Engineering Commons^™

Emerging Need For A European Approach To Space Traffic Management, Tomas Hrozensky

Space Traffic Management Conference

The intensification of space activities worldwide, together with the emergence of new actors and disruptive concepts (e.g. miniaturized satellites, mega-constellations, in-orbit operations), create new challenges to ensure the safety and security of space systems and operations as well as the long-term sustainability of space activities. Among policy responses to these challenges, the development of a new approach to space traffic management was recently brought to the forefront by the adoption of a policy directive in this domain by the United States.

A comparable STM policy has not yet been developed in Europe even though considerations for the safety, security and …

Advanced Inflatable De-Orbit Solutions For Derelict Satellites And Orbital Debris, Aman Chandra, Greg Wilburn, Jekan Thanga

Space Traffic Management Conference

The exponential rise in small-satellites and CubeSats in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) poses important challenges for future space traffic management. At altitudes of 600 km and lower, aerodynamic drag accelerates de-orbiting of satellites. However, placement of satellites at higher altitudes required for constellations pose important challenges. The satellites will require on-board propulsion to lower their orbits to 600 km and let aerodynamic drag take-over. In this work we analyze solutions for de-orbiting satellites at altitudes of up to 3000 km. We consider a modular robotic de-orbit device that has stowed volume of a regular CubeSat. The de-orbit device would be …

End To End Satellite Servicing And Space Debris Management, Aman Chandra, Himangshu Kalita, Roberto Furfaro, Jekan Thanga

Space Traffic Management Conference

There is growing demand for satellite swarms and constellations for global positioning, remote sensing and relay communication in higher LEO orbits. This will result in many obsolete, damaged and abandoned satellites that will remain on-orbit beyond 25 years. These abandoned satellites and space debris maybe economically valuable orbital real-estate and resources that can be reused, repaired or upgraded for future use. Space traffic management is critical to repair damaged satellites, divert satellites into warehouse orbits and effectively deorbit satellites and space debris that are beyond repair and salvage. Current methods for on-orbit capture, servicing and repair require a large service …

Satellite Conjunction Assessment Risk Analysis For “Dilution Region” Events: Issues And Operational Approaches, Matthew D. Hejduk

Space Traffic Management Conference

An important activity within Space Traffic Management is the detection and prevention of possible on-orbit collisions between space objects. The principal parameter for assessing collision likelihood is the probability of collision, which is widely accepted among conjunction assessment practitioners; but it possesses a known deficiency in that it can produce a false sense of safety when the orbital position uncertainties for the conjuncting objects are high. The probability of collision is said to be “diluted” in such a situation and to understate the possible risk; certain approaches have been recommended by researchers to provide (largely conservative) risk estimates and remediation …

Space Objects Classification And Characterization Via Deep Learning And Light Curves: Applications To Space Traffic Management, Roberto Furfaro, Richard Linares, Vishnu Reddy

Space Traffic Management Conference

Recent advancements in deep learning (e.g. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), Recurrent Neural networks (RNN)) have demonstrated impressive results in many practical and theoretical fields (e.g. speech recognition, computer vision, robotics). Whereas deep learning methods are becoming ubiquitous, they have been barely explored in SSA applications, in particular with regard to object characterization for Space Traffic Management (STM).

In this paper, we report the results obtained in designing and training a set of CNNs and RNNs for Space Object (SO) classification and characterization using light-curve measurements. More specifically, we provide a comparison between deep networks trained on both physically-based models (i.e. …

Lasers For Communication And Coordination Control Of Spacecraft Swarms, Himangshu Kalita, Leonard Dean Vance, Vishnu Reddy, Jekan Thanga

Space Traffic Management Conference

Swarms of small spacecraft offer whole new capabilities in Earth observation, global positioning and communications compared to a large monolithic spacecraft. These small spacecraft can provide bigger apertures that increase gain in communication antennas, increase area coverage or effective resolution of distributed cameras and enable persistent observation of ground or space targets. However, there remain important challenges in operating large number of spacecrafts at once. Current methods would require a large number of ground operators monitor and actively control these spacecraft which poses challenges in terms of coordination and control which prevents the technology from scaled up in cost-effective manner. …

Near Real Time Satellite Event Detection And Characterization With Remote Photoacoustic Signatures, Justin Spurbeck, Moriba K. Jah

