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Simulation of intra-chamber processes in a low-thrust rocket engine with a hydrogen-air mixture and counterflow cooling Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-09-12 P.V. Bulat, A.I. Musteikis, N.V. Prodan, M.E. Renev, K.N. Volkov
The principles and methods of improvement of thrust, efficiency and cooling of rocket engines for space flight safety are of great interest for aerospace industry. The development of reliable and durable low-thrust rocket engines for space missions seems to be one of the important areas of development of the rocket and space industry. Issues related to the implementation of a new direction related
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Ultra-lean hydrogen-air flames initiated by a hot surface Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-09-12 I. Yakovenko, K. Melnikova, A. Kiverin
The benefits of using hydrogen as a fuel for rocket engines dictate the necessity of a deep understanding of possible scenarios of hydrogen ignition and subsequent combustion. Safety requirements on launch sites and hydrogen transportation and storage facilities should be elaborated based on a thorough investigation of hydrogen flame development. The paper aims to provide a detailed numerical analysis
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A common law in space for public health Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-09-12 Anish Dey, Jithin Jagadanandan
Beyond the gravitational pull of Earth, space travel poses substantial public health hazards pertaining to the physical and mental well-being of astronauts and passengers, in addition to a possible threat to the populace of Earth upon re-entry. Exposure to cosmic radiation, cranial pressure from microgravity, weakened immunity to contagion, and the potential for depression and psychosis are all risks
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Space debris in vicinity of collinear libration points of the Earth–Moon system Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-09-10 T. Salnikova, E. Kugushev, I. Lutkin
Practical space exploration has a priority the issues of safety of space missions. And an important fundamental problem arises — the study of the evolution and the stability of a space debris cloud, consisting of artificial objects remnants, or debris of extra-terrestrial origin.
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Research on the oxidation process of micro-boron below the melting point temperature Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-09-07 Zhi-cheng He, Jian-jun Wu
The ignition and combustion characteristics of boron and the energy release rate of boron-based fuel are closely related to the surface oxide layer of boron. To understand the oxidation process of boron below its melting point, the slow oxidation process of boron under different temperature and humidity storage conditions and the fast oxidation process under high-temperature conditions were investigated
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Sampling dynamic analysis and discrete element simulation on a deep layer regolith drill for extraterrestrial celestial bodies Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-09-06 Zhifeng Wang, Junlin Li, Tao Yu, Qinkun Cheng, Feng Li, Zhenxin Li
Deep space exploration embodies the human aspiration to comprehend the universe, with the sampling of extraterrestrial celestial bodies (ECBs) serving as a critical precursor for the development of space-based resources. The process of drilling deep into regolith layers is pivotal in ECBs sampling endeavors. To more directly scrutinize the drilling and sampling procedures, discrete element method (DEM)
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Pulse power supply for plasma aerodynamic actuators Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-09-06 Vladislav Yu Khomich, Sergey I. Moshkunov, Andrey B. Prokofiev, Ekaterina A. Shershunova
The reduction of local heat load on the structural elements of aircraft or spacecraft vehicles due to the shock wave/boundary layer interaction can be successfully controlled in the future using a system of plasma actuators. The efficiency of plasma aerodynamic actuators operation is directly related to a power source. It determines a covered plasma area, an air flow speed and a thrust the actuator
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Design, realization, and operative tests of a fine steering tip/tilt mechanism for space telescopes Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-09-06 Armando Grossi, Ugo Galvanetto, Mirco Zaccariotto, Emanuele Piersanti
Positioning mechanisms are critical components in advanced optical systems, such as Earth observation telescopes. They are used to adjust the position of one or more optical elements to account for various factors, including thermal effects, settling due to launch or environmental loads, thermo-elastic deformations, or the need to compensate for spacecraft microvibrations or jitter.
