Download or read book Tradespace Model for Planetary Surface Exploration Hopping Vehicles written by Phillip M. Cunio and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Robotic planetary surface exploration, which has greatly benefited humankind's scientific knowledge of the solar system, has to date been conducted by sedentary landers or by slow, terrain-limited rovers. However, there are other types of vehicles which can conduct planetary surface exploration. One of these is hopping vehicles, which do not require fluid contact or ground contact in order to move, but instead propulsively balance thrust from their engines against gravity to propel themselves over the surface. Hopping vehicles are still a nascent technology, however, and no spaceborne hopping vehicles have yet flown. In order to bring hopping vehicles into the decision space for planetary surface exploration missions, in this thesis we provide a framework to understand hopping vehicles' key characteristics and advantages, as well as a tradespace model to size hopping vehicles based on mission characteristics. The tradespace model takes user-input mission requirements, including target planetary body, scientific payload, and a detailed flight profile, and produces a subsystem-level model of a hopping vehicle which can complete the mission. Information on the operational profile and lifecycle costs of the hopping vehicle is also produced. The tradespace model also permits users to capture results from one model run and compare them to other model runs, or to results produced by other models. In this thesis, the tradespace model is described, and initial tradespace investigation is performed using the model. Finally, lessons learned are summarized and suggestions are offered for future research. The thesis closes with a summation of the potential offered by hopping vehicles for planetary surface exploration missions in the decades to come.
Download or read book Modeling and Vehicle Performance Analysis of Earth and Lunar Hoppers written by Akil J. Middleton and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Planetary hoppers-vehicles which travel over the surface as opposed to on it-offer significant advantages over existing rovers. Above all, they are able to travel quickly and can overcome terrain obstacles such as boulders and craters. The Next Giant Leap team in the Google Lunar X- PRIZE competition plans on utilizing hopper technology for its design, but they have little from which to work. In fact, although hopper-like vehicles have been created and flown, none have been used to serve specifically as tools for planetary exploration. Thus it is clear that prototyping and modeling will have to be done in order to gauge the feasibility of such a system. To support this effort, this thesis provides a look into the performance of hopper technologies through modeling and simulation. It begins by using the Hop Tradespace Tool to examine the two fundamental hop trajectories, determining that although there is a fuel savings with the ballistic hop, the hover hop is more desiresable for testing. This result is then applied to a preliminary mission analysis for the TALARIS prototype vehicle. Finally, the Earth TALARIS and its lunar version are modeled in 3-DOF simulation and it is discovered that, even with error and uncertainty, TALARIS closely emulates what would be expected to be seen on the Moon.
Download or read book Evaluation of Multi vehicle Architectures for the Exploration of Planetary Bodies in the Solar System written by Farah Alibay and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Planetary exploration missions are becoming increasingly complex and expensive due to ever more ambitious scientific and technical goals. On the other hand, budgets in planetary science have suffered from dramatic cuts over the past decade and projections estimate a flat budget of approximately $1.2B/year for the upcoming years. This has led to a desire for a reduction in the risk and complexity, as well as an increase in the robustness and reliability, of planetary exploration vehicles. One of the methods proposed to deal with this issue is the use of distributed, multi-vehicle architectures as a replacement for the traditional large, monolithic systems used in flagship missions. However, mission concept formulation engineers do not possess the tools to include multi-vehicle architectures in their early trade space exploration process. This is mostly due to the fact that these types of architectures cannot be readily evaluated against monolithic systems through the use of traditional mass-based metrics. Furthermore, in multi-vehicle system, architectural decisions about one vehicle, such as instrument or capability selection, quickly propagate through the entire system and impose requirements on the other vehicles. This can be difficult to model without going through detailed point designs. The objective of this thesis is to explore the potential benefits of both spatially and temporally distributed multi-vehicle systems, where the vehicles are heterogeneous, as compared to monolithic systems. Specifically, a set of metrics mapping the effects of using multi-vehicle systems on science benefit, complexity, mass, cost, coverage, productivity and risk are developed. Furthermore, a software tool to simulate the performance of teams of planetary surface vehicles in their operational environment has been built and its use demonstrated. Finally, the framework put forward in this thesis is used to perform several case studies, including a case study on the exploration of the Jovian moon Europa and another on the ascent and return components of a Mars Sample Return mission. From these, distributed systems are shown to provide increased science return and robustness as well as lower development and manufacturing costs as compared to their monolithic equivalents.
