{"title":"Exploring the Feasibility of a Power-Generating Pulsed Nuclear Magnetic Nozzle","authors":"Nathan S. Schilling, J. Cassibry, R. Adams","doi":"10.59332/jbis-076-02-0070","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.59332/jbis-076-02-0070","url":null,"abstract":"Crewed missions to Mars and robotic missions to the gas giant planets are challenging because of the current lengthy trip times (2 years to Mars, ~20+ years to the gas giants) with current propulsion technology. These trips endanger astronauts due to the harmful effects of radiation and microgravity and represent a significant fraction of a PI’s (Principal Investigator's) lifespan for uncrewed gas giant missions. To make these trips safer and more reliable, trip times need to be reduced dramatically. Pulsed nuclear fusion propulsion systems promise to reduce these trip times down to 1-3 months for the Mars mission and 1-4 years for gas giant missions. However, widespread use of these systems is hampered by many technical factors, including efficient conversion of directed jet power for thrust and generation of input power for fusion reactor operation. To address both challenges, the present authors propose using the novel power-generating magnetic nozzle; this nozzle uses high-strength magnetic fields for thrust generation and low-strength fields for power generation. Most approaches in the literature consider the effect of either the high-strength fields or the low-strength fields but, for this work, the authors would like to show their combined effect. To address this, we use two computational tools in tandem from prior work: the Smoothed Particle Fluid with Maxwell equation solver (SPFMax) and a plasma flux compression generator code. The former will determine the effect of the high-strength fields and the latter will determine the effect of the low-strength fields. Combined, they show the effect on thrust, efficiency, and power generation. The present authors find that the inclusion of a power-generation system reduces nozzle efficiency by 7% and thrust by the same amount, however, this is a relatively small reduction. The authors also confirm prior work regarding non-dimensional scaling parameters of the power generation system. These results reduce the technical risk associated with these nozzles, hopefully allowing for their application in current concepts/programs, make interplanetary trips safer and more reliable, and allowing humanity to venture out and explore the solar system. Keywords: Mars, Plasma, Magnet, Nuclear, Power","PeriodicalId":54906,"journal":{"name":"Jbis-Journal of the British Interplanetary Society","volume":"31 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75534344","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":"Origami-Inspired Deployable Space Habitats","authors":"Joe Defillion, M. Schenk","doi":"10.59332/jbis-076-01-0002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.59332/jbis-076-01-0002","url":null,"abstract":"Origami is increasingly used as a source of inspiration in a wide variety of disciplines. In this project, we explore cylindrical origami structures, referred to as “origami bellows”, as novel geometries for orbital space habitats. The dimensions of space habitats are limited by the tight mass and volume constraints imposed by launcher payload fairings. Future deployable habitats based on foldable origami bellows have the potential to achieve large volumes when deployed, while being capable of compacting to smaller stowed configurations for launch. To assess the feasibility of such habitat designs, the deployment performance of a selection of bellows was investigated. Bellows formed from Kresling and Miura-ori patterns were considered; both expand axially, but Miura-ori patterns experience an additional radial expansion. Our scope was also limited to patterns which are stable in both the stowed and deployed configurations. Habitats were judged on their internal and effective volume expansions; the latter being adjusted to account for the practicalities of operating within a complex habitat geometry. We find that significant internal and effective volume expansions are achievable, particularly for Miura-ori geometries. Nonetheless, we make the argument for Kresling patterns as a more practical option due to their simpler geometries, despite smaller volume expansions. We find our Kresling geometries to have effective volumes between 2.5 - 3.6 times greater than a conventional habitat launched in a fairing of equal volume. Our work shows that origami-based designs do indeed have potential to greatly outperform current space habitat designs. Keywords: Origami Bellows, Space Habitats, Deployable Structures","PeriodicalId":54906,"journal":{"name":"Jbis-Journal of the British Interplanetary Society","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78562108","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":"Life Cycle Assessment of the UK Space Energy Initiative Technology Roadmap","authors":"Andrew Wilson, Massimiliano Vasile, Haroon Oqab","doi":"10.59332/jbis-076-01-0018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.59332/jbis-076-01-0018","url":null,"abstract":"This paper aims to provide an overview of the environmental footprint of the UK Space Energy Initiative (SEI) technology roadmap based on the CASSIOPeiA solar power satellite (SPS) system using the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. The information covers the time period from 2022 to 2080 and