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European union defense and security strategy for space and ground-based systems against hybrid threats Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-09-04 João Reis
This article explores the Space Defense Strategy of the European Union (EU), building upon the recognition of Space as a crucial strategic domain within the EU's strategic Space compass. In the current geopolitical context, marked by increased power competition and intensified threats, the EU is proactively safeguarding its Space assets and strengthening its strategic autonomy. The central goal is
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HexSats: A novel flat hexagonal nanosatellite for high-power applications Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-09-04 Kash Saddul, James Saletes, Minkwan Kim, Alexander Wittig
We introduce the concept of HexSats, a 2.5 cm thick flat hexagonal satellite architecture, designed for efficient packing inside rocket fairings. For actuation, HexSats use a distributed micro-propulsion system (DPS), consisting of arrays of small thrusters embedded in the satellite frame and producing thrust on the order of micro-Newtons. We investigate the HexSats’ capability to operate at 250 km
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Shock waves affected turbulent mixing region development in a strut-based scramjet combustor Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-09-03 Xiaofei Niu, Qian Chen
The mixing of fuel and air is an important issue in the development of current scramjet engines. Defining the mixing region thickness using the fuel mole fraction is one of the widely accepted methods, but a consensus on the specific value of the fuel mole fraction to be used has not yet reached. In order to solve this problem, this paper conducts a detailed numerical study on a hydrogen-fueled strut-based
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A review of electrodynamic tether missions: Historical trend, dimensionless parameters, and opportunities opening space markets Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-09-02 Gonzalo Sánchez-Arriaga, Enrico C. Lorenzini, Sven G. Bilén
More than half a century after pioneering theoretical works proposed them, about 27 missions with long orbiting conductors have been carried out on suborbital and orbital flights,. The analysis of this review work organized them based on type of tether (insulated or bare), type of cathode (hollow cathode, expellant-less cathode, and no cathode), and the cross-section of the tether. It shows that, while
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Overview of hands-on satellite development training of local companies in the Philippines as a means to develop a space workforce Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-09-01 John Leur D. Labrador, Manuel R. Del Rosario Jr., Julie Ann M. Banatao, Marc Caesar R. Talampas
The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) initiated the InDUS3US project, a Collaborative Satellite Development Project-inspired training program offered for free to engineers from the country's promising “space-adjacent” sector, to support the establishment of a domestic satellite manufacturing capability. The first phase of the project, which covered the satellite mission definition phase to the Preliminary
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Vibration-attitude integrated control of large membrane diffraction space telescope Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-31 Heng Yu, Xiang Liu, Guo-Ping Cai, Xu-Bin Zhou, Dong Du
The development of telescopes with large apertures is driven by the increasing demand for higher imaging resolution and coverage. Large membrane diffraction space telescopes are particularly attractive due to their lightweight nature, ease of folding and unfolding, and high-precision imaging capabilities. However, their substantial size and flexibility make them susceptible to long-duration, low-frequency
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Theoretical and experimental study on combustion response of aluminized solid propellant under acceleration effects Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-30 Ruyao Wang, Junwei Li, Bingyin Wang, Shidi Ai, Deyou Wang, Qiang Li, Ningfei Wang
The combustion performance of solid propellants is significantly affected by the external operating parameters of rocket motors. In this paper, the combustion response characteristics of aluminized solid propellant under acceleration conditions have been studied theoretically and experimentally. A theoretical model of unsteady burning for aluminized solid propellant, considering transient heat transfer
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An accurate and efficient second-order J2 model for the draper semianalytic satellite theory Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-29 Yuan Wang, Xiucong Sun, Lixuan He, Shenggang Liu, Weiliang He
Semi-analytical orbit propagation methods combine the advantages of analytical and numerical methods to achieve an excellent balance between efficiency and accuracy. The increasingly congested space has led to the growing prevalence of semi-analytical methods, driven by the requirements for efficient and accurate orbit propagation in Space Situational Awareness (SSA). However, the accuracy of semi-analytical
