In-Situ Resource Utilization

2019 ◽  
pp. 193-210
Author(s):  
Claas Tido Olthoff ◽  
Philipp Reiss
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Resource Utilization ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Low Earth Orbit ◽  
Background Information ◽  
Earth Orbit ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Exploration Mission ◽  
The Cost

Human spaceflight is an expensive endeavor. Every kilogram that needs to be transported to low Earth orbit or beyond costs tens of thousands of dollars, with the cost increasing exponentially the farther humanity extends its reach into the solar system and beyond. It is therefore prudent, if not necessary, to consider the use of resources that are available at the destination of a given exploration mission. This concept is called in-situ resource utilization (ISRU). The processes that are required to extract useful materials from the local environment can not only be used to support a human crew, but also to obtain resources that are of value on Earth and can thus be returned there for commercial gain. This chapter provides background information on ISRU in general and discusses the most important technologies and processes that are currently employed or under development.

scholarly journals Combustion Synthesis Technology for a Sustainable Settlement Overnight

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Osamu Odawara
Keyword(s):  
Combustion Synthesis ◽  
Resource Utilization ◽  
High Vacuum ◽  
Thermal Control ◽  
Low Earth Orbit ◽  
Earth Orbit ◽  
The Moon ◽  
The Earth

Space technology has been developed for frontier exploration not only in low-earth orbit environment but also beyond the earth orbit to the Moon and Mars, where material resources might be strongly restricted and almost impossible to be resupplied from the earth for distant and long-term missions performance toward “long-stays of humans in space”. For performing such long-term space explorations, none would be enough to develop technologies with resources only from the earth; it should be required to utilize resources on other places with different nature of the earth, i.e., in-situ resource utilization. One of important challenges of lunar in-situ resource utilization is thermal control of spacecraft on lunar surface for long-lunar durations. Such thermal control under “long-term field operation” would be solved by “thermal wadis” studied as a part of sustainable researches on overnight survivals such as lunar-night. The resources such as metal oxides that exist on planets or satellites could be refined, and utilized as a supply of heat energy, where combustion synthesis can stand as a hopeful technology for such requirements. The combustion synthesis technology is mainly characterized with generation of high-temperature, spontaneous propagation of reaction, rapid synthesis and high operability under various influences with centrifugal-force, low-gravity and high vacuum. These concepts, technologies and hardware would be applicable to both the Moon and Mars, and these capabilities might achieve the maximum benefits of in-situ resource utilization with the aid of combustion synthesis applications. The present paper mainly concerns the combustion synthesis technologies for sustainable lunar overnight survivals by focusing on “potential precursor synthesis and formation”, “in-situ resource utilization in extreme environments” and “exergy loss minimization with efficient energy conversion”.

scholarly journals In Situ Measurement of Carbon Fibre/Polyether Ether Ketone Thermal Expansion in Low Earth Orbit

Aerospace ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farhan Abdullah ◽  
Kei-ichi Okuyama ◽  
Isai Fajardo ◽  
Naoya Urakami
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Expansion ◽  
Carbon Fibre ◽  
Material Science ◽  
Low Earth Orbit ◽  
Earth Orbit ◽  
Small Satellite ◽  
Polyether Ether Ketone ◽  
Ether Ketone ◽  
Orbit Data

The low Earth orbit (LEO) environment exposes spacecraft to factors that can degrade the dimensional stability of the structure. Carbon Fibre/Polyether Ether Ketone (CF/PEEK) can limit such degradations. However, there are limited in-orbit data on the performance of CF/PEEK. Usage of small satellite as material science research platform can address such limitations. This paper discusses the design of a material science experiment termed material mission (MM) onboard Ten-Koh satellite, which allows in situ measurements of coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) for CF/PEEK samples in LEO. Results from ground tests before launch demonstrated the feasibility of the MM design. Analysis of in-orbit data indicated that the CTE values exhibit a non-linear temperature dependence, and there was no shift in CTE values after four months. The acquired in-orbit data was consistent with previous ground tests and in-orbit data. The MM experiment provides data to verify the ground test of CF/PEEK performance in LEO. MM also proved the potential of small satellite as a platform for conducting meaningful material science experiments.

scholarly journals Fitting Zodiacal Models

2001 ◽  
Vol 204 ◽  
pp. 157-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward L. Wright
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Radiation Field ◽  
Measured Data ◽  
Low Earth Orbit ◽  
Earth Orbit ◽  
Zodiacal Light ◽  
Extragalactic Background Light ◽  
Background Light

Models of the zodiacal light are necessary to convert measured data taken from low Earth orbit into the radiation field outside the Solar System. The uncertainty in these models dominates the overall uncertainty in determining the extragalactic background light for wavelengths λ < 100 μm.

scholarly journals Sustainable life support on Mars – the potential roles of cyanobacteria

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cyprien Verseux ◽  
Mickael Baqué ◽  
Kirsi Lehto ◽  
Jean-Pierre P. de Vera ◽  
Lynn J. Rothschild ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Resource Utilization ◽  
Life Support ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Nitrogen Fixing ◽  
Local Resources ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Cost

AbstractEven though technological advances could allow humans to reach Mars in the coming decades, launch costs prohibit the establishment of permanent manned outposts for which most consumables would be sent from Earth. This issue can be addressed byin situresource utilization: producing part or all of these consumables on Mars, from local resources. Biological components are needed, among other reasons because various resources could be efficiently produced only by the use of biological systems. But most plants and microorganisms are unable to exploit Martian resources, and sending substrates from Earth to support their metabolism would strongly limit the cost-effectiveness and sustainability of their cultivation. However, resources needed to grow specific cyanobacteria are available on Mars due to their photosynthetic abilities, nitrogen-fixing activities and lithotrophic lifestyles. They could be used directly for various applications, including the production of food, fuel and oxygen, but also indirectly: products from their culture could support the growth of other organisms, opening the way to a wide range of life-support biological processes based on Martian resources. Here we give insights into how and why cyanobacteria could play a role in the development of self-sustainable manned outposts on Mars.

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