters (kinematic states and forces/torques), terrain hazards (slip and sinkage) and terrain parameters (soil cohesion and friction). The limitations of these methods and recommendations for future missions are stated.","PeriodicalId":137674,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Space Technologies","volume":"48 9","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"120806862","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Redefining low Earth orbit as a parking orbit for flexible and economical Earth departure in deep space missions","authors":"Y. Takei, T. Saiki, Y. Tsuda","doi":"10.3389/frspt.2022.1049262","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frspt.2022.1049262","url":null,"abstract":"There are a number of deep space probes that are currently in operation with diverse destinations and objectives. For example, the Japanese Hayabusa2 and the U.S. OSIRIS-REx missions are both sample returns, targeting different near-Earth asteroids. Europe’s ExoMars and the U.S. Perseverance are orbiting and roving Mars as precursors of future manned explorations. Conventionally, deep space missions require dedicated launch vehicles for each mission. The interplanetary Earth departure trajectory from the low Earth orbit (LEO) usually lacks flexibility and efficiency. Furthermore, innovative and reusable launch systems have been researched and developed by multiple organizations including private sector organizations such as SpaceX and Blue Origin. It is expected that the unit cost per launch weight to LEO be significantly reduced by rideshare mass transportation executed by using reusable mega launchers in the near future. This study aims to fill the transportation gap between LEO and deep space by realizing a flexible and economical interplanetary Earth departure without sacrificing the arbitrariness of LEO, target V-infinity vector, and target Earth departure epoch. Thus, the one-revolution Earth free-return orbit (1rEFRO) and the consequent Earth gravity assist (EGA) are introduced to separate the velocity increment and direction adjustment. The planetary free-return and EGAs are common in interplanetary missions; however, a comprehensive study on the flexibility, economic efficiency, and arbitrariness of the sequence (1rEFRO + EGA) originating from LEO was not explicitly found. After describing the necessary coordinate frames, LEO’s orbital elements, 1rEFRO, and the terms ‘flexibility’ and ‘economic efficiency’ are defined in Section 2. Then in Section 3, the two-body-based preliminary orbit design method is proposed and formulated. Section 4 aims to reveal LEO’s comprehensiveness as efficient parking orbits when adopting the 1rEFRO + EGA sequence, using the newly proposed “ Σ V E t LEO i-Ω diagram”. Section 5 describes a detailed orbit design constructed based on multi-body propagation and optimization to confirm the feasibility, flexibility, and economics of the solution and the usefulness of the initial solution given by the preliminary design method is formulated in Section 3.","PeriodicalId":137674,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Space Technologies","volume":"17 4 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115586880","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A new impact assessment model to integrate space debris within the life cycle assessment-based environmental footprint of space systems","authors":"Thibaut Maury-Micolier, Alice Maury-Micolier, A. Hélias, G. Sonnemann, P. Loubet","doi":"10.3389/frspt.2022.998064","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frspt.2022.998064","url":null,"abstract":"By analogy to conventional environmental impacts, the potential release of debris or generation of fragments can be considered as the emission of an environmental stressor damaging the orbital ‘natural’ resource which supports space activities. Hence, it appears relevant to integrate systematically the impact of the emission of debris on the orbital resource within the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) step to broaden the scope of life cycle assessment (LCA) for space systems. The main objective of this article is to propose a set of characterization factors to compute the impact caused by the generation of debris within the orbital environment. To do so, the proposed approach follows the methodology of emission-related characterization models in LCIA. the characterization model enables to link the emission of debris and final economic damages to space activities through a complete impact pathway including the fate of debris in downstream orbital compartments, the exposure of targeted space objects to this debris, and the economic damage in case of collision between the debris and the space object. The model is computed for different compartments of the low earth orbit (LEO) region thanks to a discretization of the orbital environment. Results show that the potential damages are the highest for orbital compartments located in the orbital bands of altitude/inclination: 550–2000 km/52–54°, 1,200–2000 km/86–88°, 400–2000 km/96–100°, because of the downstream location of Starlink constellation, OneWeb constellation, and earth observation satellites, respectively. The proposed set of CFs can be used in the LCA of different space systems in order to include impacts and damages related to space debris, along with other environmental impacts. This original development fully in line with the standardized LCIA framework would have potential for further integration into harmonised sector-specific rules for the European space sector such as product environmental footprint category rules (PEFCR).","PeriodicalId":137674,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Space Technologies","volume":"19 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133585359","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dynamic soaring as a means to exceed the solar wind speed","authors":"Mathias N. Larrouturou, A. Higgins, J. Greason","doi":"10.3389/frspt.2022.1017442","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frspt.2022.1017442","url":null,"abstract":"A technique by which a spacecraft can interact with flows of ionized gas in space (the solar wind or interstellar medium) in order to be accelerated to velocities greater than the flow velocity is explored. Inspired by the dynamic soaring maneuvers performed by sea birds and gliders in which differences in wind speed are exploited to gain velocity, in the proposed technique a lift-generating spacecraft circles between regions of the heliosphere that have different wind speeds, gaining energy in the process without the use of propellant and only