Limiting Future Collision Risk to Spacecraft

Limiting Future Collision Risk to Spacecraft PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309219779
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 178

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Book Description
Derelict satellites, equipment and other debris orbiting Earth (aka space junk) have been accumulating for many decades and could damage or even possibly destroy satellites and human spacecraft if they collide. During the past 50 years, various National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) communities have contributed significantly to maturing meteoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) programs to their current state. Satellites have been redesigned to protect critical components from MMOD damage by moving critical components from exterior surfaces to deep inside a satellite's structure. Orbits are monitored and altered to minimize the risk of collision with tracked orbital debris. MMOD shielding added to the International Space Station (ISS) protects critical components and astronauts from potentially catastrophic damage that might result from smaller, untracked debris and meteoroid impacts. Limiting Future Collision Risk to Spacecraft: An Assessment of NASA's Meteoroid and Orbital Debris Program examines NASA's efforts to understand the meteoroid and orbital debris environment, identifies what NASA is and is not doing to mitigate the risks posed by this threat, and makes recommendations as to how they can improve their programs. While the report identified many positive aspects of NASA's MMOD programs and efforts including responsible use of resources, it recommends that the agency develop a formal strategic plan that provides the basis for prioritizing the allocation of funds and effort over various MMOD program needs. Other necessary steps include improvements in long-term modeling, better measurements, more regular updates of the debris environmental models, and other actions to better characterize the long-term evolution of the debris environment.

Limiting Future Collision Risk to Spacecraft

Limiting Future Collision Risk to Spacecraft PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309219779
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 178

Get Book

Book Description
Derelict satellites, equipment and other debris orbiting Earth (aka space junk) have been accumulating for many decades and could damage or even possibly destroy satellites and human spacecraft if they collide. During the past 50 years, various National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) communities have contributed significantly to maturing meteoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) programs to their current state. Satellites have been redesigned to protect critical components from MMOD damage by moving critical components from exterior surfaces to deep inside a satellite's structure. Orbits are monitored and altered to minimize the risk of collision with tracked orbital debris. MMOD shielding added to the International Space Station (ISS) protects critical components and astronauts from potentially catastrophic damage that might result from smaller, untracked debris and meteoroid impacts. Limiting Future Collision Risk to Spacecraft: An Assessment of NASA's Meteoroid and Orbital Debris Program examines NASA's efforts to understand the meteoroid and orbital debris environment, identifies what NASA is and is not doing to mitigate the risks posed by this threat, and makes recommendations as to how they can improve their programs. While the report identified many positive aspects of NASA's MMOD programs and efforts including responsible use of resources, it recommends that the agency develop a formal strategic plan that provides the basis for prioritizing the allocation of funds and effort over various MMOD program needs. Other necessary steps include improvements in long-term modeling, better measurements, more regular updates of the debris environmental models, and other actions to better characterize the long-term evolution of the debris environment.

Orbital Debris

Orbital Debris PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309051258
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 225

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Book Description
Since the beginning of space flight, the collision hazard in Earth orbit has increased as the number of artificial objects orbiting the Earth has grown. Spacecraft performing communications, navigation, scientific, and other missions now share Earth orbit with spent rocket bodies, nonfunctional spacecraft, fragments from spacecraft breakups, and other debris created as a byproduct of space operations. Orbital Debris examines the methods we can use to characterize orbital debris, estimates the magnitude of the debris population, and assesses the hazard that this population poses to spacecraft. Potential methods to protect spacecraft are explored. The report also takes a close look at the projected future growth in the debris population and evaluates approaches to reducing that growth. Orbital Debris offers clear recommendations for targeted research on the debris population, for methods to improve the protection of spacecraft, on methods to reduce the creation of debris in the future, and much more.

Space Debris

Space Debris PDF Author: Heiner Klinkrad
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3540376747
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 438

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Book Description
The future evolution of the debris environment will be forecast on the basis of traffic models and possible hazard mitigation practices. The text shows how large trackable objects will have re-entry pinpointed and predictions made on related risk assessment for possible ground impact. Models will also be described for meteoroids which are also a prevailing risk.

Achieving Science with CubeSats

Achieving Science with CubeSats PDF Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 030944263X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 131