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Mainardi smoothing homotopy method for solving nonlinear optimal control problems Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-29 Wenjie Qing, Binfeng Pan, Yunting Ran, Changshuo Zhu
This paper proposes a new type of smoothing homotopy method for solving general nonlinear optimal control problems via the indirect method, leveraging the Mainardi kernel as the smoothing kernel. The Mainardi kernel is firstly derived from the fundamental solution of the time-fractional diffusion-wave equation, representing a generalized form of the Gaussian kernel. By altering the fractional derivative
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Experimental study and performance analysis of a dual-mode space propulsion system pressurized by electric pump Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-29 Tianwen Li, Chuang Zhou, Nanjia Yu, Jiangning Wang
This study presents a new dual-mode propulsion system that utilizes an electrically pumped hydrogen peroxide and kerosene supply system, specifically designed for advanced spacecraft orbit and attitude control. The system incorporates two distinct electric pumps, one for hydrogen peroxide and another for kerosene, each engineered to optimize the propellant feed for the orbit control and attitude control
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An experimental and numerical investigation of ballistic penetration behaviors of deployable composite shells Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-29 Chenchen Wu, Pengyuan Zhao, Zhongliang Chang, Liang Li, Dingguo Zhang
Bistable composite shells are suitable candidates for deployable space structures due to high stiffness to weight ratio as well as large volume reduction. Nevertheless, impact performance of bistable composite shells conflicting with space debris have been rarely studied. In this paper deployable hybrid composites constructed with combinations of carbon–carbon, carbon–kevlar, kevlar–kevlar, high-energy-absorption
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Research on the flame oscillation characteristics of scramjet combustor equipped with strut fuel injector Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-29 Fuxu Quan, Juntao Chang, Chengkun Lv, Chen Kong, Renzhe Huang
The combustor is the core component of the scramjet engine, and stable combustion is the prerequisite for the efficient operation of the scramjet engine. This paper investigates combustion stability in a combustor with a thin strut for oxygen supplementation at the trailing edge. LES (Large eddy simulation) was carried out under the combustor inlet conditions of = 2.8, = 1680 K, and = 1.87 MPa. The
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From singularity analysis to singularity avoidance: novel metric and convex allocation for spacecraft attitude control with control moment gyros Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-28 Hugo Pereira, Pedro Lourenço, Pedro Batista
Singularities in robotics lead to a reduction in the number of degrees of freedom. When it comes to spacecraft employing control moment gyros (CMGs), singularities may occur due to the internal alignment of the gimbals, which inhibit the creation of torque in at least one direction. This translates into a loss of control authority that has a direct impact on the spacecraft’s pointing performance. In
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Trajectory & maneuver design of the NEA Scout solar sail mission Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-28 Gregory Lantoine, Andrew Cox, Theodore Sweetser, Dan Grebow, Gregory Whiffen, David Garza, Anastassios Petropoulos, Kenshiro Oguri, Julie Kangas, Gerhard Kruizinga, Julie Castillo-Rogez
The Near-Earth Asteroid Scout (NEA Scout) mission aimed to deliver a 6U CubeSat to a slow flyby of a Near Earth Asteroid using a solar sail as the primary propulsion system. NEA Scout was launched as a secondary payload aboard Artemis I, on November 16, 2022, but communication with the spacecraft was not achieved. This paper describes the target asteroid selection and the innovative trajectory and
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Ejecta velocity and motion model of spherical aluminum alloy projectile hypervelocity impact on basalt Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-28 Wenjin Liu, Qingming Zhang, Renrong Long, Zizheng Gong, Qiang Wu, Ren Siyuan, Yangyu Lu, Jinlong Xu, Xianzhe Zhong, Ren Jiankang
A series of small-scale impact cratering experiments were performed on basalt at velocities of 3.5–6.0 km s. The formation and motion process of ejecta were observed by high-speed and ultra-high-speed cameras. The momentum transfer coefficient values and cratering size were measured. Hydrodynamic simulations in 2D were carried out to replicate the impact conditions of the basalt and calibrate model
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A computational methodology for invariant manifold connections between quasi-periodic libration point orbits in non-autonomous problems Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-28 Ruilong Li, Josep J. Masdemont, Zhanxia Zhu
Semi-analytical and numerical techniques to systematically analyze and compute natural connections between quasi-periodic orbits associated to non-autonomous systems are considered. Focusing in the non-autonomous Sun–Earth+Moon coherent QBCP model, the center-unstable and center-stable invariant manifolds of Lyapunov quasi-periodic orbits are parameterized and a methodology to detect heteroclinic connections
