Power to survive during the Moon night: an SPS application?
- Paper number
IAC-08.C3.1.2
- Author
Dr. Leopold Summerer, European Space Agency (ESA), The Netherlands
- Coauthor
Mrs. Laura Torres, SENER Ingeneria y Sistemas, S.A., Spain
- Coauthor
Ms. Maria Johansson, European Space Agency (ESA), The Netherlands
- Year
2008
- Abstract
The Moon is regularly considered as the next step for human settlement in space, a first stage towards Mars exploration and test-bed for the new technologies and concepts. The special lunar environment makes it a unique location for some research areas.
The slow rotational velocity of the Moon entails long lunar days, with a synodic period of 29.5 days. This low rotation causes long shadowing phases on the lunar surface, up to almost 15 days for low and intermediate latitudes, which affect drastically the design of the missions to the Moon’s surface.
For long latitudes, the shadowing effects are even more remarkable: illumination conditions are favourable at lunar poles for the corresponding polar summers, achieving long periods of illumination. The most illuminated areas experience sunlight exceeding 80% of the lunar day. Illumination conditions for polar winters are the opposite, so that life-times of polar mission are normally restricted to last only a few months. Any extension of those missions needs a non-solar supply of energy to allow them survive the lunar nights.
The possibility of using Solar Power Satellites (SPS) as a remote power source for lunar missions as an alternative to nuclear power sources has been studied and published. A lunar mission using SPS could be seen as a mission in its own right, but also as a technology demonstrator for solar power satellites. Depending on the mission design and profile, lunar surface missions might require regular or continuous power supply for surviving lunar nights. Depending on the orbital parameters, solar power satellites offer to provide either regular or continuous power for such missions.
Based on previous work, the present paper presents additional analysis of the different possibilities for options for SPS for lunar shadow coverage, with an emphasis on the orbital options. It identifies the main issues to be considered and the consequences the particular dynamics of lunar environment introduces in the orbital requirements of any lunar SPS.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-08.C3.1.2.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.