Intro II (Space) PDF

Major Satellite and Space Missions Hubble Space Telescope: Launch Date: April 24, 1990. Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-31). Orbit: LEO (approx. 547 km altitude). Instruments: Wide Field Camera, Advanced Camera for Surveys, Space Telescope Imaging Spectr...

Major Satellite and Space Missions Hubble Space Telescope: Launch Date: April 24, 1990. Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-31). Orbit: LEO (approx. 547 km altitude). Instruments: Wide Field Camera, Advanced Camera for Surveys, Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, etc. Key Discoveries: Expanding universe, detailed images of distant galaxies, star formation, dark matter studies. Cost: Approximately $1.5 billion at launch, with total costs over time around $10 billion. Involved Parties: NASA, ESA. International Space Station (ISS): Launch and Assembly: First module launched in 1998. Operational Since: November 2, 2000. Orbit: LEO (approx. 408 km altitude). Partners: NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA, CSA. Crew: Typically 6-7 astronauts. Modules: Multiple, including Zarya (first module), Unity, Destiny, Columbus, and Kibo. Research: Microgravity research, Earth observation, space medicine, technology development. Lifespan: Expected to operate until at least 2030. James Webb Space Telescope (JWST): Orbit: Located at the second Lagrange point (L2), about 1.5 million km from Earth. Launch Date: December 25, 2021. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 5. Mission Type: Optical and infrared astronomy. Cost: $9.7 billion (NASA) + $1 billion (ESA + Canada). Challenges: 344 single-point failures, "14 days of terror." Development Timeline: Originally planned for launch in 2007, the project faced numerous delays and budget overruns before its successful launch in 2021.  Scientific Goals: Studying the formation of stars and planets, the history of galaxies, the characteristics of exoplanets, and the origins of the universe. Mars Exploration: Mars Exploration Rovers (Spirit and Opportunity): Surface exploration of Mars. Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity): ○ Launched: November 26, 2011 ○ Landed: August 6, 2012 ○ "Sky crane" landing concept ○ 7 minutes of terror during EDL due to automation, high velocity, thin atmosphere, large heat shield, pyrotechnics, parachute, rocket descent + sky crane. Perseverance was put on the surface of Mars with a so-called sky crane, similar to Curiosity. Challenges: Getting to space, staying, and returning. Affordability, efficiency, harsh environment. Technology development, innovation, remote operation, automation. Managing finances and the unexpected. Enabling Technologies: Miniaturization, digital computers, radio & radar tech, lightweight structures, heat-resistant materials, turbines, liquid-propellant rockets, gyroscopes, solar cells, heat engines, life support systems. Envisat Solar Panel (1990s) ○ Developed by: ADS (formerly Dutch Space) ○ Orbit: Sun-synchronous ○ Specifications: 6.55 kW, 5x14 m², 8211 kg Vanguard-1 (1958) ○ First solar cells in space (Bell Telephone Labs, 1954) ○ Orbit: LEO ○ Specifications: 10 mW, 6x25 cm², 1.5 kg Delfi-C3 (2008) ○ CubeSat developed by TU Delft ○ Orbit: LEO ○ Specifications: 2.5 W, 10x10x30 cm, 2.2 kg Timeline Important People & Theories 1543: Nicolas Copernicus proposes heliocentric Solar System. 1571-1630: Johannes Kepler solves celestial mechanics mysteries. 1642–1727: Isaac Newton defines physical principles of force, motion, and gravity. 1865: Jules Verne describes a virtual trip to the Moon. 1903: Konstantin Tsiolkovsky publishes theoretical study on rocket propulsion. 1920s: Hermann Oberth pioneers theoretical fundamentals of spaceflight. 1925: Walter Hohmann analyzes interplanetary flight. Important Rocket Events 1920-1940: Robert Goddard (USA) and Sergej Korolev (USSR) launch first liquid propellant rockets. 1940-1945: Wernher von Braun develops first operational short-range missile (A4/V2). 1950-1960: Soviet Union and USA develop IRBMs and ICBMs. Important Spaceflight Events 1957: Launch of Sputnik I. 1958: Launch of Explorer I. 1959: Luna 2 makes hard landing on Moon. 1961: First manned orbital flight by Yuri Gagarin (Vostok I), first US sub-orbital flight by Alan Shepard. 1962: First US manned orbital flight by John Glenn (Mercury). 1962: Mariner II to Venus. 1965: First EVA by Aleksej Leonov (Voskhod 2). 1967: First launch of Saturn V rocket. 1968: First European scientific satellite (ESRO II). 1969: First men on Moon (Apollo 11, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin). 1974: First Dutch satellite (ANS). 1976: First soft landing on Mars by Viking 1/2. 1977: Voyager 2 launches to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. 1979: First successful flight of European Ariane launcher. 1981: First flight of Space Shuttle.  1986: First launch of Mir, the permanent Russian space station. 1990: Launch of Hubble Space Telescope. 1998: Launch of the first International Space Station module (Zarya). 