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Investigation on the effect of the leading angle of the strut on the stabilization characteristics of lifted jet flames Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-28 Zi-jian Zhao, Chao-yang Liu, Wei Huang
To achieve stable combustion within supersonic combustors, the strut-based mixing augmentation techniques are commonly employed. Large Eddy Simulations (LES) are employed to capture the intricate details of the combustion process in this study, focusing on the influence of shock waves induced by the leading edge of the strut and recirculation zones formed at the trailing edge on flame structure and
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Lifetime experiment and analysis of an electrowetting ionic liquid electrospray thruster Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-27 Wei Sun, Zhiwen Wu, Yuntao Guo, Zening Du, Zhenning Sun, Jin Li, Pengkun Li, Ningfei Wang
Ionic liquid electrospray thrusters are notable for their small size, low mass, and high specific impulse, making them ideal for use in micro/nano satellites. This study evaluates the lifetime of an electrowetting ionic liquid electrospray thruster. Experimental results indicate that the decrease in emission current is attributed to electrochemical reactions that increase the curvature of the emitter
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Effect of flameholding cavity geometry on the flowfield of a solid fuel scramjet Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-27 Youri Prokesch, Abram Duran, Dominic Gallegos, Ethan Schlussel, Gregory Young
An optically accessible solid fuel scramjet was used to investigate the supersonic combustion of varying polymethyl methacrylate solid fuel grain geometries. The rear wall angle of the flameholding cavity was varied (30, 60, 75, and 90°) and an alternative geometry (flush fuel grain) containing the addition of a backwards facing step to the front of a conventional fuel grain was explored. Optical diagnostics
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WDICD: A novel simulated dataset and structure-aware framework for semantic segmentation of spacecraft component Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-26 Kun Huang, Yan Zhang, Feifan Ma, Jintao Chen, Zhuangbin Tan, Yuanjie Qi
The identification and localization of non-cooperative target, especially for the components such as solar panel and docking ring, is crucial for missions involving the on-orbit space services, navigation, and positioning. However, on-orbit spacecraft images are difficult to obtain, and it requires substantial effort to label them with pixel-wise accuracy for semantic segmentation. To address the above
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Evaluation of a standard analytical model and definition of efficiency metrics for lunar and planetary excavation Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-26 Jared M. Long-Fox, Robert P. Mueller, Kris A. Zacny, Daniel T. Britt
To sustainably live on and explore the lunar and other planetary surfaces, regolith will need to be used for resource extraction and infrastructure development. To evaluate and ensure such safety and efficiency of excavation operations in variable, site-specific regolith terranes with given equipment designs, reliable computational models are necessary. The work here evaluates the accuracy and reliability
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Modeling of microgravity conditions on earth in the study of multiphase flows Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-26 E.I. Skryleva, N.N. Smirnov, E.V. Mikhalchenko, L.A. Paremskaya, A.N. Manakhova, F. Chen, Y. Meng
Safe operation of orbital platforms relies heavily on stability of fluid flows in microgravity. The inherent instability of two-phase flows under microgravity conditions could be a threat to fluid transporting equipment operation in Space thus altering Space flight safety conditions. The paper considers a multiphase flow in a Hele-Shaw cell. A dimensionless criterion characterizing the flow in such
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Chain tethered satellite formation reconfiguration: An event-triggered practical prescribed-time control approach Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-26 Qinwen Li, Zhongjie Meng, Cheng Jia
This paper addresses the challenge of rapid reconfiguration control in the chained tethered satellite formation (CTSF) amidst full-state constraints and uncertainties. To tackle this, we propose an innovative event-triggered practical prescribed-time control method grounded in observer theory. Initially, we develop a sliding mode state observer utilizing event triggering to effectively monitor the
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Academy Transaction note “matrix gains selection for three-axis magnetic attitude control of dynamically elongated satellite” Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-26 Uliana Monakhova, Yaroslav Mashtakov, Danil Ivanov, Mikhail Ovchinnikov
The paper proposes algorithm for angular motion control of a dynamically elongated spacecraft. The algorithm is based on the direct Lyapunov method using matrix control coefficients. The calculated mechanical torque is implemented using magnetorquers. Control parameters are selected using Floquet theory to ensure convergence to the required motion.
