Related papers: Directed Energy Missions for Planetary Defense
Exploration of asteroids and small-bodies can provide valuable insight into the origins of the solar system, into the origins of Earth and the origins of the building blocks of life. However, the low-gravity and unknown surface conditions…
Here we explore a technique for constraining physical properties of near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) based on variability in thermal emission as a function of viewing aspect. We present case studies of the low albedo, near-Earth asteroids…
Our ability to explore the cosmos by direct contact has been limited to a small number of lunar and interplanetary missions. However, the NASA Starlight program points a path forward to send small, relativistic spacecraft far outside our…
Radio wavelength astrometry of stars and other objects has a long and productive history. The use of that technique to determine whether stars have planets around them would cover a nearly unique part of the parameter space for detection of…
LEO satellite constellation coverage has served as the base platform for various space applications. However, the rapidly evolving security environment such as orbit debris and adversarial space threats are greatly endangering the security…
Context. Radiation-driven mass loss is key to our understanding of massive-star evolution. However, for low-luminosity O-type stars there are big discrepancies between theoretically predicted and empirically derived mass-loss rates (called…
As part of the dynamical analysis carried out within the Horizon 2020 ReDSHIFT project, this work analyzes the possible strategies to guide low altitude satellites towards an atmospheric reentry through an impulsive maneuver. We consider a…
Lightsails using Earth-based lasers for propulsion require passive stabilization to stay within the beam. This can be achieved through the sail's scattering properties, creating optical restoring forces and torques. Undamped restoring…
This work investigates the feasibility and design trade-offs for a companion spacecraft, or PaddleSat, to charge a host spacecraft by wirelessly transmitting power using a directional laser system. The primary goal of the PaddleSat is to…
All stars produce explosive surface events such as flares and coronal mass ejections. These events are driven by the release of energy stored in coronal magnetic fields, generated by the stellar dynamo. However, it remains unclear if the…
Synchronous binary asteroids can experience libration about their tidally-locked equilibrium, which will result in energy dissipation. This is an important topic to the Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment, where excitation caused by…
Different laser devices working as ``atom diodes'' or ``one-way barriers'' for ultra-cold atoms have been proposed recently. They transmit ground state level atoms coming from one side, say from the left, but reflect them when they come…
We derive a formalism, within the theory of linear response, for the analysis of the interaction of a satellite (the perturber) with a spherical galaxy whose equilibrium is described by a one-particle distribution function. We compute the…
A deep-space exploration mission with low-thrust propulsion to rendezvous with multiple asteroids is investigated. Indirect methods, based on the optimal control theory, are implemented to optimize the fuel consumption. The application of…
Distributed laser charging (DLC) is a wireless power transfer technology for mobile electronics. Similar to traditional wireless charging systems, the DLC system can only provide constant power to charge a battery. However, Li-ion battery…
Exoplanet imaging missions utilizing an external occulter (starshade) for starlight suppression require precise alignment between the telescope and starshade, necessitating maintenance of the starshade orbit during observations.…
We consider the gas dynamics in an accreting binary system of degenerate stars within the framework of the Newtonian approximation. In such a system, the accretion stream can impact the surface of a white dwarf (WD) or neutron star (NS) as…
In recent years a paradigm shift has occurred in exoplanet science, wherein low-mass stars are increasingly viewed as a foundational pillar of the search for potentially habitable worlds in the solar neighborhood. However, the formation…
The escalating accumulation of orbital debris threatens the sustainability of space operations, necessitating active removal solutions that overcome the limitations of current fuel-dependent methods. To address this, this study introduces a…
The increasing number of space missions may overwhelm ground support infrastructure, prompting the need for autonomous deep-space guidance, navigation, and control (GN\&C) systems. These systems offer sustainable and cost-effective…