Journal of Space Safety Engineering最新文献

{"title":"Toward extraterrestrial librarianship: Designing knowledge systems for human settlements in space","authors":"Dattatraya Kalbande","doi":"10.1016/j.jsse.2026.03.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jsse.2026.03.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As humanity moves closer to establishing settlements beyond Earth, libraries must be reconceptualized as autonomous, adaptive, and ethically grounded systems that support human survival, learning, and cultural continuity in extraterrestrial environments. This paper presents a conceptual framework for “extraterrestrial librarianship,” integrating insights from space science, digital preservation, human-computer interaction, and Library and Information Science (LIS). The proposed three-layered model—Sensing, Processing, and Interaction—guides the design of space libraries capable of functioning under extreme conditions such as microgravity, radiation, communication latency, and social isolation. Comparative and functional analysis tables distinguish traditional Earth-based libraries from their space counterparts and map practical use-cases ranging from mental health support to conflict mediation. The paper expands the librarian’s role into that of a knowledge architect, ethical curator, cultural diplomat, and emotional support agent. Through speculative yet grounded scenarios—including Martian knowledge pods, bio-encoded interstellar archives, and zero-gravity VR story lounges—the study demonstrates the transformative potential of libraries in future space civilizations. It affirms that wherever humans venture, libraries will remain critical infrastructure for preserving memory, fostering identity, and sustaining civilization beyond planetary boundaries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37283,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Space Safety Engineering","volume":"13 2","pages":"Pages 430-435"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148261393","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":"No surprise! - ISS lifeboat concept and medical evacuation","authors":"T. Sgobba,&nbsp;N. Osetskiy","doi":"10.1016/j.jsse.2026.03.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jsse.2026.03.003","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":37283,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Space Safety Engineering","volume":"13 2","pages":"Pages 261-262"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148274657","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":"Low-temperature/random-vibrations bias as an appropriate accelerated-test-vehicle for the outer-space electronics","authors":"Ephraim Suhir","doi":"10.1016/j.jsse.2026.02.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jsse.2026.02.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Temperature cycling and thermal shock are, as is known, the most widespread accelerated test vehicles in IC reliability engineering for many applications. These tests are, however, costly, time and labor consuming, but, most importantly, could result in misleading information: electronic and photonics materials properties, behaviors and performances are temperature dependent and temperature sensitive, and these types of testing are often conducted in a wide temperature range, from -65 °C to +200 °C, much wider than what the product will most likely encounter in actual operation conditions. An obvious motivation exists therefore for finding more suitable accelerated test vehicles that would be less costly, less time and labor consuming and, most importantly, be more physically meaningful, i.e., would better reflect the actual operation conditions and the most likely physics of failure, thereby making the test vehicle and the test results more consistent and more trustworthy. This is particularly true in the case of the cryogenic, low-temperature, microelectronics and photonics intended for the out-of-the-spacecraft and outer-space applications. In the recent project with NASA, Jet Propulsion Lab, Pasadena, CA, of the small business innovative research (SBIR) ERS company, co-owned by the author of this paper, low-temperature/random-vibrations bias was suggested as an attractive alternative to temperature cycling and thermals shock, and as an adequate accelerated test vehicle in reliability physics of electronic and photonic IC materials, structures, devices and products, at least for some IC systems and applications, such as, e.g., space-safety field, when space electronics and photonics, when operated outside the spacecraft and on other planets or even outside the solar system, experience extremely low temperatures. The addressed test vehicle has been reduced to practice in application to solder joint interconnections, the material and structural bottleneck of today’s microelectronics and photonics reliability engineering. Since the highest thermally induced stresses and deformations occur in such interconnections at low temperature conditions and crack propagation is, as is known from numerous fracture mechanics studies, effectively accelerated by random vibrations, a low-temperature/random-vibrations bias (LTRVB) is suggested as an attractive and effective substitute for temperature cycling and thermal shock. This is particularly important for applications, when high reliability level is a must and when such a bias reflects adequately the actual loading conditions in the field, as it is in the case of the outer space and out-of-spacecraft applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37283,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Space Safety Engineering","volume":"13 2","pages":"Pages 263-266"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148570967","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":"Issues in the application of conditional expected casualty criteria to reentry operations","authors":"Jillian Yuricich","doi":"10.1016/j.jsse.2026.04.