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The effect of projectile nose shape on the formation and expansion of impact-induced ejecta for sand target Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-24 Hongyu Zhang, Runqiang Chi, Miao Sun, Wuxiong Cao, Wentong An, Diqi Hu, Baojun Pang, He Zhang
Understanding the ejecting behavior of granular materials under impact conditions is of vital important for the asteroid sampling and defense. During the impact and penetration stages, the interaction between the projectile and the target controls the impact-induced ejecta behavior. However, the correlation between projectile nose shape and the formation and expansion characteristics of the ejecta
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Discrete search-based determination of a local orbital frame in unknown environments Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-24 David Messmann, Willem Jordaan, Gerhard Reinerth, Ulrich Walter
A local orbital frame is an important and often applied coordinate frame in attitude and orbit control. Usually, a navigation filter estimates the position and velocity vector, which are used to build up this reference frame. It is beneficial for many space applications, such as communication or Earth observation missions, or for conducting orbit control maneuvers to change the orbit plane. Furthermore
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A comprehensive study on PnP-based pipeline for pose estimation of noncooperative satellite Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-23 Yingjian Yu, Zi Wang, Zhang Li, Qifeng Yu
The monocular 6D pose estimation of a noncooperative satellite is essential in various on-orbit automatic operations. Nevertheless, the application of this technology still faces challenges, such as heavy model parameters and high latency. In this study, we comprehensively explored the critical components of satellite pose estimation, including landmark description, localisation, and the PnP algorithm
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Towards robotic on-orbit assembly of large space telescopes: Mission architectures, concepts, and analyses Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-23 Angadh Nanjangud, Craig Underwood, Chakravarthini M. Rai, Steve Eckersley, Martin Sweeting, Paolo Bianco
Imaging systems larger than the James Webb Space Telescope will enable unprecedented astronomy in the future. Larger aperture space-based imagers will also support next-generation Earth Observation missions for national security and disaster monitoring. However, launching and operating such large telescopes in the poses several practical challenges. A key challenge is that mirrors with apertures larger
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Mission design for space telescope servicing at Sun–Earth L2 Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-22 Alex Pascarella, Ruthvik Bommena, Siegfried Eggl, Robyn Woollands
The Sun–Earth Lagrange points, L1 and L2, are excellent locations for space based observatories, due to their favorable dynamical and environmental properties. Space telescopes, however, come with an extremely high price tag, and without refueling and servicing the typical lifetime is only about ten to fifteen years. The return on investment of a space telescope could be significantly increased by
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Orbit determination for spacecraft with continuous low-thrust using nonsingular Thrust-Fourier-Coefficients and filtering-through approach Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-22 JiDan Zhang, TingLei Zhu, ChangYin Zhao
Orbit determination using optical survey measurements for cataloging spacecraft encounters new obstacles from mega-constellations. These challenges arise from the sparse observations, and the frequent occurrences of unknown maneuvers which are difficult to model using traditional methods. By utilizing 14 Fourier coefficients, the Thrust-Fourier-Coefficients (TFC) model can effectively represent the
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Design and analysis of a novel deployable grasping manipulator for space object capture Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-21 Kun Xu, Xinghan Zhuang, Anwei Qiao, Xiao Li, Yang Li, Long Li, Xilun Ding
As a part of on-orbit services, the research on on-orbit capture has been receiving significant attention, given the increasing complexity of space activities and the growing number of spacecraft in orbit. The development of a high-adaptability and reliable capture manipulator is crucial due to the uncertainties involved in capturing space objects. Current manipulators face limitations in their capture