Space Traffic Management Conference

Active satellites frequently maneuver to mitigate conjunctions and maintain nominal mission orbits. With an ever-growing Resident Space Object (RSO) population, the need to detect and predict any changes in active RSO trajectories has become increasingly important. There is typically a lag on the order of hours to days from time of maneuver to unmodeled dynamic event detection depending on the magnitude of the delta-v. For uncooperative objects, this detection lag poses a threat to other satellites. Implementing an active photoacoustic signature change detection methodology to detect and predict unmodeled dynamic events would reduce the overall conjunction risk and provide a …

Astria Ontology: Open, Standards-Based, Data-Aggregated Representation Of Space Objects, Jennie Wolfgang, Kathleen Krysher, Michael Slovenski, Unmil P. Karadkar, Shiva Iyer, Moriba K. Jah

Space Traffic Management Conference

The necessity for standards-based ontologies for long-term sustainability of space operations and safety of increasing space flights has been well-established [6, 7]. Current ontologies, such as DARPA’s OrbitOutlook [5], are not publicly available, complicating efforts for their broad adoption. Most sensor data is siloed in proprietary databases [2] and provided only to authorized users, further complicating efforts to create a holistic view of resident space objects (RSOs) in order to enhance space situational awareness (SSA).

The ASTRIA project is developing an open data model with the goal of aggregating data about RSOs, parts, space weather, and governing policies in order …

Nanosat Tracking And Identification Techniques And Technologies, Mark A. Skinner

Space Traffic Management Conference

Nanosats (and CubeSats, ‘Smallsats’, etc.) are of order 10 cm in size, and are at or near the limits of what can be tracked and characterized, using existing space surveillance assets. Additionally, given the CubeSat form-factor, they are often launched in large numbers (scores), and can be virtually identical. Thus are they difficult to track and to identify.

We have identified a number of technologies that future nanosat missions could employ that would enhance the trackability and/or identification of their satellites when on-orbit. Some of these technologies require active illumination of the satellite with electromagnetic energy, either in the radio …

A Statistical Approach For Commercial Space Vehicle Integration Into The National Airspace System, Christopher Hays, Daniel Chu, Pedro Llanos

Space Traffic Management Conference

This paper explores commercial space vehicle (CSV) suborbital flight trajectories in the temporal and spatial domains for CSV integration into the National Airspace System. The research data was collected via the Suborbital Space Flight Simulator (SSFS) housed in the College of Aviation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach campus, and analyzed using an original MATLAB data analytics tool. This study primarily focuses on statistical trends observed in previously simulated flights supported by three Project PoSSUM (Polar Suborbital Science in the Upper Mesosphere) campaigns comprised of 34 flights and 19 control flights, and to identify relevant milestones in the CSV …

Human-In-The-Loop Landing Flare Flight Test Simulation Of The Spaceliner Orbiter, Frank Morlang

Space Traffic Management Conference

Against the background that all future air traffic participants are requested to act as System Wide Information Management (SWIM) communicating sub-systems by the future Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research (SESAR) SWIM 'Intranet for ATM' concept, facing the challenge of integration of space traffic in the current Air Traffic Management (ATM) needs SWIM compliance of future commercial space transportation (CST) vehicles having “landing like an aircraft at an airport” characteristics. In order to evaluate future spacecraft cockpit procedures in a transition context from Aircraft Access to SWIM (AAtS) to Spacecraft Access to SWIM in a network wide airspace management …

Framework For Evaluating Traffic Management Services In Higher Airspace, Jennifer Gentry, Debra Moch-Mooney, Anuja Mahashabde

Space Traffic Management Conference

Flying faster, farther, longer and higher has always captured the public’s imagination. Yet there is a vast realm of airspace that remains unexplored, save for a handful of scientific and national security missions. It is a realm rife with extremes, where flights can reach multi-Mach speeds or stay aloft for months as they slowly circumnavigate the globe. It is a realm that lies high above the clouds, at the edge of space.

Recent breakthroughs in technology, fueled by a globalized economy and society’s appetite for information, have set the stage for routine commercial operations in this new realm. Companies, old …

Enhancing Suborbital Science Through Better Understanding Of Wind Effects, Pedro Llanos, Diane Howard

Space Traffic Management Conference

This paper highlights the importance of understanding some key factors, such as winds effects, trajectory and vehicle parameters variations in order to streamline the space vehicle operations and enhance science in the upper mesosphere at about 85 km. Understanding these effects is crucial to refine current space operations and establish more robust procedures. These procedures will involve training new space operators to conduct and coordinate space operations in class E above FL600 airspace within the Air Traffic Organization (ATO).