modest onboard power requirements. In the simplest analysis, the spacecraft motion can be modeled as a series of elastic collisions between regions of the medium moving at different speeds. More detailed models of the spacecraft trajectory are developed to predict the potential velocity gains and the maximum velocity that may be achieved in terms of the lift-to-drag ratio of the vehicle. A lift-generating mechanism is proposed in which power is extracted from the flow over the vehicle in the flight direction and then used to accelerate the surrounding medium in the transverse direction, generating lift (i.e., a force perpendicular to the flow). Large values of lift-to-drag ratio are shown to be possible in the case where a small transverse velocity is imparted over a large area of interaction. The requirement for a large interaction area in the extremely low density of the heliosphere precludes the use of a physical wing, but the use of plasma waves generated by a compact, directional antenna to impart momentum on the surrounding medium is feasible, with the excitation of R-waves, X-waves, Alfven waves, and magnetosonic waves appearing as promising candidates. A conceptual mission is defined in which dynamic soaring is performed on the termination shock of the heliosphere, enabling a spacecraft to reach speeds approaching 2% of c within two and a half years of launch without the expenditure of propellant. The technique may comprise the first stage for a multistage mission to achieve true interstellar flight to other solar systems.","PeriodicalId":137674,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Space Technologies","volume":"51 4","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"120923907","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The probability analysis of ejecta particles damaging a spacecraft operating around asteroids after an artificial impact experiment: Hayabusa 2 ’s SCI operation safety study","authors":"S. Soldini, Takanao Saiki , Yuichi Tsuda ","doi":"10.3389/frspt.2022.1017111","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frspt.2022.1017111","url":null,"abstract":"On 5 April 2019, the Hayabusa 2 spacecraft performed the first successful artificial impact experiment on an asteroid. The Small Carry-on Impactor (SCI) device was deployed at an altitude of 500 m above Ryugu’s surface. The 2 kg copper projectile hit Ryugu’s surface in 40 min and caused the formation of an artificial crater 14.5 m in diameter. Once the SCI was deployed, the Hayabusa 2 spacecraft performed a two-week escape trajectory reaching altitudes as far as 120 km from Ryugu. The spacecraft then returned to its nominal position at 20 km altitude (Home-Position) from Ryugu for hovering control. This was done to prevent ejecta particles from seriously damaging the spacecraft and compromising its functionality. In this article, we present a method to forecast the daily probability of spacecraft damage along the selected nominal escape trajectory due to the debris cloud formed by an artificial impact. The result of the damage analysis confirmed that the selected escape trajectory experienced a small number of particle collisions under the design threshold, which would not have resulted in damage. Indeed, no damage was reported on the Hayabusa 2 spacecraft and it kept operating normally after the SCI operation. The method here presented serves as a guideline for post-impact mission operations to forecast and estimate the probability of damage to spacecraft or CubeSats operating near a small celestial body after an artificial impact experiment has occurred.","PeriodicalId":137674,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Space Technologies","volume":"15 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-11-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124982513","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cold for gravity, heat for microgravity: A critical analysis of the “Baby Astronaut” concept","authors":"A. Meigal, L. Gerasimova-Meigal","doi":"10.3389/frspt.2022.981668","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/frspt.2022.981668","url":null,"abstract":"The existing literature suggests that temperature and gravity may have much in common as regulators of physiological functions. Cold, according to the existing literature, shares with gravity common effects on the neuromuscular system, while heat produces effects similar to those of microgravity. In addition, there are studies evidencing unidirectional modification of the motor system to heat and hypoxia. Such agonistic relationship in a triad of “microgravity, heat, and hypoxia” and in a pair of “cold and gravity” in their effect on the neuromuscular system may have evolutionary origins. To address this problem, ten years ago, we came up with a concept with the working name Baby Astronaut hypothesis, which posed that “Synergetic adaptation of the motor system to different environments comes from their ontogenetic synchronicity.” More specifically, the synchronicity of microgravity (actually, the “wet immersion” model of microgravity), higher temperature, and hypoxia are the characteristics of the intrauterine environment of the fetus. After childbirth, this group of factors is rapidly replaced by the “extrauterine,” routine environment characterized by Earth gravity (1 G), normoxia, and lower ambient temperature. The physiological effect of cold and gravity on the motor system may well be additive (synergistic). We earlier estimated a “gravity-substitution” potential of cold-induced activity and adaptation to cold as 15–20% of G, which needs further validation and correction. In this study, we sought to critically analyze the interaction of temperature and gravity, based on the concept of Baby Astronaut, using data from the new academic literature. We have come to the conclusion that the concept of Baby Astronaut can be regarded as valid only for species such as a rat (immature, altricial species), but not for a human fetus. Several confirmatory experiments were suggested to verify (or falsify) the concept, which would allow us to consider it as empirical. In addition, the interaction of temperature and gravity may be of practical interest in the fields of neurorehabilitation and habilitation in childhood for constructing a physical environment, which would help strengthen or weaken muscle tone in specific muscles.","PeriodicalId":137674,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Space Technologies","volume":"29 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-11-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123034745","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}