The Space Elevator NIAC Phase II Final Report March 1, 2003
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Stairway to Heaven? Geographies of the Space Elevator in Science Fiction
ISSN 2624-9081 • DOI 10.26034/roadsides-202000306 Stairway to Heaven? Geographies of the Space Elevator in Science Fiction Oliver Dunnett Outer space is often presented as a kind of universal global commons – a space for all humankind, against which the hopes and dreams of humanity have been projected. Yet, since the advent of spaceflight, it has become apparent that access to outer space has been limited, shaped and procured in certain ways. Geographical approaches to the study of outer space have started to interrogate the ways in which such inequalities have emerged and sustained themselves, across environmental, cultural and political registers. For example, recent studies have understood outer space as increasingly foreclosed by certain state and commercial actors (Beery 2012), have emphasised narratives of tropical difference in understanding geosynchronous equatorial satellite orbits (Dunnett 2019) and, more broadly, have conceptualised the Solar System as part of Earth’s environment (Degroot 2017). It is clear from this and related literature that various types of infrastructure have been a significant part of the uneven geographies of outer space, whether in terms of long-established spaceports (Redfield 2000), anticipatory infrastructures (Gorman 2009) or redundant space hardware orbiting Earth as debris (Klinger 2019). collection no. 003 • Infrastructure on/off Earth Roadsides Stairway to Heaven? 43 Having been the subject of speculation in both engineering and science-fictional discourses for many decades, the space elevator has more recently been promoted as a “revolutionary and efficient way to space for all humanity” (ISEC 2017). The concept involves a tether lowered from a position in geostationary orbit to a point on Earth’s equator, along which an elevator can ascend and arrive in orbit. -
SPEAKERS TRANSPORTATION CONFERENCE FAA COMMERCIAL SPACE 15TH ANNUAL John R
15TH ANNUAL FAA COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION CONFERENCE SPEAKERS COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION http://www.faa.gov/go/ast 15-16 FEBRUARY 2012 HQ-12-0163.INDD John R. Allen Christine Anderson Dr. John R. Allen serves as the Program Executive for Crew Health Christine Anderson is the Executive Director of the New Mexico and Safety at NASA Headquarters, Washington DC, where he Spaceport Authority. She is responsible for the development oversees the space medicine activities conducted at the Johnson and operation of the first purpose-built commercial spaceport-- Space Center, Houston, Texas. Dr. Allen received a B.A. in Speech Spaceport America. She is a recently retired Air Force civilian Communication from the University of Maryland (1975), a M.A. with 30 years service. She was a member of the Senior Executive in Audiology/Speech Pathology from The Catholic University Service, the civilian equivalent of the military rank of General of America (1977), and a Ph.D. in Audiology and Bioacoustics officer. Anderson was the founding Director of the Space from Baylor College of Medicine (1996). Upon completion of Vehicles Directorate at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland his Master’s degree, he worked for the Easter Seals Treatment Air Force Base, New Mexico. She also served as the Director Center in Rockville, Maryland as an audiologist and speech- of the Space Technology Directorate at the Air Force Phillips language pathologist and received certification in both areas. Laboratory at Kirtland, and as the Director of the Military Satellite He joined the US Air Force in 1980, serving as Chief, Audiology Communications Joint Program Office at the Air Force Space at Andrews AFB, Maryland, and at the Wiesbaden Medical and Missile Systems Center in Los Angeles where she directed Center, Germany, and as Chief, Otolaryngology Services at the the development, acquisition and execution of a $50 billion Aeromedical Consultation Service, Brooks AFB, Texas, where portfolio. -
2020 International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory Additive Manufacturing in Space Workshop ______Virtual Event Discussion Summary September 10, 2020
2020 International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory Additive Manufacturing in Space Workshop __________________________________________________________ Virtual Event Discussion Summary September 10, 2020 The 2020 International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory Additive Manufacturing in Space Workshop held on July 28, 2020 was hosted by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), manager of the ISS National Lab. 2020 Additive Manufacturing in Space Workshop Summary Contents I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................... 3 II. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 4 Workshop Objectives and Plan .................................................................................................................. 4 III. WORKSHOP DETAILS .............................................................................................................................. 5 Agenda ....................................................................................................................................................... 5 Breakout Sessions ...................................................................................................................................... 5 IV. MAIN SESSION PRESENTATIONS ........................................................................................................... -
