Acta Astronautica最新文献

{"title":"Corrigendum to ‘Fisetin enhances osteoblast differentiation and bone formation under simulated microgravity’ [Volume 228 (2025) Start page 724 – End page 739]","authors":"Zixiang Wu , Lifang Hu , Wenjuan Zhang , Kang Ru , Xia Xu , Shuyu Liu , Hua Liu , Yunxia Jia , Zhihao Chen , Airong Qian","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.06.044","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.06.044","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":44971,"journal":{"name":"Acta Astronautica","volume":"235 ","pages":"Pages 670-672"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144480920","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":"Generalized Treatment of Energy Accommodation in Gas-Surface Interactions for Satellite Aerodynamics Applications","authors":"Friedrich Tuttas ,&nbsp;Constantin Traub ,&nbsp;Marcel Pfeiffer ,&nbsp;Walter Fichter","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.06.020","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.06.020","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the context of satellite aerodynamics in the Very-Low-Earth-Orbit (VLEO) regime, accurate modeling of gas-surface interactions (GSI) is crucial for determining aerodynamic forces and torques. Common models such as Sentman’s assume that gas particles are reflected diffusely from a surface, which leads to the incorporation of energy accommodation into the model. This technical note discusses the limitations of existing approaches for handling energy accommodation and provides a generalized treatment thereof that is valid for any molecular speed ratio. A new general expression for the temperature ratio of reflected to impinging particles is derived, which, when used in a GSI model, does not limit it to hyperthermal flows. Additionally, a simplified hyperthermal approximation is presented, proven to be an asymptote of the general expression, and shown to be an improvement upon existing approximations by comparison for a realistic VLEO scenario. The results contribute to a better understanding and modeling of energy accommodation within GSI, potentially benefiting scientific investigations and operational applications of satellite aerodynamics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":44971,"journal":{"name":"Acta Astronautica","volume":"236 ","pages":"Pages 14-19"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144517827","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":"Stable and sustainable orbital capacity solutions in Low Earth Orbit","authors":"Giovanni Lavezzi ,&nbsp;Daniel Jang ,&nbsp;Richard Linares","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.06.015","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.06.015","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The significant increase in the population of satellites in Low Earth Orbit raises concerns about the orbital carrying capacity, essentially the ability of the Low Earth Orbit environment to sustain a certain number of satellites without unsustainable levels of risk due to space debris or collisions. More in-orbit collisions can generate debris that further threatens operational satellites and human spaceflight missions. The open-source MIT Orbital Capacity Assessment Tool is adopted to optimize the number of satellites that fit in the Low Earth Orbit region under dynamical system equilibrium and sustainability constraints. The results show an opposite trend between active satellites and debris for a sustainable centuries-long space environment: the number of active satellites decreases with altitude, while the amount of debris increases. Higher altitudes exhibit a greater sensitivity to the number of satellites they can accommodate. Even a small number of satellites at high altitudes can significantly reduce the equilibrium orbital capacity of the space environment. Our results provide a stable upper boundary for the Low Earth Orbit carrying capacity, supported by a first-ever comparison and validation analysis between a source–sink model of the space environment population, incorporating a novel debris creation and spreading function, with Monte-Carlo methods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":44971,"journal":{"name":"Acta Astronautica","volume":"235 ","pages":"Pages 736-746"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144490358","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":"Challenges in providing medical support on an International Human Expedition to Mars: An overview","authors":"Charles R. Doarn ,&nbsp;Oleg Orlov ,&nbsp;Anna Kussmaul ,&nbsp;Elena Fomina ,&nbsp;Richard Jennings ,&nbsp;Arthur Saniotis ,&nbsp;Sandra Häuplik-Meusburger","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.06.054","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.06.054","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Human expedition to Mars is a mission with untold risks and rewards. Of all the planets, Mars could conceivably be inhabited by humans in the later part of the 21st century. The International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) assembled a diverse, international group of subject matter experts to evaluate a task. This group, SG-2.14, concentrated its efforts on the Medical Support for an International Human Expedition to Mars. This is a summary of a report entitled ‘Challenges in Medical Support for an International Human Expedition to Mars’. This report summarizes the current and potential future challenges and opportunities that we will face on any expedition and eventual settlement on the Martian surface. It highlights the findings and assertions of the final report to the IAA.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":44971,"journal":{"name":"Acta Astronautica","volume":"235 ","pages":"Pages 691-695"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144490347","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":"Orbit determination by cued observation using correlator radio telescope arrays: System model and performance evaluation","authors":"Ryan (Hamed) Nosrati ,&nbsp;Sanat Biswas ,&nbsp;Stephanie Smith ,&nbsp;Douglas B. Hayman","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.06.