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Full-Text Articles in Space Vehicles
Trajectory Design Optimization Using Coupled Radial Basis Functions (Crbfs), Kyler Roy
Trajectory Design Optimization Using Coupled Radial Basis Functions (Crbfs), Kyler Roy
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Optimal trajectory design has been extensively studied across multiple disciplines adopting different techniques for implementation and execution. It has been utilized in past space trajectory missions to either optimize the amount of fuel spent or minimize the time of flight to meet mission requirements. Coupled Radial Basis Functions (CRBFs) are a new way to solve these optimal control problems, and this thesis applies CRBFs to spacecraft trajectory optimization design problems. CRBFs are real-valued radial basis functions (RBFs) that utilize a conical spline while also not being affected by the value of the shape parameter. The CRBF approach is applied to …
Characterizing Air Plasma Sprayed Aluminum Oxide Coatings For The Protection Of Structures In Lunar Environments, Perla Latorre Suarez
Characterizing Air Plasma Sprayed Aluminum Oxide Coatings For The Protection Of Structures In Lunar Environments, Perla Latorre Suarez
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Wear-resistant ceramic and ceramic composite coatings are significant to provide durability and support long-duration missions to the moon's surface for rovers, landers, robotic systems, habitats, and many other components. On the Lunar surface, structural components are continuously exposed to lunar dust projectiles that can cause protective coating delamination around the affected area, of protective coatings and this may not be physically visible. Ceramic coatings, composed of alumina, present excellent resistance to different types of wear due to their high strength and hardness as well as the ability to protect structural components from regolith impacts, wear, and abrasive damage. Air Plasma …
Adaptive Analytic Continuation For The State Transition Tensors Of The Two-Body Problem, Tahsinul Haque Tasif
Adaptive Analytic Continuation For The State Transition Tensors Of The Two-Body Problem, Tahsinul Haque Tasif
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
In the past few decades, Kessler syndrome (named after Donald J. Kessler) has become a point of concern in the field of Space Situational Awareness and the future of space missions. It refers to a scenario, where space debris in Earth's orbits collides and creates an exponential increase in space debris numbers leading to more collisions and more debris. In order to handle the resulting challenges like conjunction analysis, tracking, and probability of collisions, the State Transition Matrix (STM) and Tensors (STTs) of the orbit problem play a significant role. In addition, STM and STTs are ubiquitous in spaceflight dynamics, …
Studying The Electrostatic Effects On The Dynamics Of Charged Lunar Dust Via Discrete Element Method, Hao Wang
Studying The Electrostatic Effects On The Dynamics Of Charged Lunar Dust Via Discrete Element Method, Hao Wang
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Dust problems raise significant concerns in planetary surface exploration. The unusual behavior of the dust particles that surround the vehicle after engine cutoff has the potential to have more of an influence on surface systems than the high velocity lunar rocket plume ejecta in the landing process. A prevailing hypothesis attributes the levitation and transport of dust particles on the surface of airless bodies to the electrostatic effects and electric field. However, there is no accurate model considering the inter-particle electrostatic interactions, especially when the particles are charged by plume. This dissertation aims to understand the behavior of charged lunar …
Modeling And Experimentation Of Buckling Of Composite Deployable Booms Under Bending, Christopher D. Rehberg
Modeling And Experimentation Of Buckling Of Composite Deployable Booms Under Bending, Christopher D. Rehberg
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
This thesis presents experimental and finite element analysis results of eccentrically loaded carbon-fiber composite booms that can deploy solar sails. Using the collapsible tubular mast design along with the geometry from the upcoming Advance Composite Solar Sail System mission, short composite booms segments were manufactured for testing. New clamps were also designed to allow a column bending test to achieve eccentric loading. As buckling through eccentric loading has not previously seen much research, the geometry and composite layups were simplified to allow for ease of manufacturing and verification. The work presented here shows that a finite element simulation, using a …
Simulating Ejecta Blown Off The Lunar Surface Due To Landing Spacecraft Using The Mercury N-Body Integrator, Isabel Rivera
Simulating Ejecta Blown Off The Lunar Surface Due To Landing Spacecraft Using The Mercury N-Body Integrator, Isabel Rivera
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
The experiences of the Apollo lunar landings revealed the danger lunar dust can pose to surrounding hardware, outposts, and orbiting spacecraft. Future lunar missions such as the Artemis program will require more information about the trajectories of ejecta blown by landers to protect orbiting spacecraft such as the Lunar Gateway. In this paper, we simulate lunar lander ejecta trajectories using the Mercury N-body integrator. We placed cones of test particles on the Moon at the North Pole, South Pole, and Equator with various ejection speeds and angles. The results show that particles ejected at speeds near the Moon's escape velocity …
Rapid Orbital Motion Emulator (Rome): Kinematics Modeling And Control, Ahmed Elsadek Ahmed Seleit
Rapid Orbital Motion Emulator (Rome): Kinematics Modeling And Control, Ahmed Elsadek Ahmed Seleit