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Quantifying the risk of medical evacuation in spaceflight Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-20 Arian Anderson, Prashant Parmar, Dana Levin, David Hilmers
Traditionally, NASA mission planners have used a heuristic and qualitative approach to design medical systems based on prior experience; however, this approach may result in implicit bias in design. The risk of needing to return to definitive care (RTDC) or medevac, has been particularly difficult to quantify due to the complexity of exploration spaceflight. The Informing Mission Planning through Analysis
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Reinforcement learning-based multi-impulse rendezvous approach for satellite constellation reconfiguration Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-20 Longwei Xu, Gang Zhang, Shi Qiu, Xibin Cao
This paper presents a satellite constellation orbital reconfiguration method based on the intelligent multi-impulse rendezvous considering the impulse-magnitude limit. This problem is solved by two steps: the single-target rendezvous trajectory optimization and the multi-target rendezvous mission planning. For single target, the multi-impulse rendezvous problem is transformed into a Markov decision
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Development of hybrid landing gear for OMOTENASHI surface probe Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-20 Masatsugu Otsuki, Junji Kikuchi, Tetsuo Yoshimitsu, Tatsuaki Hashimoto
This study presents technologies of the triple hybrid landing gear for the OMOTENASHI(Outstanding Moon exploration Technologies demonstrated by Nano Semi-Hard Impactor) spacecraft, which consists of an airbag, a crushable material as a shock absorber, and an impact resistance structure. The inflated airbag has capability to possibly mitigate impact acceleration at the instant of landing and submergence
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Path planning of 6-DOF free-floating space robotic manipulators using reinforcement learning Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-19 Ahmad Al Ali, Jian-Feng Shi, Zheng H. Zhu
This paper presents a study on path planning for 6-DOF free-floating space robotic manipulators using Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient-based Reinforcement Learning. The focus is the development of a novel reward function tailored to address critical requirements for efficient and effective manipulation in space. These requirements include accurate pose alignment between the end-effector and the target
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Impact of energy deposition as active flow control on scramjet inlet performance using Immersed Boundary Method Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-18 Amrita Pathak, Pranjal Khare, Vinayak Kulkarni
This study investigates the impact of upstream energy deposition as an active flow control method on the performance of a two-dimensional scramjet inlet through numerical simulations. An in-house inviscid finite volume solver was employed for the simulations, with boundary reconstruction of the scramjet achieved using a ghost-cell based immersed boundary method. The effects of different energy spot
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Performance evaluation of a low power Hall thruster with carbon dioxide propellant Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-17 Seiya Tsuchikawa, Shohei Nishida, Shu Tokuda, Kento Takeuchi, Makoto Matsui
Carbon dioxide (CO) is an attractive candidate for condensable propellants because its availability and storability. Although several studies have been reported on adopting CO as a propellant for Hall thrusters, there have been few studies on CO standalone operation, and none of them have focused on physical phenomena in plasmas. This study experimentally evaluated, thrust performance and plume characteristics
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Oxygen production by solar vapor-phase pyrolysis of lunar regolith simulant Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-17 Rok Šeško, Kim Lamboley, Thierry Cutard, Laura Grill, Philipp Reiss, Aidan Cowley
The oxide-rich lunar surface regolith can be used to extract the oxygen needed for the future of lunar exploration efforts as a consumable for life-support systems and spacecraft propulsion. Various techniques for the extraction of oxygen have been developed already, with solar vapor-phase pyrolysis shown to be a promising yet understudied approach. In contrast to other techniques, it requires only