Space vehicles such as Space Ship Two can spend up to 6 minutes in class E airspace above FL600 after launch. …

Utm, Atm, Stm… Slices Of The Sky?, Ruth E. Stilwell

Space Traffic Management Conference

UTM, ATM, STM… slices of the sky?

This paper will examine the functional differences between Unmanned Aircraft Traffic Management Systems, Air Traffic Management Systems, and Space Traffic Management. Understanding both the similarities between the systems and the different functional requirements of each concept is critical in the discussion and development of STM. While there are many commonalities in each area, it is important to understand how the different environments affect the ability to develop policies, procedure and technologies to manage the vehicles operating in the distinct environment. Both technical and legal frameworks will be discussed.

Building a conceptual framework for …

Responsible Behavior For Constellations And Clusters, Darren Mcknight, Jonathan Rosenblatt, Darren Garber

Space Traffic Management Conference

Many large constellations are being considered for deployment over the next ten years into low earth orbit (LEO). This paper seeks to quantify the risks that these constellations pose to the debris environment, the risks that the debris environment poses to these constellations, and the risks that these constellations pose to themselves. The three representative constellations examined in detail in this paper are operated (or planned to be operated) by Spire Global, Iridium, and OneWeb. This paper provides a balanced risk analysis including collision risk, operational risk, and non-adherence risk. For perspective, the risk posed by these economically useful constellations …

Commercial Space Situational Awareness (Ssa) Capabilities And Their Benefits For Civilian Space Traffic Management (Stm), Mark A. Skinner

Space Traffic Management Conference

Paralleling (but lagging) satellite development, SSA, long the sole domain of sophisticated militaries, now includes commercial providers. These commercial capabilities, identified as beneficial to the sustainable use of outer space[1], have demonstrated technical sophistication sufficient to positively contribute to the mitigation of satellite interference and provide actionable SSA information. Utilizing small optical telescopes, these entities are able to determine the orbits of objects in the geosynchronous orbit (GSO) to sizes as small as 1 m², with measured positional uncertainties of 10s of meters, on the order of the size of a modern communications satellite. These techniques …

Spaceways: Airspace In Outer Space, Scott Haeffelin

Space Traffic Management Conference

Forecasted future demand in space travel is driving the need for the development of space traffic management. Currently, orbital space traffic is mostly unregulated with internationally agreed upon best practices and self-interest driving space operators to avoid collisions with other spacecraft. This paper explores the future of space travel by presenting a concept of creating “airspace in space” or spaceways to manage the ever growing volumes of space traffic. Spaceways are analogous to airspace for aircraft with the goal of increasing levels of safety and reducing probabilities of collision. These goals can be achieved by creating traffic rules, defining valuable …

A Novel Approach For Controlled Deorbiting And Reentry Of Small Spacecraft, Larry H. Fineberg, Justin Treptow, Timothy Bass, Scott Clark, Yusef Johnson, Bradley Poffenberger

Space Traffic Management Conference

No abstract provided.

Space Analysis And Research Centers (Sparcs) For Ssa Data And Analytics, Phillip Cunio, Brien Flewelling

Space Traffic Management Conference

Widespread use of massive data and increasing reliance on spaceborne infrastructure are two of the emerging megatrends of the early 21^st century. However, both come with liabilities: movement and processing of large data volumes is very expensive, and reliance on spaceborne infrastructure adds risk that problems in the still incompletely-understood space domain might cause work disruptions.