The Space Sector in 2014 and Beyond
The Space Economy at a Glance 2014 © OECD 2014 Chapter 1 The space sector in 2014 and beyond Chapter 1 reviews major trends in the space sector. It first provides a review of the “space economy” in 2014. It then focuses on an original analysis of global value chains in the space sector, including a spotlight on fifty years of European space co-operation. The chapter also looks at new dynamics in the sector, which may impact incumbents and new entrants, with a focus on innovation in industrial processes and the development of small satellites. 15 1. THE SPACE SECTOR IN 2014 AND BEYOND Defining the “space economy” in 2014 Straddling the defence and aerospace industries, the space sector has for decades been a relatively discrete sector, developed to serve strategic objectives in many OECD and non-OECD economies, with security applications, science and space exploration. The space sector, like many other high-tech sensitive domains, is now attracting much more attention around the world, as governments and private investors seek new sources of economic growth and innovation. The “space economy” has become an intriguing domain to examine, bringing interesting innovation capacities as well as new commercial opportunities. Over the past decade, the number of public and private actors involved in space activities worldwide has increased, spurring even further the development of the nascent space economy. Despite strong headwinds in many related sectors (e.g. defence), the space sector overall has not been significantly affected by the world economic crisis. It remains a strategic sector for many countries, relatively sheltered because of national imperatives (e.g. -
Space Resources : Social Concerns / Editors, Mary Fae Mckay, David S
Frontispiece Advanced Lunar Base In this panorama of an advanced lunar base, the main habitation modules in the background to the right are shown being covered by lunar soil for radiation protection. The modules on the far right are reactors in which lunar soil is being processed to provide oxygen. Each reactor is heated by a solar mirror. The vehicle near them is collecting liquid oxygen from the reactor complex and will transport it to the launch pad in the background, where a tanker is just lifting off. The mining pits are shown just behind the foreground figure on the left. The geologists in the foreground are looking for richer ores to mine. Artist: Dennis Davidson NASA SP-509, vol. 4 Space Resources Social Concerns Editors Mary Fae McKay, David S. McKay, and Michael B. Duke Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center Houston, Texas 1992 National Aeronautics and Space Administration Scientific and Technical Information Program Washington, DC 1992 For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office Superintendent of Documents, Mail Stop: SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-9328 ISBN 0-16-038062-6 Technical papers derived from a NASA-ASEE summer study held at the California Space Institute in 1984. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Space resources : social concerns / editors, Mary Fae McKay, David S. McKay, and Michael B. Duke. xii, 302 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.—(NASA SP ; 509 : vol. 4) 1. Outer space—Exploration—United States. 2. Natural resources. 3. Space industrialization—United States. I. McKay, Mary Fae. II. McKay, David S. III. Duke, Michael B. IV. United States. -
Defending Planet Earth: Near-Earth Object Surveys and Hazard Mitigation Strategies Final Report
PREPUBLICATION COPY—SUBJECT TO FURTHER EDITORIAL CORRECTION Defending Planet Earth: Near-Earth Object Surveys and Hazard Mitigation Strategies Final Report Committee to Review Near-Earth Object Surveys and Hazard Mitigation Strategies Space Studies Board Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS Washington, D.C. www.nap.edu PREPUBLICATION COPY—SUBJECT TO FURTHER EDITORIAL CORRECTION THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20001 NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance. This study is based on work supported by the Contract NNH06CE15B between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the agency that provided support for the project. International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-XXXXX-X International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-XXXXX-X Copies of this report are available free of charge from: Space Studies Board National Research Council 500 Fifth Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20001 Additional copies of this report are available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, N.W., Lockbox 285, Washington, DC 20055; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313 (in the Washington metropolitan area); Internet, http://www.nap.edu. -
Iac-04-Iaa.3.8.3.07 the Lunar Space Elevator
