{"title":"Simulation study of magnetic field effects on particle distribution and energy conversion in E×B electric propulsion thrusters","authors":"Zitong Shen, Jian Li, Yuanzheng Zhao, Jiaxu Lu, Tingyu Lian, Jianjun Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.07.028","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.07.028","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Orthogonal electromagnetic field (E × B field) serves as a crucial element that significantly intensifies the drift motion of particles in electric thrusters, such as Hall thrusters and magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters. By augmenting the ionization rate of gas discharge, it effectively improves the overall propulsion performance, presenting promising opportunities for advancements in space missions, including deep space exploration and orbital transfer. This study investigates the discharge process of the E × B field electric thruster, delving into the effects of the magnetic field on particle distribution and energy conversion. Focusing on a typical E × B configuration of a plasma thruster enhanced by an additional magnetic field, a Particle-In-Cell/Monte Carlo Collisions (PIC/MCC) numerical simulation model was developed to analyze the influence and mechanisms by which varying external magnetic field intensities affect plasma distribution and energy conversion. And the trajectories of charged particles in the E × B field under the action of different magnetic fields were captured. When the magnetic field strength rose from 0.013T to 0.038T, the axial kinetic energy of argon ions increased by 68.6 %. It also found that a stronger magnetic field suppresses radial electron diffusion, enhances electron vortex velocity and path, improves ionization efficiency, and significantly increases the proportion of low-energy electrons and high-energy argon ions, thus optimizing electric thruster performance. This study provides valuable insights for further investigating energy conversion mechanisms and optimizing the design of E × B field electric thrusters.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":44971,"journal":{"name":"Acta Astronautica","volume":"236 ","pages":"Pages 692-700"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144687385","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Acta AstronauticaPub Date : 2025-07-23DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.07.026
Carlos Carbajosa, Ángel Sanz-Andrés, Alejandro Martínez-Cava, Sergio Marín-Coca, Sebastián Franchini
{"title":"Approximated methods for the analysis of the unsteady shock wave motion in inlet unstart processes","authors":"Carlos Carbajosa, Ángel Sanz-Andrés, Alejandro Martínez-Cava, Sergio Marín-Coca, Sebastián Franchini","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.07.026","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.07.026","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The behavior of shock waves in supersonic and hypersonic inlets is instrumental in the operation of ramjets and scramjets, as it is critical for preventing undesired phenomena such as unstart and buzz. Studying the evolution of shock waves within the inlet duct is essential for understanding these phenomena. This work presents approximated solutions to the novel and recently published <span><math><mrow><mi>D</mi><msup><mrow><mi>S</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup><mi>M</mi></mrow></math></span> (<em>Duct Shock Speed Model</em>), which allows for the estimation of normal shock motion speed, the identification of equilibrium positions, and the equilibrium positions stability analysis. Although the <span><math><mrow><mi>D</mi><msup><mrow><mi>S</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup><mi>M</mi></mrow></math></span> model has been validated through experimental comparisons, its numerical resolution and complexity hinder preliminary design analysis and rapid calculations. In this study, simplified models are introduced, providing straightforward analytical expressions to evaluate shock wave dynamics valid in the Mach-close-to-unity range (which is a common incident Mach number range for normal shock waves to appear in the design of engine inlets). The approximations developed here facilitate the identification, during the early stages of design, of key parameter influences. The proposed formulations allow for rapid and reliable assessment of motion speed, equilibrium positions, and stability, providing explicit expressions avoiding the need for advanced computational tools such as nonlinear solvers. Within the range of validity of the simplified <span><math><mrow><mi>D</mi><msup><mrow><mi>S</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup><mi>M</mi></mrow></math></span> models, the results demonstrate good agreement with the full model. This work provides analytical tools for the preliminary design of supersonic and hypersonic inlets, extending the capabilities of the original model, and explicitly showing the influence of design parameters on shock wave dynamics in the Mach number range considered.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":44971,"journal":{"name":"Acta Astronautica","volume":"236 ","pages":"Pages 882-896"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144704456","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Investigation on diffusion and mixing characteristics of liquid kerosene with phase change under different inflow conditions","authors":"Guangjun Feng, Junlong Zhang, Zilong Hu, Guowei Luan, Youyin Wang, Wen Bao","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.07.045","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.07.045","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>High performance operation under a wide speed range is an important direction for the future development of supersonic combustors. This paper studies the diffusion and mixing characteristics of liquid kerosene jets with phase change in supersonic crossflows over a wide speed range. Using a Euler-Lagrange two-phase approach, extensive numerical simulations were conducted at inflow Mach numbers of 1.5, 2.0, and 2.8, with injection