Technical programme
IAC-16 — 67th International Astronautical Congress
C3. SPACE POWER SYMPOSIUM
Reliable energy systems continue to be key for all space missions. The future exploration and development of space depends on new, more affordable and more reliable energy sources of diverse types ranging from the very small to the extraordinarily large. Moreover, the continuing support for space activities by the public requires that these activities are increasingly inserted into the global challenge to transition current terrestrial energy systems into more environmentally friendly, sustainable ones. The space sector has traditionally served as cutting edge precursor for the development of some renewable power systems. These activities are now put into a much larger space & energy perspective. These range from joint technology development up to visionary concepts such as space solar power plants. The Space Power Symposium addresses all these aspects, covering the whole range from power generation, energy conversion & storage, power management, power transmission & distribution at system and sub-system levels including commercial considerations. It will include, but not be restricted, to topics such as advanced solar and nuclear systems for spacecraft power and propulsion, novel power generation and energy harvesting, and examine the prospects for using space-based power plants to provide energy remotely to the Earth or other planets.
- Coordinator
Leopold Summerer
European Space Agency (ESA) — The NetherlandsKoji Tanaka
Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency — Japan
C3.1. Space-Based Solar Power Architectures / Space & Energy Concepts
This session deals with all aspects of architectures and concepts for space-based solar power plants and concepts integrating space and terrestrial energy activities. It will be structured in two half-sessions, one focusing on advances in the field of space solar power plant architectures and one on activities in the field of space & energy, including all types of conceptual, technical and organisational progress to better integrate space and terrestrial energy activities. It is the primary international forum for scientific and technical exchanges on this topic and thus provides a unique common platform for discussions. Topically it will include all system-level, architectural, organisational and commercial aspects, including modelling and optimisation as well as related non-technical aspects.
- Co-Chair
Leopold Summerer
European Space Agency (ESA) — The NetherlandsJohn C. Mankins
ARTEMIS Innovation Management Solutions, LLC — United States
- Rapporteur
Nobuyuki Kaya
Kobe University — JapanKoji Tanaka
Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency — Japan
C3.2. Wireless Power Transmission Technologies, Experiments and Demonstrations
This session focuses on all aspects of wireless power transmission systems. It covers wireless power transmission technologies, including laser, microwave-based as well as novel wireless power transmission technologies from the short ranges (e.g. within spacecraft or between two surface installations) up the very large distances for space exploration and power transmission from space to ground. The session covers theoretical as well as applied and experimental results, including emitter/receiver antenna architectures and deployment.
- Co-Chair
Nobuyuki Kaya
Kobe University — JapanFrank Little
Texas A&M University — United States
- Rapporteur
Massimiliano Vasile
University of Strathclyde — United Kingdom
C3.3. Advanced Space Power Technologies and Concepts
This session covers all type of advanced space power technologies and concepts. These include technologies and concepts related to power generation (solar, nuclear, other) and harvesting, power conditioning, management and distribution, energy storage, and energy generation. This session focuses on the power systems in the hundreds of watts and above, including large power systems for telecom spacecraft and novel power architectures for planetary, asteroid and lunar exploration scenarios up to MW size nuclear reactor systems.
- Co-Chair
Carla Signorini
European Space Agency (ESA) — The NetherlandsLee Mason
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Glenn Research Center — United States
- Rapporteur
Matthew Perren
Airbus Defence & Space — United KingdomKoji Tanaka
Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency — Japan
C3.4. Small and Very Small Advanced Space Power Systems
This session is devoted to emerging concepts of very small power systems typically below the tens of watts but including micro and milli-watt power harvesting technologies. While the space power market is still dominated by increasing power systems for large platforms, essentially telecom platforms, a dynamic market is emerging on the low power and low performance fringes of space in the form of nano-, micro and mini spacecraft. This session is dedicated to power systems for such applications as well as for very low power, long-duration exploration probes and sensors.
- Co-Chair
Shoichiro Mihara
Japan Space Systems — JapanMassimiliano Vasile
University of Strathclyde — United Kingdom
- Rapporteur
Alex Ignatiev
— United States
C3.5-C4.7. Joint Session on Nuclear Power and Propulsion
This session, organised jointly between the Space Power and the Space Propulsion Symposium, includes papers addressing all aspects related to nuclear power and propulsion for space applications.
- Co-Chair
Leopold Summerer
European Space Agency (ESA) — The NetherlandsJerome Breteau
European Space Agency (ESA) — France
- Rapporteur
George Schmidt
NASA Glenn Research Center — United StatesVito Salvatore
CIRA Italian Aerospace Research Center, Capua — Italy
C3.IP. Interactive Presentations
Authors with an abstract accepted for an interactive presentation will be asked to prepare slides and display them for the duration of the congress on plasma screens. Authors will be assigned to interactive sessions in which they must be near the plasma screens to engage in interactive discussions with other congress attendees.
- Coordinator
Leopold Summerer
European Space Agency (ESA) — The NetherlandsKoji Tanaka
Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency — Japan