is relevant for five stratospheric SPS prototypes, five low Earth orbit (LEO) SPS prototypes and twenty-five full-scale CASSIOPeiA systems which are capable of generating 2 gigawatts (GW) of power each and delivering this directly to the grid. Each CASSIOPeiA system has been modelled on the assumption that it will operate at 2.45 gigahertz (GHz) with 4-sun Concentrated Photo-Voltaic (CPV) variant in geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) for an average lifetime of thirty years. Primary data was collected from the SEI Technical Working Group and is considered to be representative of the current SEI technology roadmap. This information was collected using a simple Excel Spreadsheet titled ‘SEI LCA 1.0’. The file contains relevant information pertinent to the content of this paper but was considered too large to attach as an annex. Despite this, it should be noted that whilst the majority of the collected data was considered to be robust and of a sufficiently high data quality, the manufacturing & production of the rectenna was mainly based on well-judged estimations and data extrapolations. The results indicate that the manufacturing & production of the offshore rectennas is a particular hotspot, drawing similarities to the findings of Wilson et al. (2020). Keywords: Space Solar Power, Energy Systems, Life Cycle Assessment, Environmental Footprint, Ecodesign","PeriodicalId":54906,"journal":{"name":"Jbis-Journal of the British Interplanetary Society","volume":"2009 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83253514","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":"UK Space Energy Initiative: Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping Review of an Offshore Rectenna in Scotland","authors":"Andrew Wilson, Haroon Oqab, M. Vasile","doi":"10.59332/jbis-076-01-0029","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.59332/jbis-076-01-0029","url":null,"abstract":"This paper will present the results of an environmental impact assessment scoping report which was conducted to gain a professional scoping opinion on the development of a hypothetical offshore rectenna site located in the Highlands and Islands local authority region to enable space-based solar power to the UK. The construction, operational and decommissioning phases of the development will be discussed throughout the paper with a specific focus on environmental impacts. Different levels of UK and Scottish policy and legislation will be used to highlight the requirements and contribution of the development towards sustainable development. Furthermore, it will allow for a deeper understanding of how the development can aid the 78% UK emission reduction target by 2035 and the UK net-zero target by 2050. Policy covered in this scoping report includes Space Policy, Renewable Energy Policy, Climate Change Policy, Research Policy, Conservation Policy and Planning Policy. Overall, this scoping report has been prepared to address likely significant impacts that the proposed rectenna site might have on the environment. Keywords: Space Solar Power, Environmental Impact Assessment, Energy Systems, Sustainable Development, Environmental Governance","PeriodicalId":54906,"journal":{"name":"Jbis-Journal of the British Interplanetary Society","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81157592","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 Reaction Drive Powered by External Dynamic Pressure","authors":"J. Greason","doi":"10.59332/jbis-072-05-0146","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.59332/jbis-072-05-0146","url":null,"abstract":"A new class of reaction drive is discussed, in which reaction mass is expelled from a vehicle using power extracted from the relative motion of the vehicle and the surrounding medium, such as the solar wind. The physics of this type of drive are reviewed and shown to permit high velocity changes with modest mass ratio while conserving energy and momentum according to well-established physical principles. A comparison to past propulsion methods and propulsion classification studies suggests new mission possibilities for this type of drive. An example of how this principle might be embodied in hardware suggests accelerations sufficient for outer solar system missions, with shorter trip times and lower mass ratios than chemical rockets. Keywords: Propulsion, Reaction drive, Solar wind, External power, Dynamic pressure","PeriodicalId":54906,"journal":{"name":"Jbis-Journal of the British Interplanetary Society","volume":"363 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84905585","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":"Design considerations for exterior and interior configurations of surface habitat modules","authors":"O. Bannova","doi":"10.2514/6.iac-06-e3.4.08","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.iac-06-e3.4.08","url":null,"abstract":"Planning for long-duration lunar and Mars exploration missions must provide appropriate human support accommodations to optimize crew comfort, health, morale, performance and safety. Important requirements to make planetary exploration missions successful are to create habitats and facilities offering the maximum possible space and volume for human and mission needs, minimize site preparation and module assembly time and offer on-site equipment readiness in the fewest number of launches. The paper addresses two general types of habitat structures: vertical and horizontal. Both of these approaches offer special advantages, but also impose special planning considerations to optimize benefits. Goals are to maximize habitability, crew safety, spatial efficiency, functional versatility and EVA access/egress from the surface. While complying with the strictly constrained diameter and length dimensions imposed by Earth launch vehicles, landing limitations and surface mobility restrictions. Illustrative concepts are presented showing examples of interior layouts, functional areas and equipment systems.","PeriodicalId":54906,"journal":{"name":"Jbis-Journal of the British Interplanetary Society","volume":"25 1","pages":"331-338"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2006-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74571767","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}
