Libration points stations: gates for deep space.
- Paper number
IAC-05-E2.P.05
- Author
Mr. Enrico Capiozzo, CISAS G. Colombo Center of Studies and Activities for Space, University of Padova, Italy
- Coauthor
Dr. Marco Manente, CISAS G. Colombo Center of Studies and Activities for Space, University of Padova, Italy
- Coauthor
Dr. Daniele Pavarin, CISAS G. Colombo Center of Studies and Activities for Space, University of Padova, Italy
- Year
2005
- Abstract
After the recent great successes of European and American mars exploration missions, humanity is probably ready for the new space challenge: colonize solar system. Planets should be possible target of future colonized mission, but actually only our Moon seems to have the requirements that can satisfy a similar project.
Considering the resources, nowadays available, it is not completely realistic and paying to think about a colonize mission without using some intermediate space transhipping and supplying stations. Infact launcher technology doesn’t allow till now, for a complete journey for an back to any even closer planets, satisfying the tight requirements of human missions.
A very interesting possible solution is the use of transhipping stations. These structures placed in some strategic places can at first pull down the quantity of propellant, necessary for the entire mission. A possible location of these refuelling stations could be the libration points, since orbit around them provides a constant thermal environment, a constant power through the solar panels and a continuous link to the earth. Moreover libration points seems to be joints between InterPlanetary Superhighways IPS. It means that libration points stations could be able to became the space ports for deep space exploration missions, allowing manned spacecraft to reach planets or unmanned missions to follow low-trust low-energy IPS trajectories.
Refuelling station could also operate not only as depot station but also as a power plant, storing solar energy into hydrogen and oxygen by electrolytic process. The incoming spacecraft will download water and will load fuel as hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen and Oxygen will be recombined into high efficiency fuel cells inside the spacecraft, water will be converted in hydrogen and oxygen in the solar power plant.
In this work it is presented a preliminary feasibility study on a selected unmanned transfer mission compared with a “classic one” considering:
- efficiency on using an intermediate transfer station refuelling.
- efficiency of in-orbit power generation and storage.
- efficiency on using IPS transfer orbit.
The study considers both constant specific impulse and variable specific impulse electric thrusters.
- Abstract document