IAC-04-IAA.3.8.3.07 THE LUNAR SPACE ELEVATOR Jerome Pearson, Eugene Levin, John Oldson, and Harry Wykes STAR Inc., Mount Pleasant, SC USA; [email protected] ABSTRACT This paper examines lunar space elevators, a concept originated by the lead author, for lunar development. Lunar space elevators are flexible structures connecting the lunar surface with counterweights located beyond the L1 or L2 Lagrangian points in the Earth- moon system. A lunar space elevator on the moon’s near side, balanced about the L1 Lagrangian point, could support robotic climbing vehicles to release lunar material into high Earth orbit. A lunar space elevator on the moon’s far side, balanced about L2, could provide nearly continuous communication with an astronomical observatory on the moon’s far side, away from the optical and radio interference from the Earth. Because of the lower mass of the moon, such lunar space elevators could be constructed of existing materials instead of carbon nanotubes, and would be much less massive than the Earth space elevator. We review likely spots for development of lunar surface operations (south pole locations for water and continuous sunlight, and equatorial locations for lower delta-V), and examine the likely payload requirements for Earth-to-moon and moon-to-Earth transportation. We then examine its capability to launch large amounts of lunar material into high Earth orbit, and do a top-level system analysis to evaluate the potential payoffs of lunar space elevators. SPACE ELEVATOR HISTORY The idea of a "stairway to heaven" is as as the rotation period of the body. -
Overview of the In-Space Manufacturing Technology Portfolio
NASA & ISS National Lab Microgravity Materials Science Overview of the In-Space Workshop Manufacturing Technology Portfolio Atlanta, GA July 29, 2019 Tracie Prater, Ph.D. Diane Risdon Jennifer. Edmunson, Ph.D. Frank Ledbetter, Ph.D. Kevin Wheeler, Ph.D. Vasyl Hafiychuk, Ph.D. Christopher Roberts, Ph.D. Mike Fiske Leigh Elrod Why manufacture in space: The logistics quandary of long endurance spaceflight Each square represents 1000 kg • Based on historical data, 95% of spares will never be used • Impossible to know which spares will be needed Image credit: Bill Cirillo • Unanticipated system issues always appear, even after years of (LaRC) and Andrew Owens (MIT) testing and operations 2 In-space manufacturing removes constraints Constraint1 Constraint removed by ISM? Structures must be designed for launch ISM enables structures which are loads. optimized for operation in space, not for launch loads. Structures must fit within launch vehicle ISM enables structures whose size is payload fairings. limited only by the fabrication volume of the ISM capability. Materials must be disposed of at the end Materials can be recycled and used for of their lifecycle. further manufacturing. All the spare parts and equipment needed Spare parts can be made on-demand. ISM for on-orbit servicing or repair and capabilities can enable on-orbit servicing replacement activities must be and repair of equipment. prepositioned. Component reliability and redundancy Redundancy is augmented by ISM (R&R) largely driven by mission capability to make components on life/duration. demand. R&R requirements may be reduced in some instances when an ISM capability is present. Paradigm shift 1. -
Made in Space, We Propose an Entirely New Concept
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY “Those who control the spice control the universe.” – Frank Herbert, Dune Many interesting ideas have been conceived for building space-based infrastructure in cislunar space. From O’Neill’s space colonies, to solar power satellite farms, and even prospecting retrieved near earth asteroids. In all the scenarios, one thing remained fixed - the need for space resources at the outpost. To satisfy this need, O’Neill suggested an electromagnetic railgun to deliver resources from the lunar surface, while NASA’s Asteroid Redirect Mission called for a solar electric tug to deliver asteroid materials from interplanetary space. At Made In Space, we propose an entirely new concept. One which is scalable, cost effective, and ensures that the abundant material wealth of the inner solar system becomes readily available to humankind in a nearly automated fashion. We propose the RAMA architecture, which turns asteroids into self-contained spacecraft capable of moving themselves back to cislunar space. The RAMA architecture is just as capable of transporting conventional sized asteroids on the 10m length scale as transporting asteroids 100m or larger, making it the most versatile asteroid retrieval architecture in terms of retrieved-mass capability. ii This report describes the results of the Phase I study funded by the NASA NIAC program for Made In Space to establish the concept feasibility of using space manufacturing to convert asteroids into autonomous, mechanical spacecraft. Project RAMA, Reconstituting Asteroids into Mechanical Automata, is designed to leverage the future advances of additive manufacturing (AM), in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) and in-situ manufacturing (ISM) to realize enormous efficiencies in repeated asteroid redirect missions. -
Advanced Concepts for Isru-Based Additive Manufacturing of Planetary Habitats