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Criteria for selection of point-ahead angle compensation strategy in intersatellite laser ranging interferometry of TianQin based on research of tilt-to-length coupling noise Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-16 Jinmeng Wang, Fan Zhu, Hsien-Chi Yeh
TianQin is expected to deploy three spacecraft in Earth orbit at the altitude of about 1 × 10 m to form an equilateral triangular constellation with arm lengths of about 1.7 × 10 m. It is aimed at detecting gravitational waves in the frequency range from 0.1 mHz to 1 Hz by means of high sensitive laser ranging interferometry with pathlength measurement noise below 1 pm/Hz. The long-range propagation
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Simulating lunar highlands regolith profiles on Earth to inform infrastructure development and ISRU activities on the Moon Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-16 Michael P. Lucas, Clive R. Neal, Jared M. Long-Fox, Daniel Britt
Lunar exploration and infrastructure development near the Moon's south pole, and at other future lunar settlements, demand a detailed understanding of the geotechnical properties, structure, composition, and stratigraphy of the near-surface lunar regolith. Long term exploration and development activities will require the use of regolith as a construction material for multiple structures, and as unrefined
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Ignition and flow combustion characteristics of hydroxylammonium nitrate - based liquid propellant based on electric method Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-15 Bao-zhi Jin, Jun-qiang Ma, Guo-xiu Li, Hong-meng Li
Hydroxylamine nitrate (HAN)-based liquid propellants are characterized by high energy content and low toxicity ionic monopropellants, offering great potential application prospects in the space engine. This paper proposes an experimental system for electric ignition and combustion of HAN-based liquid propellant. The energy for decomposition, current, and combustion image of HAN-based liquid propellant
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Definitive limitation of orbit prediction error for laser-based debris removal Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-13 Kazunori Shibata, Shigeaki Uchida
We present an analytical formula to definitively restrict the orbit prediction error. In low earth orbit, millions of pieces of space debris are below 10 cm in size. One promising active debris removal (ADR) method for “lethal nontrackable (LNT)” objects is laser-based method. The recoil of laser ablation changes the orbit of the debris object. The laser must be precisely focused on the surface of
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Real-time fault-tolerant guidance for launch vehicle ascending flight under thrust drop failure Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-13 Zhenwei Ma, Jinbo Wang, Yanqian Liang, Ding Zhou, Hongbo Chen
This paper presents a real-time fault-tolerant guidance method, which solves the autonomous rescue problem in the event of thrust drop failure during the final stage flight of launch vehicles. The core of the method is the online and optimal reconstruction of both the degraded target orbit and the subsequent flight trajectory. Aiming at achieving satisfied onboard computing performance and making the
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Aerodynamic coordinated control of attitude and relative position of a formation of microsatellites Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-13 Marco Sabatini, Giovanni B. Palmerini
Satellites in very low Earth orbits can leverage the aerodynamics forces for control purposes. Three-axis attitude control can be achieved by adjusting the orientation of aerodynamic surfaces, benefiting from both drag and lift forces. However, complete control over the orbital motion of a satellite is unattainable using aerodynamic forces alone, as positive thrust cannot be generated. Nonetheless
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On metallic-type asteroid rotation moving in magnetic field (introducing magnetic second-grade YORP effect) Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-13 S.V. Ershkov, R.V. Shamin
A novel physical effect has been found to be illuminated of being physically self-consistent to take into account in further calculating the dynamics of asteroid rotation, surface of which has mostly a conducting structure (whereas such mostly asteroid is assumed to be moving in an magnetic field of planet but in the meantime to be orbiting preferably outside its sphere of effective attraction). The