momentum ratios of 0.48 and 1.33. The evaporation, diffusion, and mixing processes of liquid kerosene under different parameters were analyzed in depth, with a focus on elucidating diffusion-mixing mechanisms and developing the evaluation method for mixing efficiency. The results demonstrate that the diffusion and mixing processes of kerosene droplets exhibit bidirectional coupling with supersonic flow fields, where the overall penetration and dispersion capabilities increase with higher inflow Mach numbers, total temperatures, and injection momentum ratios. The trend of kerosene mixing efficiency is governed by the relative change in evaporation and diffusion rates. A kerosene mixing coefficient is defined to quantify this efficiency. When the coefficient exceeds 1, the mixing efficiency reaches 100 %. This research provides a basis for expanding the working range of the supersonic combustor and improving the performance of the combustor by enhancing the kerosene mixing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":44971,"journal":{"name":"Acta Astronautica","volume":"236 ","pages":"Pages 869-881"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144704454","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Acta AstronauticaPub Date : 2025-07-23DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.07.052
Yong Lin , Yuguang Jiang , Yang Luo , Shuhang Zhang , Qi Wang , Wei Fan
{"title":"Flame acceleration and detonation initiation process over porous flat wall","authors":"Yong Lin , Yuguang Jiang , Yang Luo , Shuhang Zhang , Qi Wang , Wei Fan","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.07.052","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.07.052","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The flame acceleration process and detonation initiation process of the ethylene and oxygen-rich air mixture over porous flat wall are experimentally studied using high-speed photography technology. The results show that there are two flame acceleration modes over porous flat wall with four pore densities. The flame acceleration over porous flat wall with small pore density (10ppi and 30ppi) is driven by the high velocity flame inside the porous media. Regarding the porous flat wall with larger pore density (40ppi and 50ppi), the flame undergoes an initial acceleration process inside the porous media, following by the further acceleration due to the joint effects of rough wall disturbance and mainstream in the detonation tube. The distance for laminar flame to accelerate to 0.5CJ (Chapman-Jouguet) velocity is 55 mm and 100 mm over porous flat walls with small pore density and large pore density, respectively. To reveal the detail acceleration magnitude of the flame in the porous media, different porous media obstacles are set in the tube. The laminar flame accelerates to a maximum velocity of approximately 300 m/s in large pore density porous obstacles. While in smaller pore density porous obstacles, the maximum flame velocity is much higher. Regarding the detonation initiation, it is found to be triggered by the local explosion generated by the action of shock wave over porous flat wall with four pore densities. The smaller the pore density is, the closer the position of the local explosion is to the upstream detonation tube.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":44971,"journal":{"name":"Acta Astronautica","volume":"236 ","pages":"Pages 828-840"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144703469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Acta AstronauticaPub Date : 2025-07-23DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.07.032
Jiaxin Zheng , Licheng Sun , Xiting Long , Jun Wang , Cunbao Li , Zhengyu Mo , Min Du , Tianyi Gao , Entong Xia , Biao Li , Xin Xu , Heping Xie
{"title":"Electricity generation for lunar bases during construction and operation: Key technologies, challenges and development roadmap","authors":"Jiaxin Zheng , Licheng Sun , Xiting Long , Jun Wang , Cunbao Li , Zhengyu Mo , Min Du , Tianyi Gao , Entong Xia , Biao Li , Xin Xu , Heping Xie","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.07.032","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.07.032","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The lunar base serves as a critical outpost for deep space exploration. Consequently, a safe and reliable energy system is of significance for its construction and operation. The key technologies and challenges related to the research and development of the lunar base electric system need to be clarified, and a preliminary technical roadmap should be outlined in advance. This article examines the evolution of space activity development and the lunar exploration plans of China, the United States, and the European Union. Building on this analysis, it outlines the requirements, major types and key technologies of the electric systems for lunar bases. Lunar exploration can be divided into three stages: uncrewed exploration, crewed lunar landing and lunar base operation, with energy demands escalating from hundreds of watts in the initial stage to hundreds of kilowatts in later stages. The article summarizes the advancements in electricity production technologies, including photovoltaic systems, concentrating solar power, radioisotope thermoelectric generators, space nuclear reactors and thermoelectric generators. It also highlights critical technical challenges that must be addressed such as prolonged periods of daylight and darkness, extreme temperature conditions on the lunar surface, etc. A technical roadmap for the development of electricity generation technologies is proposed to support the evolution of lunar bases. As energy demands may eventually reach gigawatt levels, the integrated energy system will have to rely on diversified power generation equipment and supporting facilities to ensure their operation and development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":44971,"journal":{"name":"Acta Astronautica","volume":"236 ","pages":"Pages 790-809"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144703461","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Acta AstronauticaPub Date : 2025-07-22DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.07.027
