Most space mission systems so far have used a spacecraft designed to perform a whole mission by itself. Whether it was a weather satellite or a human-manned module like Apollo, almost every spacecraft has been deployed and carried out its one-time mission entirely by itself.
But today space corporations are exploring missions during which many satellites work together. For example, SpaceX Starlink constellations Thousands of satellites are being launched into space, and recent spacecraft may soon have the option to attach or interact with other satellites in orbit to repair or refuel them.
Some of those spacecraft are already in operation and serving customers equivalent to Northrop Grumman’s Mission Extension VehicleThis spacecraft has extends the lifespan of several communications satellites.
These recent design options and orbital capabilities make space missions seem more like large logistics operations on Earth.
We are researchers who’ve studied the space industry We have examined how the space sector could learn lessons from corporations like Amazon or FedEx to managing complex fleets and coordinating processes.
Lessons from the bottom transportation network
Space mission planners plan their routes to efficiently deliver their payloads to the Moon or Mars or into orbit, making an allowance for costs, timelines and capacities. But once they need to coordinate the collaboration of multiple spacecraft, route planning can develop into complicated.
Local logistics corporations solve similar problems daily, transporting goods and commodities across the globe, so researchers can study how these corporations manage their logistics to assist space corporations and agencies work out easy methods to plan their missions successfully.
A study funded by NASA In the early 2000s, he had an idea for simulating space logistics operations. These researchers considered orbits or planets as cities and the trajectories connecting them as routes. They also considered the payload, consumables, fuel and other items to be transported as goods.
This approach allowed them to reframe the issue of space missions as an issue of products flow – a difficulty that ground logistics corporations are continuously grappling with.
Lessons from ground logistics infrastructure
New Opportunities to refuel and repair of spacecraft in orbit create recent opportunities and challenges.
Space operators typically don't know which satellite will fail next, or when that can occur. For these recent technologies to be useful, space mission developers would wish to develop an infrastructure system. This could seem like a fleet of service vehicles and depots in space that may respond quickly to unexpected events.
Fortunately, space mission planners can learn from what happens on the bottom. City planners and emergency response organizations consider these sorts of challenges when deciding where to locate hospitals or fire departments. They also consider the capability of those facilities to answer unpredictable emergency calls.
We can draw an analogy between the design of a ground logistics system and the design of an area servicing system. In this fashion, researchers can use theories developed for ground logistics to enhance the design practice for space missions.
A study The study, published in November 2020, developed a framework for servicing spacecraft in orbit using what logistics experts call spatial queuing theory. Researchers most frequently use this modeling theory to research the performance of a ground logistics system.
Lessons from soil storage management
In the past, individual spacecraft conducted their missions independently, so if one satellite failed, mission engineers needed to design and send a substitute.
For missions with multiple satellites, equivalent to the Iridium satellite constellationOperators often Keep a number of spare parts in orbit.
This gets complicated for constellations with a whole lot or 1000’s of spacecraft. Mission planners wish to be sure they’ve enough spare satellites in orbit in order that if one satellite breaks they don't need to interrupt the mission. But sending too many spare satellites gets expensive.
In such large-scale setups, mission planners can learn from the methods Amazon and other ground corporations use to administer their warehouses. Amazon sets up these warehouses in specific locations and stocks them with specific items to make sure efficient delivery.
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On-site inventory management theories may also help aerospace corporations overcome these challenges.
A study The study, published in November 2019, developed an approach that space corporations could use to administer their spare satellite strategies. This approach may also help them determine where in orbit to deploy their spare satellites to fulfill their needs while minimizing any service disruptions.
International dimensions
Spacecraft operate in a posh and rapidly changing environment. Operators have to know where other missions are operating and what rules they have to follow when refueling or making repairs in space. But in space, nobody has yet defined those rules.
Ships, aircraft and ground vehicles all have clear Road traffic rules to follow when interacting with other vehicles. For example, civilian ships and aircraft must share their location with other vehicles and officials to control traffic.
Some researchers are studying what similar rules might seem like for space. A study examined how developing rules based on a spacecraft's size, age, or other characteristics could help future space operations run more easily. For example, one rule could be that probably the most recently launched spacecraft should take responsibility for maneuvering when one other craft is in its path.
With more satellites and spacecraft being launched today than ever before, corporations and government agencies need recent technologies and policies to coordinate them. As space activities develop into more complex, researchers can proceed to use what they've learned on the bottom to recent space missions.
image credit : theconversation.com