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jsse.2026.04.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Risk to the public from launch and reentry operations is limited by three quantitative criteria in the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations, known as Part 450. Two of the risk criteria have been used in FAA regulations for decades and include collective risk, or expected casualty (EC), and individual risk, or probability of casualty to an individual (PCI). The newly added third criteria is Conditional Expected Casualty (CEC), which was introduced in 2020. The intent of CEC is to protect the public from unlikely but high consequence events, and the performance-based CEC metric replaces the prescriptive Flight Safety System (FSS) requirements in legacy FAA regulations. The development of CEC criteria in Part 450 relied significantly on data gleaned from launch experience and FSS development; however, Part 450 now applies CEC limits to reentry vehicle operations for the first time. This paper reviews the critical differences in launch and reentry operations, discusses the implications of consolidated launch and reentry regulations, and explores the incompatibility of CEC as a risk metric for reentry vehicles in order to provide a recommended alternative.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37283,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Space Safety Engineering","volume":"13 2","pages":"Pages 405-412"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148571036","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":"Ethical, legal, and social issues associated with using existing airports as spaceports","authors":"Shotaro Kinoshita ,&nbsp;Hiroshi Naruse ,&nbsp;Rinka Shimizu ,&nbsp;Saki Shioya ,&nbsp;Lyra Hirotani ,&nbsp;Takeru Kayahara ,&nbsp;Kotaro Hoshi ,&nbsp;Sasagu Kurozumi ,&nbsp;Reo Takizawa","doi":"10.1016/j.jsse.2026.01.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jsse.2026.01.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent years, interest in suborbital spaceflight and point-to-point transportation has grown, leading to efforts to use existing airports as horizontal spaceports. This study conducts a systematic literature review to identify and analyze the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) associated with using existing airports as spaceports. From the 17 extracted studies, ten key ELSI categories were extracted, including economic impact, pollution, sonic booms, aviation disruption, safety, public health, and insurance. While many issues are broadly relevant to spaceports, some, such as cost-effectiveness and airspace management, are specific to using airports as spaceports. To contextualize the findings, Oita Airport in Japan was analyzed as a case study. Two projects were reviewed: a satellite launch project (since canceled) and an ongoing spaceplane landing plan. Oita Airport’s coastal location, low air traffic, and existing infrastructure make it suitable for spaceport use, although its lack of medical facilities remains a concern. The study concludes that airports suitable for utilization should (1) be located away from densely populated areas, (2) have low interference with existing aviation operations, and (3) possess or be connected to sufficient medical infrastructure. The analysis underscores the need for a cost-benefit approach when evaluating public investments in such projects, especially considering potential disruptions to aviation and the need for public accountability. The paper highlights gaps in the current literature, such as the lack of empirical data and regulatory clarity, and recommends future research focused on stakeholder engagement, implementation feedback, and the development of standardized ELSI frameworks for emerging spaceports.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37283,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Space Safety Engineering","volume":"13 1","pages":"Pages 144-151"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147553570","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 comprehensive review of emerging trends in lunar science exploration research pertaining to cislunar missions safety","authors":"Arsalan Muhammad ,&nbsp;Yue Wang ,&nbsp;Hao Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.jsse.2026.02.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jsse.2026.02.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent years, as humanity stands at the threshold of a new era in space exploration, lunar missions have experienced a renewed global interest driven by the Moon’s unique and strategically vital position in space, coupled with its vast reserves of unexplored natural resources. As a critical gateway to deep space exploration, the Moon offers an unparalleled proving ground for advanced technological and scientific research associated with sustained human habitation on Moon and future interplanetary missions. In this study, a comprehensive review has been conducted to fill the gaps in the overall insights of lunar science exploration field resulting in identification of five pivotal research domains each holding transformative potential for advancing humanity’s interplanetary ambitions such as autonomous