Management of Celestial Systems under Spatial Grasp Model

Many governmental agencies and private companies of different countries are now rushing into space around Earth in hope to provide smart communication, industrial, security, and defense solutions. This often involves massive launches of cheap small satellites which are also contributing to the growth of space debris. The current paper discusses how the developed high-level system philosophy and model can effectively organize distributed space-based systems on different stages of their development and growth. The briefed Spatial Grasp Technology, based on parallel pattern-matching of distributed environments with high-level recursive mobile code, can effectively provide any networking protocols and important applications of large satellite constellations, especially those on Low Earth Orbits. The paper contains examples of technology-based solutions for establishing basic communications between satellites, starting from their initial, often chaotic, launches and distributing and collecting data in the growing constellations with even unstable and rapidly changing connections between satellites. It describes how to organize and register networking topologies in case of predictable distances between satellites, and how the fixed networking structures can help in solving complex problems. The latter including those related to the new Space Development Agency multiple-satellite defense-oriented architecture and allowing for effective integration of its continuous earth custody observation and cooperative missile tracking and elimination layers, based on self-spreading mobile intelligence. Earlier versions of the technology, described in many papers, six books including, were prototyped and used in different countries, with the current one quickly implementable too, even in university-based environments.

Power Hotspots in Space: Powering CubeSats via Inter-Satellite Optical Wireless Power Transfer

We present the concept of power HotSpots wherein the bigger satellites in low earth orbits (LEO), having power generation capacity much larger than CubeSats, can transfer their excess energy to CubeSats in need, using optical wireless technology. This provides a business opportunity for larger enterprises having the capability of launching bigger satellites to sell their power to CubeSats. As a proof of concept, this article presents a basic simulation regarding optical wireless power transfer (OWPT) to CubeSats. In addition, we highlight future research challenges in this area to maximize OWPT.

Development of the Moon-Earth economy – 2030-2050

<p>In this paper I will present scenarios of lunar industrial development to 2050 and corresponding development of markets for lunar resources in Earth orbits, cislunar space, the lunar surface, as well as the likely emergence of industrial development in Mars orbits based on use of lunar resources. I will also examine actions needed in the 2021-2030 timeframe to make this possible.</p> <p>Given that targets for launch to LEO from Earth in the range of $100 to $200/ kg. can be achieved before 2040 the Moon can emerge as the low-cost source of materials for industrial and commercial development in the Earth-Moon system and beyond.  Key assumptions that I will examined include the following:</p> <ul> <li>Structures in Earth orbits and cislunar space will be assembled in orbit from components manufactured in space.</li> <li>Space tourism with large-scale space resorts in low Earth orbits will give way to space settlements housing thousands and more as mortgage financing is developed to finance their development.</li> <li>The Moon will emerge as the low-cost site for materials for space manufacturing. Many important materials are on or near the surface and there is high probability of concentrations of high value materials being discovered in accessible locations including potentially the Aitken Basin anomaly [1}. , and the vacuum and fractional gravity of the Moon promises launch costs from the Moon to Earth orbits that are a fraction of launch from Earth.</li> <li>Lunar materials are likely to emerge as a primary source for industrial and commercial developments in Mars orbits. The delta-v of shipment to Mars orbit from the lunar surface is less than launch from Mars [1]. Industrial development in Mars orbit using lunar materials can lower costs and improve effectiveness of operations on Mars.</li> <li>It will become increasingly urgent to limit launch of spacecraft to LEO from Earth as congestion from satellite mega constellations increases and suborbital intercontinental transportation takes off following the model proposed by Elon Musk.</li> <li>Climate change is a threat to all countries and urgent action is called for to limit or eliminate large scale resource extraction on Earth, as well as to limit launches through the atmosphere. This factor will speed lunar industrial development and potentially open opportunities for some lunar derived materials to compete in terrestrial markets.</li> <li>A rules-based order agreed to by all states involved in outer space development will emerge by 2030. Billionaires can speed up development but international cooperation and agreement on governance policies is necessary to assure self-sustaining lunar industrial development.</li> </ul> <p>Notes</p> <p>[1] An excellent overview of lunar materials that also includes discussion of processing options is Ian A. Crawford, “Lunar resources: A review”, Progress in Physical Geography, 2015, Vol. 39(2) 137–167, retrieved from http://www.homepages.ucl.ac.uk/~ucfbiac/Lunar_resources_review_published.pdf . Pg. 149 summarizes findings on the Aitken Basin anomaly suggesting that a large metallic asteroid approximately 110 meters across may be buried there. The Psyche 16 metallic asteroid that has drawn media attention is 200 meters - 16 Psyche - Wikipedia</p> <p>[2]https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/2046/delta-v-chart-mathematics</p> <p> </p>

Earth’s albedo time series reveals low radiative energy input in December 2020

The Earth’s spherical albedo describes the ratio of light reflected from the Earth to that incident from the Sun, an important input variable for the Earth’s radiation balance. The spherical albedo has been previously estimated from satellites in low-Earth orbits, and from light reflected from the Moon. However, neither of these methods can produce continuous time series of the entire planet. We developed a global method to derive the Earth’s spherical albedo using the images from the Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) on board NOAA’s Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR). The satellite is located in the Lagrange 1 point between the Earth and the Sun and observes the complete illuminated part of the Earth at once. The method allows us to provide continuously updated spherical albedo time series data starting from 2015. This time series shows a systematic seasonal variation with the mean annual albedo estimated as 0.295±0.008 and an exceptional albedo maximum in 2020, attributed to unusually abundant cloudiness over the Southern Oceans.

Assessment perspectives for the orbital utilization of space debris

Technogenic pollution of the near-Earth space by fragments of space debris of various sizes significantly limits the possibilities for implementing space activities and represents a great danger to objects on Earth. Low orbits with heights up to 2000 km are particularly heavily clogged. The Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee recommends removing fragments of space debris from the area of working orbits. Currently, promising ways of space debris removing are considered: descent into the Earth’s atmosphere, relocation to an orbit with a lifetime less than twenty-five years, relocation to an utilization orbit, and orbital disposal. Orbital utilization considers space debris as a resource for the industry in orbit. The objectives of the article are to assess the perspectives for the orbital utilization of space debris and to develop a method for choosing the number and placement of safe recycling orbits in the area of low near-Earth orbits. The paper analyses the prospects for the use of orbital utilization of space debris and the assessment of the possibilities of using orbital storage and subsequent reuse of dismantled space objects, instruments and materials. A number of problems of planning and organizing the orbital utilization of space debris are formulated and solved. A method for determining safe orbits of space debris utilization in the area of low near-Earth orbits based on a criteria system developed. Using the developed method and software package, the possible orbits of space debris utilization in the area of low near-Earth orbits are determined. The lifetime of a space object in the utilization orbit, the stability of the orbit of the utilization at a long time interval, and the energy consumptions for transferring the space object from the working orbit to the utilization orbit are estimated. The novelty of the obtained results consists in the development of a clustering technique for the orbits of utilized space debris objects and the development of a technique for selecting a possible orbit for the utilization of space debris in the area of low near-Earth orbits. The results obtained can be used in the planning and organization of the orbital utilization of space debris.