ExoAnalytic proposes the use of Space Analysis and Research Centers (SpARCs) as a way to begin addressing both these issues. A SpARC is a facility which integrates volumes of data collected on satellites, centrally analyzes it, and makes available resulting useful information. The …

Air Traffic Impact Analysis Design For A Suborbital Point-To-Point Passenger Transport Concept, Tanja Luchkova, Sven Kaltenhaeuser, Frank Morlang

Space Traffic Management Conference

Space flight activities are growing on an international level, thereby creating an evident need for a safe and efficient integration of space vehicle operations into the air traffic system. For concepts like very high-speed intercontinental passenger transport via suborbital point-2-point flights, as it is proposed by the DLR SpaceLiner, this integration issue is becoming especially relevant. As part of a case study approach to analyse the effects of space vehicle operations on air traffic and to evaluate mitigation strategies and optimized ATM integration, a traffic impact analysis has been prepared and conducted for the SpaceLiner return trajectory towards a European …

Examining Time To Evacuate Dynamically Activated Aircraft Hazard Areas, Zheng Tao, Granghuai Wang, Ashley G. Williams, Jon L. Semanek, Jonathan L. Schwartz

Space Traffic Management Conference

The growth in launch and reentry operations in the National Airspace System (NAS) presents the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with the challenge of integrating them more efficiently while also minimizing effects on other NAS users and maintaining safety. Currently, to maintain safety and account for unforeseen events such as vehicle breakup, the FAA segregates large amounts of airspace, called Aircraft Hazard Areas (AHAs), from traditional NAS users during launch and reentry operations. In order to minimize effects on NAS users, some AHAs during reentry are dynamically activated only if an unexpected event occurs. If a dynamic AHA is activated, then …

Sub-Orbital Spaceflight – An Addition To Our Multi-Modal Transportation System, Scott Haeffelin

Space Traffic Management Conference

The number of commercial spaceflights will be increasing by orders of magnitude over the next several decades. The current volume of space traffic can be managed on a case-by-case basis and there is little impact to the National Airspace System (NAS). This will change as more spaceports become operational, commercial sub-orbital flight companies begin serving their customers and as the cost of these flights begin to decrease. Current regulatory paths seek to allow the flexibility in the regulations for this industry to flourish while also maintaining a high standard of safety. There are, however, many nearsighted and old fashioned assumptions …

Space Data Integrator (Sdi) And Space Program Integrated Data And Estimated Risk (Spider): Proof-Of-Concept Software Solution For Integrating Launch And Reentry Vehicles Into The National Airspace System (Nas), Devin D. Dickens

Space Traffic Management Conference

The Space Data Integrator (SDI) Project is the initial step to satisfy the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) strategic initiative to integrate commercial space launch and reentry vehicles into the National Airspace System. The project addresses the needs for greater situational awareness and monitoring, and increased response capability during non-nominal and catastrophic incidents during space operations.

The initial phase of this project leverages current FAA systems, and provide an initial demonstration of capability that will provide for state data from a commercial reentry vehicle to be ingested into a the FAA Traffic Flow Management System, and displayed on Traffic Situation Displays. …

The History Of Space Debris, Loretta Hall

Space Traffic Management Conference

This paper examines what space debris consists of and where it came from. In 1958, astronomer Clyde Tombaugh published the results of his research into the existence of natural debris near the Earth, concluding that no such debris existed. During the ensuing fifty-five years, man-made debris has been accumulating to the point that it threatens launches, active satellites, and the International Space Station. NASA reported that as of 2013, more than 21,000 pieces the size of a softball or larger were being tracked, as were about 500,000 pieces at least the size of a marble and “many millions” of pieces …

An Integrated Approach To Orbital Debris Research And Management, Marshall H. Kaplan

Space Traffic Management Conference

A viable space traffic management program faces a great barrier caused by the ever-increasing number and variety of orbiting objects ranging in size from a few microns to several meters. Although several international agreements to limit the growth rate of orbital debris are in place, the risk of damage and destruction to active satellites is continually rising. The urgency of this situation was highlighted by the 2007 Chinese ASAT test and the collision of Iridium and Cosmos satellites in 2009. Although many debris removal techniques have been posited none have been implemented. Unless a space debris reduction program is undertaken …

Where Is Space? And Why Does That Matter?, Bhavya Lal, Emily Nightingale

Space Traffic Management Conference

Despite decades of debate on the topic, there is no consensus on what, precisely, constitutes the boundary between airspace and outer space. The topic is mired in legal and political conundrums, and the easy solution to-date has been to not agree on a definition of space. Lack of a definition, some experts claim, has not limited space-based activities, and therefore is not a hurdle that must be overcome. There are increasing calls however in light of increasing (and expectations of increasing) space traffic, both orbital and sub-orbital. This paper summarizes the proposed delimitation of space, the current debate on whether …