ADVANCED CONCEPTS FOR ISRU-BASED ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OF PLANETARY HABITATS Belinda Rich* , Hanna Läkk* , Marlies Arnhof , Ina Cheibas Advanced Concepts Team, ESTEC, European Space Agency, Keplerlaan 1, 2201 AZ Noordwijk, The Netherlands *Corresponding authors: [email protected]; [email protected] KEYWORDS In the short term, such habitats are likely to be Class ISRU, additive manufacturing, in-space I, defined by NASA’s Habitats Development manufacturing, habitats Roadmap to be pre-integrated, hard-shell capsules delivered from Earth [3]. However, this short-term strategy is inefficient and a long-term sustained ABSTRACT extra-terrestrial presence will necessitate In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) is a key enabler development of Class II (prefabricated and for the expansion of space activities beyond low assembled in-situ) and eventually Class III (fully Earth orbit. While early ISRU developments have derived in-situ) habitats. Class III habitats are focused primarily on mission consumables, the last particularly efficient in terms of reducing launch decade has seen an exponential increase in costs and exploiting the unique resources and research on ISRU for manufacturing. In particular, it manufacturing environment offered in space. has been shown that many resources available in Developing these technologies for use with in-situ space can be successfully utilised with various resources not only enables construction of habitats, Additive Manufacturing (AM) techniques. In the but also offers up greater potential for in-situ Advanced Concepts Team (ACT) at the European maintenance and expansion. Thus In-Situ Resource Space Agency, novel ideas are being studied in the Utilization (ISRU) is a key driver for sustained field of space architecture and infrastructure. -
Additive Manufacturing for Space : Status and Promises
This document is downloaded from DR‑NTU (https://dr.ntu.edu.sg) Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Additive manufacturing for space : status and promises Sacco, Enea; Moon, Seung Ki 2019 Sacco, E., & Moon, S. K. (2019). Additive manufacturing for space : status and promises. The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 105(10), 4123‑4146. doi:10.1007/s00170‑019‑03786‑z https://hdl.handle.net/10356/141133 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170‑019‑03786‑z © 2019 Springer‑Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature. This is a post‑peer‑review, pre‑copyedit version of an article published in The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology. The final authenticated version is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00170‑019‑03786‑z Downloaded on 05 Oct 2021 19:03:29 SGT Noname manuscript No. (will be inserted by the editor) Additive Manufacturing for Space: Status and Promises Enea Sacco · Seung Ki Moon Received: date / Accepted: date Abstract Additive Manufacturing (AM) or 3D print- 1 Introduction ing is a manufacturing technique where successive lay- ers of material are layered to produce parts. The design There are various techniques used to manufacture ob- freedom afforded by AM is ideal for the space indus- jects such as casting, coating, moulding, forming, ma- try, where part production is low volume and highly chining, and joining. Most of these processes involve customized. The objective of this paper is to review re- subtractive manufacturing, the process of removing ma- search in the area of Additive Manufacturing For Space terial in order to manufacture a final object. -
State of the Space Industrial Base 2020 Report
STATE OF THE SPACE INDUSTRIAL BASE 2020 A Time for Action to Sustain US Economic & Military Leadership in Space Summary Report by: Brigadier General Steven J. Butow, Defense Innovation Unit Dr. Thomas Cooley, Air Force Research Laboratory Colonel Eric Felt, Air Force Research Laboratory Dr. Joel B. Mozer, United States Space Force July 2020 DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release: distribution unlimited. DISCLAIMER The views expressed in this report reflect those of the workshop attendees, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the US government, the Department of Defense, the US Air Force, or the US Space Force. Use of NASA photos in this report does not state or imply the endorsement by NASA or by any NASA employee of a commercial product, service, or activity. USSF-DIU-AFRL | July 2020 i ABOUT THE AUTHORS Brigadier General Steven J. Butow, USAF Colonel Eric Felt, USAF Brig. Gen. Butow is the Director of the Space Portfolio at Col. Felt is the Director of the Air Force Research the Defense Innovation Unit. Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate. Dr. Thomas Cooley Dr. Joel B. Mozer Dr. Cooley is the Chief Scientist of the Air Force Research Dr. Mozer is the Chief Scientist at the US Space Force. Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS FROM THE EDITORS Dr. David A. Hardy & Peter Garretson The authors wish to express their deep gratitude and appreciation to New Space New Mexico for hosting the State of the Space Industrial Base 2020 Virtual Solutions Workshop; and to all the attendees, especially those from the commercial space sector, who spent valuable time under COVID-19 shelter-in-place restrictions contributing their observations and insights to each of the six working groups.