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.06.011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We study repurposing radio astronomy correlator arrays for orbit refinement of resident space objects RSOs in the context of space situational awareness (SSA). By developing a suitable near-field interferometry signal model, we derive a 3D multiple signal classification (MUSIC) estimator to estimate the right ascension (RA), declination (Dec), and range offsets, allowing for the refinement of the position vector. This refined position vector is then utilized in an extended Kalman filter (EKF) to determine the new orbit, leading to improved accuracy and precision. Drawing inspiration from the configuration of the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) and correlator, we develop an observation simulator to produce measurement vectors for observation scenarios of perturbed trajectories at geostationary orbit (GEO), medium earth orbit (MEO), and low-earth orbit (LEO) regimes. We apply the proposed system model and demonstrate that the state estimation error is significantly reduced, leading to more accurate orbit refinement. Furthermore, our experimental results for radio observations made by ATCA provide further evidence for the effectiveness of the proposed strategy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":44971,"journal":{"name":"Acta Astronautica","volume":"236 ","pages":"Pages 503-513"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144633591","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":"Cislunar trajectory design and maneuver autonomy for NASA’s Moon to Mars architecture","authors":"Aaron Houin ,&nbsp;Rohan Sood","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.06.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.06.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>NASA’s Moon to Mars architecture is an ambitious roadmap of manned cislunar and deep space exploration. The extensive amount of orbital assets required will place a significant burden on ground-based resources, such as communication networks and operations facilities. Spacecraft autonomy is essential for maintaining a vast number of complex missions beyond Earth orbit. To address the need of spacecraft maneuver autonomy, this work investigates a novel method of training and deploying neural networks (NNs) in a supervised learning environment. The technique utilized revolves around automating maneuvers within a predefined concept of operations (ConOps). This first-of-its-kind approach allows humans on the ground to design a specific mission ConOps before flight, then develop NNs to fly the mission robustly and autonomously subject to perturbations. This investigation numerically tests this maneuver autonomy method in four highly-sensitive regions of flight: orbit raising, translunar injection burns, powered lunar flybys, and invariant manifold insertion burns. The study first establishes feasibility by automating impulsive burn maneuvers. Next, NN maneuver autonomy is applied to a more intensive finite burn model. Unlike other techniques, this method enables autonomy for any ConOps, including missions that require sub-optimal maneuvers or long coast arcs. This enables complex and autonomous mission execution in cislunar and deep space regimes, filling a technology gap required to support future manned and robotic missions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":44971,"journal":{"name":"Acta Astronautica","volume":"236 ","pages":"Pages 468-478"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144614104","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":"Corrosion and wetting behavior of monolithic refractory ceramics under molten lunar regolith electrolysis conditions","authors":"Mitchell Lensing ,&nbsp;Matthew Sato ,&nbsp;Erin McMurchie ,&nbsp;Christopher B. Dreyer ,&nbsp;Geoff L. Brennecka","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.06.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.06.009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In situ production of metals from lunar regolith is essential for the long-term utilization of the Moon’s surface. Molten regolith electrolysis (MRE) offers a promising approach for lunar construction and in situ resource utilization (ISRU). However, MRE operates at temperatures around 1600 °C and involves molten regolith consisting of oxides of ten different cations, posing significant challenges in selecting or developing suitable refractory materials. This study surveys a range of candidate materials, including Al<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>O<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>3</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>, ZrO<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>, BN, Si<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>3</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>N<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>4</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>, SiC, AlN, and graphite, to evaluate their compatibility with molten highlands lunar regolith simulant (CSM-LHT-1) under reducing conditions. A more detailed investigation was performed on dense Al<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>O<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>3</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>, BN, and stabilized ZrO<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>, with their corrosion behavior analyzed through X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS).</div><div>The results revealed the highly corrosive nature of molten lunar regolith, which caused rapid dissolution and recrystallization in alumina. Zirconia exhibited limited chemical interactions with the regolith but experienced destabilization due to thermal cycling. Boron nitride, under the low-oxygen conditions tested, appeared structurally stable, with no visible dissolution or infiltration; however, the presence of reduced iron and silicon at the interface suggests borothermal reduction reactions. The findings from this work inform refractory selection for MRE reactors, highlighting the challenges posed by chemically aggressive melts and the necessity of materials capable of withstanding extreme environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":44971,"journal":{"name":"Acta Astronautica","volume":"236 ","pages":"Pages 128-136"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144522582","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":"Spacecraft orbital stability vs total solar irradiance","authors":"Alexander P. Yefremov,&nbsp;Alexandra A. Vorobyeva","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.06.051","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.06.051","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines the impact of total solar irradiance on the orbital stability of a space probe executing one or more gravity assist maneuvers. Analytical models are developed to describe the dependence of photon flux pressure and solar wind influence on the probe's trajectory as a function of orbital radius. Numerical simulations of ballistic orbits incorporating gravity assists demonstrate that even minor perturbations induced by solar radiation can lead to significant deviations from nominal trajectories. The amplification of these deviations through gravity assists highlights the necessity of accounting for solar radiation effects in high-precision mission planning. The findings provide critical insights for the design and control of interplanetary missions, ensuring enhanced trajectory predictability and stability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":44971,"journal":{"name":"Acta