2000+: Voyager 1 and 2 enter interstellar space, still active. Current Trends in Space Exploration Commercial Spaceflight ("New Space") Primary focus on spaceflight cost reduction Private Funding: Driven mainly by private companies with NASA as a customer. Key Players ○ SpaceX Falcon 9, Crew Dragon ○ Northrop Grumman Antares, Cygnus ○ Boeing Atlas V, CST-100 Private companies provide services to the ISS. Reusability: SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Blue Origin’s New Shepard focus on reusable rocket stages and capsules. ○ Falcon 9: Boosters land on sea barges or land depending on mission scenario. Space Tourism Virgin Galactic: SpaceShipTwo, test flight on July 11, 2021 (4 passengers, sub-orbital). Blue Origin: New Shepard, flight on July 20, 2021 (4 passengers, sub-orbital). SpaceX: Crew Dragon, flight Sep 15-18, 2021 (4 passengers, fully autonomous, orbital). Commercial Space Stations: Development of space stations for private companies. Satellites Larger Satellites: Geostationary satellites with increased bandwidth requirements. Smaller Satellites: ○ Cost Reduction: Smaller, cheaper satellites. ○ Constellations: OneWeb (900 sats, 150 kg each), SpaceX (12,000-30,000 sats). ○ Cubesats: 1U-12U Pocket Cubes: 5x5x5 cm ○ Issues: Radiation hardening, power, communication. Launchers Smaller Launchers: Reduced cost with companies like Rocket Labs (Electron) and Firefly Space Systems (Alpha). Bigger Launchers: Continued development of larger rockets for heavier payloads. Hosted Payloads: Cost-effective solutions for military and civil sectors. Manned Missions to Moon and Mars NASA/ESA Gateway: Moon and Mars mission support with new space stations. Private Competition from SpaceX and others International Competition from USA, China, India… Larger Rockets: NASA’s Space Launch System, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, Starship, China’s Long March 5. In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU): local resource usage (H2O, H2, & O2) for sustainable missions. Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing): Using 3D printing for parts and structures in space. New Propulsion & Space Technologies Low-Thrust Propulsion: Used in interplanetary missions & electric geostationary satellites (Boeing). Solar Sailing: New form of propulsion for long-distance missions. Green Propellants: EU’s REACH initiative focusing on environmentally friendly propellants. Space Stations: ISS, Tiangong (China), Gateway (Moon), and private ones. Robotic Missions: Increased autonomy and capability in robotic space missions. Data Rates & Laser Links: Improved communication through higher data rates and laser technology. What is Space? Vacuum (> 100km) Environment: No air (no lift or drag), no atmosphere for breathing or oxygen for propulsion. Outgassing and lubrication issues. Aggressive environment (e.g., atomic oxygen erodes plastics). Thermal Environment Convection is not possible due to lack of air and gravity. Radiation: Space exposed to radiation internally and from the environment. Temperature Variations ○ Earth surface: ~287 K (14°C) Near Earth: -270°C to +120°C. ○ Deep space: 4 K. Solar Flux: ○ Earth surface: 400–600 W/m² Space: 1367 W/m². Radiation Harmful radiation (UV, X-rays) can damage electronics and tissue. High-Energy Particles: Protons, electrons, Van Allen belts, solar flares. Weightlessness Objects are in continuous free fall due to gravitational forces. “Falling but missing due to forward velocity” Satellite Motion A satellite stays in orbit by balancing gravitational and centripetal forces. 2 𝑉 𝐹𝑐 = 𝑀𝑠/𝑐 𝑅𝐸+ ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑖𝑡 2 𝑅𝐸 𝐹𝑔 = 𝑀𝑠/𝑐 𝑔 = 𝑀𝑠/𝑐 𝑔0 2 (𝑅𝐸+ ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑖𝑡) 2 π 𝑅𝐸 For a circular orbit: 𝑇 = 𝑅𝐸+ ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑖𝑡 Questions How do we move (heavy) objects in space? Robot arm exerting torque Space Shuttle Orbiter used Canadarm instead of ERA (European Robotic Arm) Payloads are taken to orbit with various launch vehicles: ○ Low-end vehicle: Pegasus (smaller payloads) ○ High-end vehicle: Saturn V or Space Launch System (larger payloads) Is the orbital velocity of a spacecraft dependent on its mass? No, orbital velocity depends on the mass of the central body (like Earth) and the radius of orbit, not the spacecraft’s mass (reference = kepler's eq) What happens when an astronaut swings a hammer and hits a nail? Newton's third law causes the astronaut to recoil in the opposite direction due to the equal and opposite reaction force. What happens when an astronaut torques a bolt? The astronaut experiences an opposite reaction torque, causing them to rotate in the opposite direction. What is the motion of an object inside the ISS if untouched? The object will continue in its current state of motion due to inertia, staying stationary or moving in a straight line at constant velocity. Why is it easy to move heavy objects near the ISS? In microgravity, objects are weightless, meaning only their inertia resists movement, not gravity. Why is docking a 120-ton Space Shuttle with a 500-ton ISS possible? Both are in microgravity and move at the same orbital velocity, so docking involves small relative velocities and controlled forces, with mass not hindering the process. Characteristic Numbers Payload mass: 3,000 – 130,000 kg (Large aircraft: 70,000 kg) Launch mass: 18,500 – 3,000,000 kg (Large aircraft: 250,000 kg) Minimal orbital velocity: 7.8 km/s (28,000 km/h) (Aircraft: 300 – 3,000 km/h) Minimal orbital height: 250 km (Aircraft: 1 – 20 km) Typical satellite lifetime: 3 – 15 years (Aircraft: 25 years)