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IAA-PDC-23-09-20 low-cost mission architectures to small bodies Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-12 Anthony Freeman, Lorraine Fesq, Steven Matousek, Reza Karimi, Ralf Zimmermann, Marc Steckling, Matthias Winter
The 30,000+ known Near Earth Objects (NEOs) are some of the closest objects to Earth. A few dedicated missions such as NEAR, Hayabusa-1 and -2, OSIRIS-Rex, and DART have revealed a lot about their nature, with more to come from ESA's Hera mission, and others. Dedicated space missions to individual NEOs are relatively costly, however, so we seek to find a way to reduce costs so that the composition
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A moderate-Ti lunar mare soil simulant: IGG-01 Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-10 Renhao Ruan, Wei Yang, Di Zhang, Heng-Ci Tian, Qi Zhao, Yuan Zou, Bin Yu
Lunar soil simulants play a crucial role in scientific research, payload tests and in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) experiments. However, the currently available lunar soil simulants are either low in TiO content (≤3 wt%) or high in TiO content (≥6.7 wt%), despite orbital observations indicating lunar soils with moderate TiO content being widely distributed on the lunar surface. In December 2020
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Wireless power transfer in space using flexible, lightweight, coherent arrays Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-09 Alex Ayling, Austin Fikes, Oren S. Mizrahi, Ailec Wu, Raha Riazati, Jesse Brunet, Behrooz Abiri, Florian Bohn, Matan Gal-Katziri, Mohammed Reza M. Hashemi, Sharmila Padmanabhan, Damon Russell, Ali Hajimiri
Space solar power (SSP), envisioned for decades as a solution for continuous, stable, and dynamically dispatchable clean energy, has seen tremendous interest and a number of experimental demonstrations in the last few years. A practical implementation has been elusive to date, owing to the high launch costs associated with heavy, rigid photovoltaic and wireless power transfer (WPT) arrays. Lightweight
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Monte Carlo analysis of a 400N electric pump-fed engine powered by green propellants: Key trends towards an optimal subsystem design Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-08 Livia Ordonez Valles, Uwe Apel, Martin Tajmar
This paper presents a Monte Carlo analysis for electric pump-fed systems. By leveraging the tool, it is possible to determine the optimal values of the main parameters involved in the design, operation, and selection of the pressurization system, enabling an agile system design. The study is conducted for a 400 N electric pump-fed engine powered by green propellants. This process aims at identifying
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Extended perilune rendezvous method for low Delta-V transition to NRHO for cargo transportation mission to gateway Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-08 Junji Kikuchi, Ryo Nakamura, Satoshi Ueda
The construction of Gateway in lunar orbit is planned as a post-ISS mission by NASA, and JAXA is considering a cargo supply mission to provide service. The Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO) is a candidate for a Gateway orbit, and several methods for the transfer trajectory are being researched. The In-Direct Transfer (IDT) has a short transition period of seven days, but the ΔV application is inefficient
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Liquid propellant rocket engine cycles partially using electric turbopump Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-06 Tadayoshi Shoyama, Yutaka Wada, Mitsuru Shimagaki, Tomoyuki Hashimoto, Satoshi Takada
Studies on electric turbopumps for liquid rocket engines have recently increased. However, it has not been used in large-scale engines for heavy launch vehicles because the mass of power electronic devices, such as batteries and motors, has become too large. This paper proposes partial electric rocket engine cycles, in which all propellants are pressurized by conventional gas-turbine-driven turbopumps;
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Magnetic field dynamics and noise analysis for space-based GW detector in far-earth orbits: A hybrid modeling approach Acta Astronaut. (IF 3.1) Pub Date : 2024-08-05 Kian Hong Low, Qian Wen, ZhaoKui Wang
TianQin (TQ) mission, the sole proposed gravitational wave detection project in geocentric orbit at an altitude of approximately km, traverses diverse geomagnetic regions. This paper employs a hybrid model to simulate the ambient magnetic field along the TQ orbit, investigating magnetically-induced acceleration noise under varying satellite-sun angles (SSA) and solar activity levels. The highest noise