robotic explorers capable of in-situ resource utilization to AI-driven decision-making systems enhancing mission resilience. In this review, 149 articles were meticulously selected for in-depth analysis from renewed databases among which Science Direct was a significant source having the highest number of publications, followed by Springer. This review not only focusses on the objectives of highlighting the most promising frontiers in lunar science and technology, but also critically investigates the major topic questions identified and explained meticulously followed by the way forward interdisciplinary opportunities poised to accelerate humanity’s sustained presence on the Moon, setting the stage for deeper exploration of the solar system. At the same time, the escalating importance of safety in cislunar missions stems from the unique challenges of this expanding orbital regime, where non-Keplerian dynamics amplify risks from spacecraft failures, debris propagation and operational hazards, as evidenced by historical analyses and simulations. Therefore, this review also prioritizes safety ensuring sustainable exploration, minimizes mission losses and supports international collaboration in building resilient cislunar infrastructure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37283,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Space Safety Engineering","volume":"13 1","pages":"Pages 16-37"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147553574","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":"Natural and man-made space debris as a hazard to spacecraft. Space debris particle flow density","authors":"Victoria V. Svotina","doi":"10.1016/j.jsse.2026.02.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jsse.2026.02.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The increase in the duration of space flight, significant complication of on-board spacecraft equipment and its cost growth, as well as the launch of constellations of satellites, including small ones, make the problems related to space flight safety more and more urgent. Environmental factors that directly affect space safety include meteoroids and meteor particles, as well as man-made space debris. To assess the risk of spacecraft collision with space debris and to develop active and passive means of protection, it is necessary to have reliable data on the density of flow of space debris particles of various sizes, which are the initial data for the development of models of occurrence of non-standard (emergency) situations and their progress, as well as for the determination and substantiation of space flight safety indicators. The paper presents the model for estimating space debris particle flow density, which has been refined based on the generalization of space debris observation data and the assessment of the contribution of multi-satellite orbital constellations launched in recent years to the exponential growth of space debris number.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37283,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Space Safety Engineering","volume":"13 1","pages":"Pages 91-105"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147553494","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":"Methodology for estimating the probability of tether thermal loading during space debris towing","authors":"Vladislav Urbansky,&nbsp;Valeriy Trushlyakov","doi":"10.1016/j.jsse.2025.09.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jsse.2025.09.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Thermal impact of the propulsion system plume on the towing tether represents a critical factor in active space debris removal missions, as overheating may lead to tether failure and the emergence of hazardous orbital situations. A numerical study was conducted to assess thermal loading of the tether in a rarefied environment using the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method implemented in the SPARTA software package. To reduce computational costs, a hypothesis of spatial homogeneity of combustion product distribution in the cross-section perpendicular to the tether axis was proposed and validated. This assumption enabled a two-dimensional problem formulation without significant loss of accuracy. A quantitative assessment was performed to estimate the probability of tether heating due to collisions between plume particles and the tether surface for various relative configurations of the deployed tether and the propulsion plume. It was found that when the tether is aligned parallel to the plume axis, the surface temperature reaches up to 470 K, which is close to the maximum allowable limits for Kevlar and Zylon materials. In contrast, a 30° inclination of the tether reduces heating to 290 K. The developed methodology enables selection of the relative configuration between the propulsion unit and the tether, as well as rational material choice for tether design in active debris removal missions, aiming to minimize thermal impact and ensure system reliability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37283,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Space Safety Engineering","volume":"13 1","pages":"Pages 38-47"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147553575","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":"Sustainability of commercial space operations and the integration of space and air traffic management","authors":"Paola Breda ,&nbsp;Rada Markova","doi":"10.1016/j.jsse.2026.02.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jsse.2026.02.