Astronautica","volume":"235 ","pages":"Pages 759-765"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144337771","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":"Early stage characterization of on-orbit fragmentation events","authors":"Paola Grattagliano ,&nbsp;Alessandro Mignocchi ,&nbsp;Marco F. Montaruli ,&nbsp;Pierluigi Di Lizia ,&nbsp;Alessandra Di Cecco ,&nbsp;Marco M. Castronuovo","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.05.059","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.05.059","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Currently, fragmentation events are the predominant source of space debris, thus making Fragmentation Analysis one of the primary Space Surveillance and Tracking services for supporting operators in space traffic management. In order to promptly characterize a break-up event, two essential activities must be performed: the association of a detected object to a fragmentation event and the detection of the event epoch. A stochastic approach is considered fundamental to act operationally in the period immediately following a fragmentation, when data are uncertain and scarce. This study presents a newly developed tool called FATE (Fragmentation Association and Time Estimation), which aims to achieve the two objectives described above for the prompt and complete characterization of break-ups in the early stage after a fragmentation event. The tool is comprised of two algorithms which can be unified in a single pipeline. The association problem is addressed by the first module of the tool, which performs a Chi-Squared test based on the Mahalanobis distance to assess the statistical matching between two distributions found in the right ascension of the ascending node-inclination plane. One distribution is derived from the last available ephemeris of the parent, and the other is built from the angular measurements track of the observed object. The latter is obtained through the admissible region concept, and allows to perform this analysis starting from a single measurements track and without an Initial Orbit Determination (IOD) result.</div><div>With the information of the associated objects, the IOD process can be performed on the fragments associated to the event, and the second portion of the algorithm, based on an upgraded version of the FRagmentation Epoch Detector (FRED) tool with the novel use of Conjunction Analysis methodologies, can be exploited for the identification of the event epoch. The proposed approach employs Gaussian Mixture Models (GMM) to describe and propagate the parent and fragment state uncertainties throughout the process. The algorithm then computes a set of candidate fragmentation epochs and subsequently ranks them using the Probability of Collision metric to determine the most probable event epoch. In cases where the observed object is associated with the fragmentation event under analysis, the epoch detection algorithm can achieve a more precise estimation of the epoch and location of the event.</div><div>The performance of the FATE tool is evaluated in a realistic simulated scenario. Concerning the association part, the simulations demonstrate satisfying accuracy, even when the fragmentation epoch is not available yet. Regarding the epoch estimation part, its robustness to increasing Orbit Determination errors and presence of dynamical perturbation is verified as well. The upgraded version of FRED benefits from the GMM-based approach, which evidently reduces the computational effort.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":44971,"journal":{"name":"Acta Astronautica","volume":"236 ","pages":"Pages 32-46"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144337778","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":"Performance enhancement of rotating detonation afterburner through combined injection scheme","authors":"Jinhui Kang ,&nbsp;Feilong Song ,&nbsp;Xin Chen ,&nbsp;Yun Wu ,&nbsp;Dengcheng Zhang ,&nbsp;Jiaojiao Wang ,&nbsp;Zhao Yang ,&nbsp;Wuyi Pan ,&nbsp;Zhixin Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.06.034","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.06.034","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study proposes a combined injection scheme to address the suboptimal fuel-oxidizer mixing efficiency in wide-throat configurations of rotating detonation afterburner (RDAB). Through comparative analysis of detonation wave propagation characteristics, combustor performance metrics, and matching stability parameters between wall injection and combined injection schemes, we demonstrate the operational advantages of implementing the combined injection strategy in RDAB system. The propagation characteristics of the detonation wave, the performance of the combustor, and the stability parameters of the component's coordinated operation were compared under the wall injection and the combined injection schemes. Key findings demonstrate that the combined injection approach successfully extends the fuel-lean limit of RDAB. However, this extension effect diminishes with decreasing nozzle exit area ratio. At A₈/A_3.1 = 1.545, the fuel-lean limit improves from 0.84 to 0.73. Under higher nozzle exit area ratios, combined injection enhances detonation wave velocity, propagation stability, and wave strength. When the nozzle exit area ratio is relatively high, the use of a combined injection scheme can increase the detonation wave propagation speed, propagation stability, and detonation wave intensity, among which the increase in detonation wave intensity is the most significant, with the maximum increase in detonation wave intensity reaching 180 %. Regarding performance parameters, while the intensified detonation wave improve pressure gain capability, they simultaneously amplify upstream pulsating pressure feedback intensity. Due to the absence of an effective pulsating pressure feedback suppression structure, the intake loss of the combustor increases, resulting in a slightly lower total pressure recovery coefficient for the combined injection scheme compared to the wall injection scheme. In terms of system matching stability, enhanced detonation wave intensity elevates combustor intake blockage ratio, leading to higher upstream plenum pressure levels. Overall, this study demonstrates the significant potential of combined injection strategies in enhancing detonation wave intensity and fully exploiting the pressurization capability of detonation combustion. The work provides an innovative approach for structural design of RDAB, while clarifying future development directions. These findings hold crucial implications for advancing key technologies in turbine-based continuous detonation engine.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":44971,"journal":{"name":"Acta Astronautica","volume":"235 ","pages":"Pages 639-652"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144337818","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}