Download or read book Terrain vehicle Dynamic Interaction Studies of a Mobility Concept ELMS for Planetary Surface Exploration written by N. C. Costes and published by . This book was released on 1973 with total page 15 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book A Trade Space Model for Robotic Lunar Exploration written by Zachary James Bailey and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The last decade has seen a resurgence of interest in the moon as a target for planetary exploration. In light of the growing interest in the robotic exploration of the moon, this thesis presents a quantitative methodology for exploring the trade space of potential in situ robotic lunar spacecraft designs. A science value model was developed, using Multi-Attribute Utility Theory (MAUT), to estimate the effectiveness of a spacecraft design towards assessing a set of specified science objectives. An engineering model was developed to estimate the masses of spacecraft designs within the trade space. These models were integrated together to explore the objectives of minimizing mass and maximizing science return. Two methods for exploration of the trade space were presented: a stochastic design space search method, and a multi-objective simulated annealing method. Using these techniques, the optimality of a reference mission was investigated, and ways to improve science utility performance were shown. The exploration of a trade space under uncertainty, using an -Pareto search method, was investigated, and recommendations for designers were presented.
Download or read book Scale and Computer Modeling of Wheeled Vehicles for Planetary Exploration written by Howard Jay Eisen and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Exploration Planetary Surface Structural Systems written by John T. Dorsey and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Thriving on Our Changing Planet written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2019-01-20 with total page 717 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We live on a dynamic Earth shaped by both natural processes and the impacts of humans on their environment. It is in our collective interest to observe and understand our planet, and to predict future behavior to the extent possible, in order to effectively manage resources, successfully respond to threats from natural and human-induced environmental change, and capitalize on the opportunities â€" social, economic, security, and more â€" that such knowledge can bring. By continuously monitoring and exploring Earth, developing a deep understanding of its evolving behavior, and characterizing the processes that shape and reshape the environment in which we live, we not only advance knowledge and basic discovery about our planet, but we further develop the foundation upon which benefits to society are built. Thriving on Our Changing Planet presents prioritized science, applications, and observations, along with related strategic and programmatic guidance, to support the U.S. civil space Earth observation program over the coming decade.
Download or read book Low Energy Lunar Trajectory Design written by Jeffrey S. Parker and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2014-06-25 with total page 452 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on years of research conducted at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Low-Energy Lunar Trajectory Design provides high-level information to mission managers and detailed information to mission designers about low-energy transfers between Earth and the moon. The book answers high-level questions about the availability and performance of such transfers in any given month and year. Low-energy lunar transfers are compared with various other types of transfers, and placed within the context of historical missions. Using this book, designers may reconstruct any transfer described therein, as well as design similar transfers with particular design parameters. An Appendix, “Locating the Lagrange Points,” and a useful list of terms and constants completes this technical reference. Surveys thousands of possible trajectories that may be used to transfer spacecraft between Earth and the moon, including transfers to lunar libration orbits, low lunar orbits, and the lunar surface Provides information about the methods, models, and tools used to design low-energy lunar transfers Includes discussion about the variations of these transfers from one month to the next, and the important operational aspects of implementing a low-energy lunar transfer Additional discussions address navigation, station-keeping, and spacecraft systems issues
Download or read book U S Navy Employment Options for Unmanned Surface Vehicles USVs written by Scott Savitz and published by Rand Corporation. This book was released on 2013-11-04 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Assesses in what ways and to what degree unmanned surface vehicles are suitable for supporting U.S. Navy missions and functions.
Download or read book Forging the Future of Space Science written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2010-03-08 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From September 2007 to June 2008 the Space Studies Board conducted an international public seminar series, with each monthly talk highlighting a different topic in space and Earth science. The principal lectures from the series are compiled in Forging the Future of Space Science. The topics of these events covered the full spectrum of space and Earth science research, from global climate change, to the cosmic origins of life, to the exploration of the Moon and Mars, to the scientific research required to support human spaceflight. The prevailing messages throughout the seminar series as demonstrated by the lectures in this book are how much we have accomplished over the past 50 years, how profound are our discoveries, how much contributions from the space program affect our daily lives, and yet how much remains to be done. The age of discovery in space and Earth science is just beginning. Opportunities abound that will forever alter our destiny.