Zeno Pavanello , Luigi De Maria , Andrea De Vittori , Michele Maestrini , Pierluigi Di Lizia , Roberto Armellin
{"title":"CAMmary: A review of spacecraft collision avoidance manoeuvre design methods","authors":"Zeno Pavanello , Luigi De Maria , Andrea De Vittori , Michele Maestrini , Pierluigi Di Lizia , Roberto Armellin","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.07.027","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.07.027","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ensuring safety for spacecraft operations has become a paramount concern due to the proliferation of space debris and the saturation of valuable orbital regimes. In this regard, the Collision Avoidance Manoeuvre (CAM) has emerged as a critical requirement for spacecraft operators, aiming to efficiently navigate through potentially hazardous encounters. Currently, when a conjunction is predicted, operators dedicate a considerable amount of time and resources to designing a CAM. Given the increased frequency of conjunctions, autonomous computation of fuel-efficient CAMs is crucial to reduce costs and improve the performance of future operations. To facilitate the transition to an autonomous CAM design, it is useful to provide an overview of its state-of-the-art. In this survey article, a collection of the most relevant research contributions in the field is presented. We review and categorise existing CAM techniques based on their underlying principles, such as (i) analytic, semi-analytic, or numerical solutions; (ii) impulsive or continuous thrust; (iii) deterministic or stochastic approaches, (iv) free or fixed manoeuvring time; (v) free or fixed thrust direction. Finally, to determine the validity of the algorithms potentially implementable for autonomous use, we perform a numerical comparison on a large set of conjunctions. With this analysis, the algorithms are evaluated in terms of computational efficiency, accuracy, and optimality of the computed policy. Through this comprehensive survey, we aim to provide insights into the state-of-the-art of CAM methodologies, identify gaps in current research, and outline potential directions for future developments in ensuring the safety and sustainability of spacecraft operations in increasingly congested orbital environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":44971,"journal":{"name":"Acta Astronautica","volume":"236 ","pages":"Pages 770-789"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144702995","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Experimental study on the ignition and combustion characteristics of TMEDA and WFNA in hypergolic fuel systems","authors":"O.V. Vysokomornaya, A.O. Pleshko, K.K. Paushkina, N.P. Nadymova, A.G. Nigay, D.O. Glushkov","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.07.046","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.07.046","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>An experimental study of the patterns and characteristics of ignition and combustion of hypergolic fuels with liquid components has been carried out. The experiments used tetramethylethylenediamine C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>16</sub>N<sub>2</sub> (fuel) and highly concentrated nitric acid HNO<sub>3</sub> (oxidizer). The initial volume of fuel and oxidizer droplets was 10 μl. The height of the fuel droplet fall relative to the oxidizer droplet varied from 5 to 20 cm. During the experimental studies, the following characteristics were determined: ignition delay times, burnout areas, and flame temperatures. The characteristics of the components interaction were also recorded using the Schlieren method. When varying the height of the fuel droplet fall, the ignition delay times change in the range of 42.4–54.9 s, the average values of the burnout areas change from 0.42 to 7.59 cm<sup>3</sup>. Moreover, the greater the height of the fuel droplet fall onto an oxidizer droplet on a plate, the shorter the ignition delay times and the larger the burnout areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":44971,"journal":{"name":"Acta Astronautica","volume":"236 ","pages":"Pages 735-745"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144702994","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Acta AstronauticaPub Date : 2025-07-22DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.07.048
Zhehong Wang , Weizong Wang , Jiaqi Yan , Zihan Wang
{"title":"Magnetohydrodynamics simulation on the efficiency enhancement of electrodeless Lorentz force thrusters through traveling-wave acceleration","authors":"Zhehong Wang , Weizong Wang , Jiaqi Yan , Zihan Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.07.048","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.07.048","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The electrodeless Lorentz force (ELF) Thruster is a novel electric propulsion concept that utilizes a Rotating Magnetic Field (RMF) driven Field Reversed Configuration (FRC) plasmoid to produce pulsed thrust, aimed at high-power applications. To address the substantial energy loss and low efficiency observed in the experiments, this study employed a two-dimensional Hall Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) model to numerically analyze the acceleration dynamics of FRC plasmoids in an ELF thruster and assess the effectiveness of the traveling-wave acceleration method. The model is validated through direct comparison with the thruster test data. Analysis of the force distribution reveals a decline in the axial Lorentz force downstream. To overcome this, traveling-wave acceleration through bias field modulation is proposed and evaluated, strengthening the bias field coil to form a wave of magnetic strength gradient to accelerate the plasmoid further. Based on experimental parameters, this method achieves a 50 % increase in exhaust velocity and total momentum with only a 30 % increase in input power, without modifying the RMF parameters. The plasma efficiency more than doubles, and energy loss is reduced due to shortened plasmoid residual time, demonstrating the effectiveness of traveling-wave acceleration as a power-efficient strategy for enhancing ELF thruster performance. Plume simulations indicate over 90 % divergence efficiency, attributed to the frozen-in magnetic field lines that facilitate narrow-angle exhaust.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":44971,"journal":{"name":"Acta Astronautica","volume":"236 ","pages":"Pages 841-855"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144704453","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Acta AstronauticaPub Date : 2025-07-21DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.07.042
