Security is an increasingly hot topic in space. The ACT works together with the Security Strategy and Partnership Development Office (DG-PS) in topics like: space debris, fractionated spacecraft and disaster response.

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Active Debris Removal

Space Debris is a topic of high interest especially in terms of asset security. The main aim of this project at the ACT is to perform research on new and innovative scientific and technical concepts for active space debris removal, and should not be restricted to the classical spacecraft engineering and mission analysis research areas.

Though the problem is imminent, we are looking at and understanding technical feasibility of the ideas for a 2025 timeframe, including asking the question "What research is key to reach the necessary technological level?". To come up with innovative solutions and concepts the ACT is cooperating with European academy within the Ariadna framework. See also the Ariadna 'Call for Ideas' started earlier this year.

Fractionated Spacecraft Concept

The ACT in collaboration with DG-PS started the investigation of possible future and advanced scenarios and concepts in the broad area of space and security (e.g. disaster monitoring, dual use technology, space debris, NEOs, etc.) with a look at DARPA's F6 project because of its interest framework, which includes possible dual use, its aim for asset security, as well as, re-configurability. Apart from that the project also provides a new methodology for space systems design (see the proposed value-centric design method) with the ability of extending/reconfiguring space architectures over time by adding and/or dropping assets.

We aim to simulate dynamic resource sharing between multiple small spacecraft, taking a first step from theoretically described resource sharing to its application in orbit to ensure that each spacecraft module has the needed resources for operation. For this we use a Multi-Agent System (MAS) to model the spacecrafts as agents with a given resource requirment and the ability to transfer (point-to-point) resources between the agents.

Another area of research is how to evade incoming threats to a cluster of satellites. One of the key requirements of a fractionated spacecraft is the need to maintain proximity flight in order to be functional. In a space environment, that is getting increasingly crowded, another key requirement is collision avoidance. The project addresses the capability of the fractionated spacecraft to perform the collision avoidance maneuver, via distributed autonomous control, in the event of directed or random threats while at the same time maintaining formation with each other. Various strategies are compared to each other and to the centralized approach in terms of metrics: probability of success without loss of long-term functionality, delta-V spent, time required and power required. Working on this project is the first International Research Fellow at the ACT, Sreeja Nag.

Space for Disaster Response

The ACT provided input for two CDF studies focussing on the issue of disaster response and what space assets are available to provide support. The studies also investigated how these assets can be used currently and how the usage can be improved, especially for first responders.

Bibliography, References

Leitner, J., Simulating Resource Sharing In Spacecraft Clusters Using Multi-Agent-Systems, Small Satellites Systems and Services - The 4S Symposium, 2010. (link)

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