Download or read book IDEEA One written by and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 988 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book 90 3722 90 3785 written by and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 442 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The International Space Station written by Robert C. Dempsey and published by Government Printing Office. This book was released on 2017 with total page 440 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Looks at the operations of the International Space Station from the perspective of the Houston flight control team, under the leadership of NASA's flight directors, who authored the book. The book provides insight into the vast amount of time and energy that these teams devote to the development, planning and integration of a mission before it is executed. The passion and attention to detail of the flight control team members, who are always ready to step up when things do not go well, is a hallmark of NASA human spaceflight operations. With tremendous support from the ISS program office and engineering community, the flight control team has made the International Space Station and the programs before it a success.
Download or read book Pathways to Exploration written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2014-09-30 with total page 405 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The United States has publicly funded its human spaceflight program on a continuous basis for more than a half-century, through three wars and a half-dozen recessions, from the early Mercury and Gemini suborbital and Earth orbital missions, to the lunar landings, and thence to the first reusable winged crewed spaceplane that the United States operated for three decades. Today the United States is the major partner in a massive orbital facility - the International Space Station - that is becoming the focal point for the first tentative steps in commercial cargo and crewed orbital space flights. And yet, the long-term future of human spaceflight beyond this project is unclear. Pronouncements by multiple presidents of bold new ventures by Americans to the Moon, to Mars, and to an asteroid in its native orbit, have not been matched by the same commitment that accompanied President Kennedy\'s now fabled 1961 speech-namely, the substantial increase in NASA funding needed to make it happen. Are we still committed to advancing human spaceflight? What should a long-term goal be, and what does the United States need to do to achieve it? Pathways to Exploration explores the case for advancing this endeavor, drawing on the history of rationales for human spaceflight, examining the attitudes of stakeholders and the public, and carefully assessing the technical and fiscal realities. This report recommends maintaining the long-term focus on Mars as the horizon goal for human space exploration. With this goal in mind, the report considers funding levels necessary to maintain a robust tempo of execution, current research and exploration projects and the time/resources needed to continue them, and international cooperation that could contribute to the achievement of spaceflight to Mars. According to Pathways to Exploration, a successful U.S. program would require sustained national commitment and a budget that increases by more than the rate of inflation. In reviving a U.S. human exploration program capable of answering the enduring questions about humanity's destiny beyond our tiny blue planet, the nation will need to grapple with the attitudinal and fiscal realities of the nation today while staying true to a small but crucial set of fundamental principles for the conduct of exploration of the endless frontier. The recommendations of Pathways to Exploration provide a clear map toward a human spaceflight program that inspires students and citizens by furthering human exploration and discovery, while taking into account the long-term commitment necessary to achieve this goal.
Download or read book Converging Technologies for Improving Human Performance written by Mihail C. Roco and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-04-17 with total page 477 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: M. C. Roco and W.S. Bainbridge In the early decades of the 21st century, concentrated efforts can unify science based on the unity of nature, thereby advancing the combination of nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology, and new technologies based in cognitive science. With proper attention to ethical issues and societal needs, converging in human abilities, societal technologies could achieve a tremendous improvement outcomes, the nation's productivity, and the quality of life. This is a broad, cross cutting, emerging and timely opportunity of interest to individuals, society and humanity in the long term. The phrase "convergent technologies" refers to the synergistic combination of four major "NBIC" (nano-bio-info-cogno) provinces of science and technology, each of which is currently progressing at a rapid rate: (a) nanoscience and nanotechnology; (b) biotechnology and biomedicine, including genetic engineering; (c) information technology, including advanced computing and communications; (d) cognitive science, including cognitive neuroscience. Timely and Broad Opportunity. Convergence of diverse technologies is based on material unity at the nanoscale and on technology integration from that scale.
Download or read book Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by . This book was released on 2022-08-04 with total page 615 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The steering committee was specifically asked to (1) provide an overview of the current state of astronomy and astrophysics science, and technology research in support of that science, with connections to other scientific areas where appropriate; (2) identify the most compelling science challenges and frontiers in astronomy and astrophysics, which shall motivate the committee’s strategy for the future; (3) develop a comprehensive research strategy to advance the frontiers of astronomy and astrophysics for the period 2022-2032 that will include identifying, recommending, and ranking the highest-priority research activities; (4) utilize and recommend decision rules, where appropriate, that can accommodate significant but reasonable deviations in the projected budget or changes in urgency precipitated by new discoveries or unanticipated competitive activities; (5) assess the state of the profession, including workforce and demographic issues in the field, identify areas of concern and importance to the community, and where possible, provide specific, actionable, and practical recommendations to the agencies and community to address these areas. This report proposes a broad, integrated plan for space- and ground-based astronomy and astrophysics for the decade 2023-2032. It also lays the foundations for further advances in the following decade.
