Journal of Space Safety Engineering最新文献

This paper describes the current research and development efforts currently underway within the United States on Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP), with a particular focus on the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) project, a joint effort of the United States Defense Advanced Projects Agency and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. However, to put the DRACO project into context, the prior United States’ prior efforts on NTR are described and the foundation those efforts provided to enable DRACO. The impact of NTP propulsion on both human and scientific exploration of the Solar System will also be discussed. And finally, the topic of advanced NTP propulsion will be addressed, including liquid fuel NTP engines.

From the beginning of 2010 to the end of 2022, 951 intact objects (spacecraft and orbital stages) with a radar cross-section greater than one square meter re-entered the Earth's atmosphere uncontrolled. The total returned mass was about 1500 t, with a mean of 116 t per year, mostly concentrated (80 %) in orbital stages. On average, objects with a mass greater than 500 kg re-entered every 8 days, those exceeding 2000 kg every 2 weeks, and those above 5000 kg around 3 times per year. Only 4 % of the re-entries came from orbits with an eccentricity greater than 0.1, while 41 % were from nearly circular orbits with eccentricity lower than 0.001. 52 % of the re-entries occurred in the northern hemisphere and 48 % in the southern one. The areas of the planet most affected were those between 30° and 60° north. However, excluding the polar regions, the re-entry flux per unit area was relatively uniform, from 60° south to 60° north, implying a ground casualty risk mainly driven by the population density. 84 % of orbital stages and 19 % of spacecraft exceeded a casualty expectancy of 10⁻⁴, the ceiling recommended by several guidelines and standards worldwide. The total ground casualty expectancy over the 13 years analyzed was estimated to be 0.194, corresponding to a probability of injuring or killing at least one person of about 18 %. After remaining relatively stable from 2010 to 2018, the casualty expectancy and probability have grown systematically from then on, leading in 2022 to a chance of casualty of 2.9 %, with orbital stages and spacecraft contributing, respectively, 72 % and 28 %.

Over the last decade the space sector has expanded with massive growth in investment activity. The increasing utilization of space technology, including by private actors, is causing environmental hazards in space as well as pollution and degradation. Space debris mitigation and removal are under ongoing discussion within international competent fora, including at regional level. The international community has not yet provided future directions for any action related to space environmental safety. This paper intends to deepen our understanding of the State's duty to protect the orbital environment according to the current space body of law. It mainly focuses on how to achieve sustainability thus looking at the impact of space activities performed in space.

Ariane 6 is the future large European Launcher launched from the Guiana Space Center (CSG). Besides, Ariane 6 launcher program corresponds to the first full application of the French Space Operations Act from the beginning of an European Launch System development.

This paper summarizes how French Space Operations Act requirements have been finally implemented in the Ariane 6 Launcher System. It addresses hardware systems as well as software solutions, but also specific analysis performed to support compliance with the French Space Operations Act requirements. This paper identifies the definition and design of these different on-board systems contributing to flight safety and space debris mitigation along with their validation. Moreover it details the studies that have been performed to assess Ariane 6 compliance to the requirements of French Space Operations Act.

This document addresses more specifically safety in flight beginning at lift-off and ending with launcher disposal after its main mission. Afterwards it covers also solutions implemented on Ariane 6 launcher and its mission definition in order to mitigate space debris generation.

Preparing to interplanetary missions and construction of planetary bases have become one of the major directions in piloted cosmonautics, which means that maintaining health and performance of cosmonauts and astronauts, as well as controlling their psychological status are becoming an increasingly important and urgent issue.

One of the IBMP's top priorities is research on the body's functional reserves and adaptation to various environmental factors, as well as the body's reactions to prolonged impact of negative space factors. Yet, it is not always possible to do so in a real space flight, due to deficient time allocated for scientific research, restrictions on the weight and dimensions of launched and descended cargo, and safety requirements for equipment on board of piloted spacecraft and space stations. Analog research projects which simulate specific negative space flight factors are a solution to this problem. For this reason, a special simulation stand was created - the Ground-Based Experimental Facility (or NEK). It was used in such world-famous international projects as SFINCSS, MARS500 and SIRIUS.

Model isolation experiments are a unique platform for testing various technologies and products for long-distance interplanetary flights. Thus, missions into the deep space will require a new approach to medical control and support facilities, as they should be more autonomous compared to the ones used in the orbit. New technologies may include intelligent data processing and analysis of medical data in the form of various gadgets (smart bracelets, glasses and watches, etc.), clothes with built-in sensors, devices for remote measurement of various health indicators, etc. An important element of any life support system is the food system, which should include technologies for cooking directly in space, as well as food with long shelf life. Isolation projects can be a useful tool for evaluating the possibility of using certain food products in space flight conditions. Among other promising directions are the research projects related to the assessment of microbial contamination directly inside the chamber facility, countermeasures against microbes and fungi, materials with antimicrobial and antifungal properties, etc.

Overall, analog experiments are an excellent opportunity to test a number of technologies and products for future space flights.

Recognizing a need for legal coordination between air law and space law at various levels and focusing on unique aspects of the operation and use of commercial spaceports (CS), this article aims to clarify CS's legal challenges by studying the issues of definition, liability, and ICAO's regime. It concludes with a proposal to build a single seamless regulatory framework for commercial space transport with a “flow corridor” type of conceptual zone for safe CS activities.

Within the SpaceTracks project, a Launch Coordination Center (LCC) prototype is currently being developed by the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The aim of the LCC is to support the coordination among stakeholders of launches and re-entries before, during, and after the operation. Thereby, interests and needs of all stakeholders should be balanced and the situational awareness should be increased. At the core of the LCC is the SpaceTracks Suite (STS) microservice architecture.

When developing software solutions to integrate spacecraft into European airspace, various aspects must be considered: different space flight characteristics, the complex air traffic system and other concept requirements like security, scalability, flexibility, resilience and arbitrarily expandability, hence an agile procedure model and a loosely coupled and flexible software design is favored. This paper describes the DLR current approach, design considerations and solution characteristics of the STS.