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Book Description
Space-based observations have transformed our understanding of Earth, its environment, the solar system and the universe at large. During past decades, driven by increasingly advanced science questions, space observatories have become more sophisticated and more complex, with costs often growing to billions of dollars. Although these kinds of ever-more-sophisticated missions will continue into the future, small satellites, ranging in mass between 500 kg to 0.1 kg, are gaining momentum as an additional means to address targeted science questions in a rapid, and possibly more affordable, manner. Within the category of small satellites, CubeSats have emerged as a space-platform defined in terms of (10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm)- sized cubic units of approximately 1.3 kg each called "U's." Historically, CubeSats were developed as training projects to expose students to the challenges of real-world engineering practices and system design. Yet, their use has rapidly spread within academia, industry, and government agencies both nationally and internationally. In particular, CubeSats have caught the attention of parts of the U.S. space science community, which sees this platform, despite its inherent constraints, as a way to affordably access space and perform unique measurements of scientific value. The first science results from such CubeSats have only recently become available; however, questions remain regarding the scientific potential and technological promise of CubeSats in the future. Achieving Science with CubeSats reviews the current state of the scientific potential and technological promise of CubeSats. This report focuses on the platform's promise to obtain high- priority science data, as defined in recent decadal surveys in astronomy and astrophysics, Earth science and applications from space, planetary science, and solar and space physics (heliophysics); the science priorities identified in the 2014 NASA Science Plan; and the potential for CubeSats to advance biology and microgravity research. It provides a list of sample science goals for CubeSats, many of which address targeted science, often in coordination with other spacecraft, or use "sacrificial," or high-risk, orbits that lead to the demise of the satellite after critical data have been collected. Other goals relate to the use of CubeSats as constellations or swarms deploying tens to hundreds of CubeSats that function as one distributed array of measurements.

Meteoroids and Orbital Debris

Meteoroids and Orbital Debris PDF Author: Cynthia A. Belk
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Meteoroids
Languages : en
Pages : 32

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Book Description
Descriptions are presented of orbital debris source, distribution, size, lifetime, and mitigation measures.

Earth’s Orbits at Risk The Economics of Space Sustainability

Earth’s Orbits at Risk The Economics of Space Sustainability PDF Author: OECD
Publisher: OECD Publishing
ISBN: 9264686797
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 160

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Book Description
This publication takes stock of the growing socio-economic dependence of our modern societies on space assets, and the general threats to space-based infrastructure from debris in particular. Notably, it provides fresh insights into the value of space-based infrastructure and the potential costs generated by space debris, drawing on new academic research developed especially for the OECD project on the economics of space sustainability.

Advances in Estimation, Navigation, and Spacecraft Control

Advances in Estimation, Navigation, and Spacecraft Control PDF Author: Daniel Choukroun
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3662447851
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 545

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Book Description
This book presents selected papers of the Itzhack Y. Bar-Itzhack Memorial Sympo- sium on Estimation, Navigation, and Spacecraft Control. Itzhack Y. Bar-Itzhack, professor Emeritus of Aerospace Engineering at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, was a prominent and world-renowned member of the applied estimation, navigation, and spacecraft attitude determination communities. He touched the lives of many. He had a love for life, an incredible sense of humor, and wisdom that he shared freely with everyone he met. To honor Professor Bar-Itzhack's memory, as well as his numerous seminal professional achievements, an international symposium was held in Haifa, Israel, on October 14–17, 2012, under the auspices of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at the Technion and the Israeli Association for Automatic Control. The book contains 27 selected, revised, and edited contributed chapters written by eminent international experts. The book is organized in three parts: (1) Estimation, (2) Navigation and (3) Spacecraft Guidance, Navigation and Control. The volume was prepared as a reference for research scientists and practicing engineers from academy and industry in the fields of estimation, navigation, and spacecraft GN&C.

Principles of Clinical Medicine for Space Flight

Principles of Clinical Medicine for Space Flight PDF Author: Michael R. Barratt
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 1493998897
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 936

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Book Description
In its first edition, Principles of Clinical Medicine for Space Flight established itself as the authoritative reference on the contemporary knowledge base of space medicine and standards of care for space flyers. It received excellent notices and is used in the curricula of civilian and military training programs and used as a source of questions for the Aerospace Medicine Certifying Examination under the American Board of Preventive Medicine. In the intervening few years, the continuous manning of the International Space Station has both strengthened existing knowledge and uncovered new and significant phenomena related to the human in space. The Second Edition incorporates this information. Gaps in the first edition will be addressed with the addition new and revised chapters. This edition is extensively peer reviewed and represents the most up to date knowledge.

The Air Force Law Review

The Air Force Law Review PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Air Force law
Languages : en
Pages : 276

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Book Description


Solar and Space Physics

Solar and Space Physics PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309164281
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 454

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Book Description
From the interior of the Sun, to the upper atmosphere and near-space environment of Earth, and outward to a region far beyond Pluto where the Sun's influence wanes, advances during the past decade in space physics and solar physics-the disciplines NASA refers to as heliophysics-have yielded spectacular insights into the phenomena that affect our home in space. Solar and Space Physics, from the National Research Council's (NRC's) Committee for a Decadal Strategy in Solar and Space Physics, is the second NRC decadal survey in heliophysics. Building on the research accomplishments realized during the past decade, the report presents a program of basic and applied research for the period 2013-2022 that will improve scientific understanding of the mechanisms that drive the Sun's activity and the fundamental physical processes underlying near-Earth plasma dynamics, determine the physical interactions of Earth's atmospheric layers in the context of the connected Sun-Earth system, and enhance greatly the capability to provide realistic and specific forecasts of Earth's space environment that will better serve the needs of society. Although the recommended program is directed primarily at NASA and the National Science Foundation for action, the report also recommends actions by other federal agencies, especially the parts of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration charged with the day-to-day (operational) forecast of space weather. In addition to the recommendations included in this summary, related recommendations are presented in this report.