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rapid expansion of the NewSpace economy is reshaping the global space sector, bringing opportunities for technology innovation while raising challenges in safety, regulation, and sustainability of operations. Commercial space operations increasingly intersect with aviation, requiring integration with Air Traffic Management (ATM) to ensure safe and efficient use of shared airspace. This paper investigates the sustainability of commercial space activities with a focus on the European context, where fragmented regulations and complex airspace management present unique challenges. Current practices for launch and re-entry operations rely on case-by-case coordination, lengthy notification procedures, and rigid airspace reservations which are unsuitable for high-frequency launch operations. Drawing comparisons with established regulatory practices in aviation, the paper highlights gaps in technical standards, regulatory frameworks, and stakeholder coordination that might compromise the sustainability of operations in the long term. Lessons from military and civil cooperation for the use of airspace suggest that the space-airspace cooperation may evolve along the same lines as civil–military coordination, with dynamic allocation and real-time information sharing. Practical solutions under discussion include the development of a Launch Coordination Center (LCC), capable of integrating air, space, and maritime information while providing real-time situational awareness. The integration of Space Traffic Management (STM) services into ATM operations is assessed as a critical enabler for safe and sustainable growth. The study also examines the recently proposed draft EU Space Act and the Cologne Manual on STM as two different, but plausible, regulatory approaches towards sustainability of launch and re-entry operations. This work argues that achieving sustainable commercial space operations in Europe will require harmonized standards, interoperable technical systems, and real-time coordination to safely integrate launch and re-entry activities with air traffic management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37283,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Space Safety Engineering","volume":"13 1","pages":"Pages 248-259"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147553569","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":"Range safety in a lunar context: Legal and policy issues","authors":"Andrea Harrington ,&nbsp;Nishith Mishra","doi":"10.1016/j.jsse.2025.12.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jsse.2025.12.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While there is fairly robust discussion of lunar “safety zones” given the non-appropriation principle enshrined in the Outer Space Treaty, that discussion has focused primarily on safety of activities, equipment, and facilities in general. Lunar launch and landing pose special concerns given the need for appropriate range safety protocols in that context. With the predicted increase in lunar activities, both as the objective and as a waypoint for missions to Mars and beyond, it is essential to address legal and policy concerns related to these activities. There is significant practice of range safety in a terrestrial context. Safety protocols to protect persons and property include exclusion from the immediate vicinity of the launch site and also exclusion from the relevant airspace and maritime area that could conflict with the launch or be subject to falling debris in the case of a launch abort or incident. These protocols include significant coordination with civil aviation authorities as well as coast guard personnel.</div><div>In a lunar context, the potential for regolith to be thrown significant distance during nominal launch or landing is significant given the lack of gravity (about 1/6th compared to Earth’s gravitational pull) and atmosphere. Such regolith can be extremely damaging. Additionally, in the case of an incident or abort, the physical range of potential consequences will be even greater.</div><div>Range safety protocols will be essential to safeguard lunar activities. This paper will address the legal and policy challenges to implementation of robust lunar range safety. There is a delicate balance of international obligations contained in the Outer Space Treaty, namely the non-appropriation principle in Article II, and the due regard principle in Article IX. Article X enabling launch observations and Article XII mandating allowance of reciprocal visits to lunar facilities can help to mitigate these difficulties as well. Rescue provisions contained in the Outer Space Treaty and Return and Rescue Agreement are relevant in the case of a mishap.</div><div>Determining liability under the fault-based standard for damage caused either by nominal lunar operations or incidents that may occur during launch and landing further complicate the picture. A common understanding of procedures for range safety can reduce the likelihood of conflict arising either regarding operations or as a consequence of damage caused. Geopolitical tension and the prospect of escalation will complicate addressing these crucial safety matters, but properly applied legal tools engaging cooperation of states active on the Moon can ensure safety and stability of lunar operations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37283,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Space Safety Engineering","volume":"13 1","pages":"Pages 132-143"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147553573","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}