Mingyan Nie , Yun Zhao
{"title":"Creating a lunar-centric legal regime to preserve peaceful and sustainable uses of cislunar space: Proposing initial measures","authors":"Mingyan Nie , Yun Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.07.042","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.07.042","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cislunar space, the significant region beyond Earth geostationary orbit, has become a focal point for leading spacefaring nations like the United States and China, which are developing infrastructure to support their lunar missions. These nations are establishing national policies and strategies to advance their interests in cislunar space; however, existing international legal frameworks, designed primarily for Earth-orbit and near-Earth activities, are inadequate to address the complex challenges of preserving peaceful and sustainable operations in this region. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty, foundational to current space law, sets a ‘dual-track’ system for peaceful use of outer space and the Moon. Yet, the interconnected nature of cislunar and lunar activities complicates efforts to maintain peace in cislunar space. Additionally, while the Outer Space Treaty and related soft laws offer general principles to prevent harmful interference, they fall short in addressing the unique demands of cislunar space. In response to these emerging challenges, this paper advocates for the creation of a lunar-centric legal regime tailored to the specific conditions of cislunar space. Such a regime should incorporate stricter regulations that address new developments in cislunar and lunar activities and should build upon existing outer space laws. As initial steps, this paper proposes strengthening the ‘exclusively peaceful purposes’ principle, establishing clear implementation rules to safeguard exclusively peaceful uses, refining the ‘due regard’ principle, and creating cislunar-specific Traffic Management and space debris mitigation guidelines to enhance sustainability. Moreover, fostering cooperation between the U.S. and China is crucial. These nations must work together to develop a framework of mutually recognized rules to prevent escalating competition and potential conflicts, ensuring that cislunar space remains a peaceful and sustainable domain.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":44971,"journal":{"name":"Acta Astronautica","volume":"236 ","pages":"Pages 856-868"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144704455","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Acta AstronauticaPub Date : 2025-07-21DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.07.041
Jesse Rhoades , Komal Mangle , Pablo de León , Keith Crisman , Kavya Manyapu
{"title":"Study on parastronaut ingress and egress of orion and boeing CST-100 starliner space vehicles","authors":"Jesse Rhoades , Komal Mangle , Pablo de León , Keith Crisman , Kavya Manyapu","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.07.041","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.07.041","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This preliminary investigation aimed to observe individuals with disabilities participating in the ingress and egress procedures of Lockheed Martin's Orion and Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft. Motivated by the aspiration for inclusivity in space programs and the introduction of the first parastronaut within the European Space Agency (ESA), NASA funded the present study, which utilized motion capture and video analysis to study the entry and exit processes in detail. Data encompassed total time taken, phase interval duration, steps executed, missed steps, and various kinematic factors related to balance during walking. The study comprised eight participants: three fully-abled individuals formed the control group and five with leg amputations formed the experimental group. Among the experimental group, there were two individuals with left leg amputations, both below the knee; two with right leg amputations, one above the knee and one below the knee; and one individual with bilateral above-knee amputations.</div><div>Several significant findings emerged from the analysis. Firstly, it was observed that, on average, the experimental group could complete egress from the capsule environments in less than 50 s. Secondly, on average, the experimental group took 7.7 s longer than the control group to complete ingress and 9.19 s longer to complete egress. Notably, the experimental group utilized more balancing mechanisms during ingress and egress procedures.</div><div>The data indicated that individuals with lower limb deficiency should feasibly enter and exit the capsule environment safely within 60 s. However, it was observed that these processes required more movements, suggesting compensation for the mobility limitations of prosthetics. Despite slight variations in mobility sequencing, participants with prosthetic limbs completed the tasks within acceptable timeframes. They adeptly navigated through unfamiliar environments without tripping or colliding with any elements. Notably, the participants were novices to the capsule environment, indicating that highly trained parastronauts should be capable of safely entering and exiting the environment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":44971,"journal":{"name":"Acta Astronautica","volume":"236 ","pages":"Pages 904-913"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144714422","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}