Title:
A Solar-Powered Near Earth Object Resource Extractor
A Solar-Powered Near Earth Object Resource Extractor
| dc.contributor.author | Rangedera, Thilini | en_US |
| dc.contributor.author | Vanmali, Ravi | en_US |
| dc.contributor.author | Shah, Nilesh | en_US |
| dc.contributor.author | Zaidi, Waqar | en_US |
| dc.contributor.author | Komerath, Narayanan Menon | en_US |
| dc.contributor.corporatename | Georgia Institute of Technology. Space Systems Design Lab | en_US |
| dc.contributor.corporatename | Georgia Institute of Technology. School of Aerospace Engineering | en_US |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2006-02-02T21:25:46Z | en_US |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2006-03-03T21:13:32Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2006-02-02T21:25:46Z | en_US |
| dc.date.available | 2006-03-03T21:13:32Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2005-11-10 | en_US |
| dc.description | This conference features the work of authors from: Georgia Tech’s Space Systems Design Lab, Aerospace Systems Design Lab, School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Tech Research Institute; NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Marshall Space Flight Center, Goddard Space Flight Center, Langley Research Center; and other aerospace industry and academic institutions | en_US |
| dc.description.abstract | This paper is an offshoot of a project to study means of forming massive radiationshielded structures using Near Earth Object (NEO) materials. The topic is the conceptual design of a solar-powered robotic craft to land on, attach to, and extract materials from, a typical NEO. A solar-powered trajectory to a candidate NEO is used to estimate requirements. A reconfigurable solar sail / collector is the primary propulsion and power source for the craft. Following a journey of nearly 5 years, the craft will use a unique pulsed plasmajet torque-hammer concept to attach to the NEO. The basic cutting tool element is a solar-powered Neodymium fiber laser beam sheathed in a plasma jet, expanded through a truncated aerospike nozzle. Two telescoping, rotating arms carrying a total of 60 such nozzles at the ends of "fingers" enable the craft to dig and "float" out NEO material at a rate adequate to build a 50m diameter, 50m-long, 2m thick, walled cylinder within 19 days. The system is also amenable to applications requiring excavation of a large mass of near-surface material for resource processing. The present design appears to close with a total payload to LEO of 37,500 kg, with a total mass of 30,000 kg including the sail/collector at earth escape. The primary consumables on the system are the plasma gas for cutting and maneuvering, and electrodes of the plasma cutters. | en_US |
| dc.description.sponsorship | AIAA Space Systems Technical Committee ; AIAA Space Transportation Systems Technical Committee ; Space Technology Advanced Research Center | en_US |
| dc.format.extent | 216899 bytes | en_US |
| dc.format.extent | 1905 bytes | |
| dc.format.extent | 216899 bytes | |
| dc.format.mimetype | application/pdf | en_US |
| dc.format.mimetype | text/plain | |
| dc.format.mimetype | application/pdf | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/1853/8047 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_US | en_US |
| dc.publisher | Georgia Institute of Technology | en_US |
| dc.relation.ispartofseries | SSEC05. Session F;GT-SSEC.F.3 | en_US |
| dc.subject | Near Earth Objects | en_US |
| dc.subject | NEO | en_US |
| dc.subject | Solar-powered robotic craft | en_US |
| dc.subject | Reconfigurable solar sail and collector | en_US |
| dc.subject | Solar-powered propulsion and power sources | en_US |
| dc.subject | NEO material excavation | en_US |
| dc.subject | Neodymium fiber laser beam | en_US |
| dc.subject | NEO resource processing | en_US |
| dc.title | A Solar-Powered Near Earth Object Resource Extractor | en_US |
| dc.type | Text | |
| dc.type.genre | Presentation | |
| dspace.entity.type | Publication | |
| local.contributor.corporatename | Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory (ASDL) | |
| local.relation.ispartofseries | Space Systems Engineering Conference | |
| relation.isOrgUnitOfPublication | a8736075-ffb0-4c28-aa40-2160181ead8c | |
| relation.isSeriesOfPublication | a55c7ee7-6ea7-4115-bdc9-63faecf45826 |