Related papers: A full scale atmospheric flight experimental resea…
A theme that has come to the fore in advanced planning for long-range space exploration is the concept of "propellantless propulsion" or "field propulsion." One version of this concept involves the projected possibility that empty space…
A theme that has come to the fore in advanced planning for long-range space exploration is the concept of "propellantless propulsion" or "field propulsion." One version of this concept involves the projected possibility that empty space…
In this paper we present a numerical study of plasma jets produced by intense laser matter interactions. Through this study we hope to better understand astrophysical jets and their recent experimental simulations in the laboratory. We paid…
New concept for reducing dose radiation exposure, which helps to decrease the duration and cost of deep space human missions is introduced. This concept can be efficiently realized, using modern materials, such as carbon nanotube…
The search for extraterrestrial life has long been a primary focus of scientific exploration, driven by rapid advancements in technology and our understanding of the universe. The discovery of water on Mars has sparked significant interest,…
A central question surrounding possible human exploration of Mars is whether crewed missions can be supported by available technologies using in situ resources. Here, we show that photovoltaics-based power systems would be adequate and…
This paper introduces a novel, small form-factor, aerial vehicle research platform for agile object detection, classification, tracking, and interaction tasks. General-purpose hardware components were designed to augment a given aerial…
The Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging (DAVINCI) mission described herein has been selected for flight to Venus as part of the NASA Discovery Program. DAVINCI will be the first mission to Venus to…
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are getting closer to becoming ubiquitous in everyday life. Among them, Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs) have seen an outburst of attention recently, specifically in the area with a demand for autonomy. A key…
In this paper, an analysis of the sensing volume coverage of robot workspace as well as the shared human-robot collaborative workspace for various configurations of on-robot Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensor array rings is presented. A…
An experimental research concerning highly underexpanded jets made of different gases from the surrounding ambient is here described. By selecting different species of gases, it was possible to vary the jet-to-ambient density ratio in the…
The exploration of electronic and optoelectronic properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials has become one of the most attractive line of research since the isolation of graphene. Such 'all-surface materials' present a strong sensitivity…
Present-day Mars is cold and dry, but mineralogical and morphological evidence shows that liquid-water existed on the surface of ancient Mars. In order to explain this evidence and assess ancient Mars's habitability, one must understand the…
Orbital detectors without pointing capability have to keep their field of view axis laying on their orbital plane, to observe the largest sky fraction. A general approach to estimate the exposure of each sky element for such detectors is a…
Ocean sampling for highly temporal phenomena, such as harmful algal blooms, necessitates a vehicle capable of fast aerial travel interspersed with an aquatic means of acquiring in-situ measurements. Vehicle platforms with this capability…
We use thermodynamic calculations to model atmospheric chemistry on terrestrial exoplanets that are hot enough for chemical equilibira between the atmosphere and lithosphere, as on Venus. The results of our calculations place constraints on…
High speed navigation through unknown environments is a challenging problem in robotics. It requires fast computation and tight integration of all the subsystems on the robot such that the latency in the perception-action loop is as small…
Space exploration has been on the rise since the 1960s. Along with the other planets such as Mercury, Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter, Mars certainly plays a significant role in the history of space exploration and has the potential to be the…
Autonomous aerial robots are increasingly being deployed in real-world scenarios, where transparent glass obstacles present significant challenges to reliable navigation. Researchers have investigated the use of non-contact sensors and…
Terraforming Mars is an age old science fiction concept now worth revisiting through the lens of modern science and technology. This document serves as a summary of contemporary ideas about Mars terraforming, prepared for attendees of the…