M. Ferraiuolo, A. Riccio, D. Tescine, R. Gardi, G. Marino
{"title":"Contact Sensitivity Analysis of a Coupling Pin for the Nose Cap of a Launch Re-Entry Vehicle","authors":"M. Ferraiuolo, A. Riccio, D. Tescine, R. Gardi, G. Marino","doi":"10.2514/6.iac-06-c2.1.08","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.iac-06-c2.1.08","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54906,"journal":{"name":"Jbis-Journal of the British Interplanetary Society","volume":"5 1","pages":"14"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2006-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83181516","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 Multi-role Capsule as an Example of Function Based Requirement Generation","authors":"C. Hempsell","doi":"10.2514/6.iac-06-d3.3.04","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.iac-06-d3.3.04","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54906,"journal":{"name":"Jbis-Journal of the British Interplanetary Society","volume":"1 1","pages":"358-366"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2006-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89365882","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}
T. Bálint, Erick J. Sturm, R. Woolley, J. F. Jordan
{"title":"Can we Power Future Mars Missions","authors":"T. Bálint, Erick J. Sturm, R. Woolley, J. F. Jordan","doi":"10.2514/6.iac-06-a5.2.06","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.iac-06-a5.2.06","url":null,"abstract":"The Vision for Space Exploration identified the exploration of Mars as one of the key pathways. In response, NASAs Mars Program Office is developing a detailed mission lineup for the next decade that would lead to future explorations. Mission architectures for the next decade include both orbiters and landers. Existing power technologies, which could include solar panels, batteries, radioisotope power systems, and in the future fission power, could support these missions. Second and third decade explorations could target human precursor and human in-situ missions, building on increasingly complex architectures. Some of these could use potential feed forward from earlier Constellation missions to the Moon, discussed in the ESAS study. From a potential Mars Sample Return mission to human missions the complexity of the architectures increases, and with it the delivered mass and power requirements also amplify. The delivered mass at Mars mostly depends on the launch vehicle, while the landed mass might be further limited by EDL technologies, including the aeroshell, parachutes, landing platform, and pinpoint landing. The resulting in-situ mass could be further divided into payload elements and suitable supporting power systems. These power systems can range from tens of watts to multi-kilowatts, influenced by mission type, mission configuration, landing location, mission duration, and season. Regardless, the power system design should match the power needs of these surface assets within a given architecture. Consequently, in this paper we will identify potential needs and bounds of delivered mass and architecture dependent power requirements to surface assets that would enable future in-situ exploration of Mars.","PeriodicalId":54906,"journal":{"name":"Jbis-Journal of the British Interplanetary Society","volume":"4 1","pages":"294"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2006-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87320291","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":"Continuous Mars Habitation with a Limited Number of Cycler Vehicles","authors":"D. Landau, J. Longuski, B. Aldrin","doi":"10.2514/6.2006-6020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2006-6020","url":null,"abstract":"We present cycler and semi-cycler trajectories to transport crews from Earth to a Mars base and back. It is assumed that the Mars base should never be abandoned and that the cycler vehicles safely and comfortably transport twelve people at a time. Since these cycler vehicles involve a significant investment, as few as possible should be built. We examine trades between the number of vehicles, the trajectory V, and the crew mission duration. The trajectory V drives propulsion system requirements and the mission duration affects the crew’s health. One-, two-, and three-vehicle scenarios are presented to sustain the colonization of Mars.","PeriodicalId":54906,"journal":{"name":"Jbis-Journal of the British Interplanetary Society","volume":"36 1","pages":"122-128"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2006-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89335257","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}