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Space missions design requires already tested and trusted control algorithms for spacecraft motion. Rapidly testing control algorithms at a low cost is essential. A novel robotic system that emulates orbital motion in a laboratory environment is presented. The system is composed of a six degree of freedom robotic manipulator fixed on top of an omnidirectional ground vehicle accompanied with onboard computer and sensors. The integrated mobile manipulator is used as a testbed to emulate and realize orbital motion and control algorithms. The kinematic relations of the ground vehicle, robotic manipulator and the coupled kinematics are derived. The system is used …
Viscoelastic Analysis Of High Strain Composites For Deployable Structures In Space Applications, Andrew Gomez-Delrio
Viscoelastic Analysis Of High Strain Composites For Deployable Structures In Space Applications, Andrew Gomez-Delrio
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Thin-ply composite laminates capable of enduring high strains are currently under investigation for compliant deployable spacecraft structures. Deployable structures such as booms fabricated from these materials can be flattened and coiled to high curvatures, achieving a compact configuration for stowage. Once in orbit, they are released with minimal actuation for deployment, allowing the operational geometry to be recovered. Previous studies have shown that the viscoelastic properties of the composite epoxy matrix can negatively impact final shape accuracy due to stress relaxation during stowage. In addition, since the strain energy stored is relied upon for deployment, considerable relaxation can potentially result …
Inertial Orbit Estimation Using Multiple Space Based Observers: A New Measurement Model, James Hippelheuser
Inertial Orbit Estimation Using Multiple Space Based Observers: A New Measurement Model, James Hippelheuser
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Presented within this work is a new method for inertial orbit estimation of an object, either known or unknown, adaptable to a network of low-cost observation satellites. The observation satellites would only require a monocular camera for line of sight measurements. Using the line of sight measurements of each observer, a pair of orthogonal geometric planes that intersect both the observation satellite and the target are created. The intersection of the two planes in the inertial frame defines the new measurement model that is implemented with multiple observation nodes. Total system observability is analyzed and the instantaneous (per node) observability …
Operability And Wave Characterization Of Hydrogen And Oxygen Fed Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine, Robert Burke
Operability And Wave Characterization Of Hydrogen And Oxygen Fed Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine, Robert Burke
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Recently, novel experimental evidence of continuous rotating detonations for gaseous H2/O2 propellants with a rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE) was attained on the 3-inch Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Distribution A RDRE, with the fuel and oxidizer injectors modified for H2/O2 gas propellants. Evident in previous experiments, detonation instabilities arising from upstream deflagration, from recirculation zones, and from insufficient gas mixing challenged resolution of detonation wave behavior from back-end imaging with the available optical equipment. Images were often over-illuminated from both the high amount of deflagration in the plume and the higher density of detonation waves in the annulus coupled …
Piezospectroscopic Sensing Systems - Multi-Scale And In-Situ Sensing Technology For Structural Integrity, Remelisa Esteves
Piezospectroscopic Sensing Systems - Multi-Scale And In-Situ Sensing Technology For Structural Integrity, Remelisa Esteves
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
The aerospace industry relies on nondestructive evaluation (NDE) to ensure aircraft safety and will benefit from methods that allow for early damage detection. Photoluminescence piezospectroscopy (PS) has demonstrated stress and damage sensing of substrates when coupled with alpha-alumina nanoparticles in a polymer matrix applied as a sensor coating. Alpha phase alumina exhibits photoluminescent spectral emission lines (R-lines) that shift due to changes in the stress state of the alumina. The coatings' capability for sensing early subsurface damage suggests the potential for implementing stress sensing paint for integrity monitoring of aircraft structures. To achieve a viable stress sensing coating that can …
Mechanical Properties Of Boron Carbide (B4c), Ruslan Kuliiev
Mechanical Properties Of Boron Carbide (B4c), Ruslan Kuliiev
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Boron carbide (B4C) is one of the most important opaque boride ceramics that has high hardness and Young's modulus that along with low density lead to a significant resistance to ballistic impact and, thus, B4C is broadly used as a protective material. B4C has also high neutron capturing cross section; therefore, it is used as control rods and neutron absorption shielding in nuclear reactors. In this work thermal, electrical and mechanical properties of dense B4C ceramics (99%) sintered using Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) were investigated. The Young's modulus of B4C measured by three different techniques – IE, RUS, and nanoindentation …
Hybrid Physics-Informed Neural Networks For Dynamical Systems, Renato Giorgiani Do Nascimento
Hybrid Physics-Informed Neural Networks For Dynamical Systems, Renato Giorgiani Do Nascimento
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-
Ordinary differential equations can describe many dynamic systems. When physics is well understood, the time-dependent responses are easily obtained numerically. The particular numerical method used for integration depends on the application. Unfortunately, when physics is not fully understood, the discrepancies between predictions and observed responses can be large and unacceptable. In this thesis, we show how to directly implement integration of ordinary differential equations through recurrent neural networks using Python. We leveraged modern machine learning frameworks, such as TensorFlow and Keras. Besides offering basic models capabilities (such as multilayer perceptrons and recurrent neural networks) and optimization methods, these frameworks offer …