Human Activities In Space Research Articles

PROTECTION OF THE SPACE ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AS A PARADIGM FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPACE LEGISLATION

Managing human activity in outer space requires a mixture of tools, including technology, economics, and law. Though technology and economics are of prime importance, the space sector needs a clear, coherent, and adequately granular regulatory environment that ensures its sustainable development and also serves sustainability on Earth. No doubt the law can be a tool for introducing sustainability into the space sector’s daily life. To serve as such, law should be almost as dynamic and agile as the space activity and space environment. The space law should not only be descriptive, but it should also address new concepts such as in-orbit servicing, asteroid mining, etc. By doing so, it should also embrace the technical aspects of space activities even if they are not mandatory by international law. The lawmakers, especially national legislators, must also not be afraid to tackle new areas. The primary duty of national governments is to enhance safety and minimize risk in all, traditional and emerging space ventures, both in material and financial contexts that do not only directly affect their citizens and their assets, but also the environment, which obviously serve the entire society in an inclusive way and on a long-term basis. The purpose of this paper is to provide a voice in the discussion on the concept of sustainable development of space activities and suitability of the existing space regulatory framework. In order to draw some conclusions, it seems necessary to analyse the notion of sustainability against the existing legal framework, so as to state whether it is still up to date in this respect and whether it may contribute to materializing the sustainable development of the space sector. In particular, it is interesting to consider whether the liability regime, including the notion of damage and prerequisites of claims for compensation as adopted in the Liability Convention may still serve its purpose and answer the needs of the shift in the priorities of space exploration. Finally, I intend to consider the possibility of drawing on principles from other branches of law, including in particular, environmental law and insurance law and practice, in order to build legal mechanisms to implement the demands of sustainable development of space. Thus, among other issues, the topic of space environmentalism as well as the coherence of space and earth sustainability instruments will be analysed.

Modelling the regional variability of building activity in Greece: A multi-level multinomial logistic regression approach

This paper studies spatial differences in the fluctuations of the regional building activity in Greece, by developing a composite multinomial logistic regression model expressing the building activity’s variability in socio-economic terms. The results show that the variability in building activity is related to economies of scale within the construction sector, along with the performance of two other Greek economy’s major sectors, i.e., tourism and tertiary, in highlighting a dependence on the prime drivers of economic and regional development. Overall, the research provides empirical evidence on the macro-economic modelling of spatial demand, based on a proxy incorporating all aspects of human activity in the geographical space.

Study on the Legal Regime for Space Debris Mitigation — Taking the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines as an Example

As human space activities continue, the problem of space debris which is regarded as the “killer of satellites, spacecraft, and space shuttles”, remains unresolved. 2021 saw the release of the latest version of the IADC Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines (hereinafter referred to as the IADC Guidelines), the only remediation program to date that has had a significant positive impact on addressing the accumulation of space debris. The IADC Guidelines complement the body of outer space law in the area of space debris and provide a good model for addressing the issue of space debris mitigation. The present paper proposes a path for the future development of the IADC Guidelines to contribute to the improvement of the legal regime for space debris mitigation.

The Past, Present and Future of UK Human Spaceflight

This paper provides a broad review of the UK’s interest in human spaceflight (HSF), covering its past, present and possible future. It looks at the origins of the national interest, starting with the British science fiction “visionaries” HG Wells and AC Clarke from the early 1900s. Considering what might have been if governments had more fully invested in UK HSF activity during the 1960-80s, it notes that despite a positive cultural enthusiasm the UK appears to have been held back by institutional scepticism and a lack of government financial commitment - this attitude strongly contrasted with that of other developed nations, particularly Germany, France and Italy. Following a sudden reversal of government policy for human space activity post-2008, a deeper HSF involvement by the UK now seems achievable, depending on sufficient funding - ESA’s 2022 selection of three new British astronaut candidates is a very positive step-forward. The paper broadly considers the opportunities via the combination of human and robotic exploration (HRE) with direct microgravity research on the ISS and the forthcoming private space labs in LEO, plus participation in NASA-led “Artemis” lunar exploration. The latter could involve applied UK space industry initiatives, possibly including lunar navigation and communications satellite construction, Gateway space-station services, plus potential nuclear power sources for a future Moonbase. Space-based solar power with HSF support, expanding space tourism activity, then the future exploration of the Moon and Mars may then be followed by ISRU exploitation and commercial space mining. The paper concludes with a revue of the importance and need for HSF for space research and exploration, it’s “value for money”, potential long-term futures and the contribution HSF makes to the “Big History” of humanity as a space-faring species. Keywords: Astronauts, Human spaceflight (HSF), Arthur C Clarke, European Space Agency (ESA), UK Space Agency, Tim Peake, Artemis, SUSIE, ISS, Orion, Argonaut, Moonbase, World History

Simulation of a floating solar farm in waves with a novel sun-tracking system

The awareness of the energy and climate crisis has accelerated the development of renewable energy sources. Photovoltaic (PV) solar power plants harvest clean solar energy and convert it to electricity, which will be one of the most promising alternatives to the power industry in the context of a low-carbon society. Due to its low power density, the traditional deployment of PV systems on land or inland rivers requires much space. Therefore, industries are increasingly interested in expanding offshore Floating PhotoVoltaics (FPV) to oceans, where FPV has less influence on the marine environment and does not occupy precious space for land resources and human activities. This study performs a hydrodynamics-based structural response analysis for a novel FPV system in OpenFOAM. The wave-proof FPV platform is newly designed for this work, which integrated breakwater technologies to sustain the system’s survivability in harsh ocean-wave environments. Firstly, the rational mooring types for FPVs installed close to the island are studied considering seabed effects. Subsequently, extensive parametric studies have been conducted to determine a rational design strategy for the mitigation of wave impact. Several potential effects of the proposed platforms on the hydrodynamics in a coastal sea are evaluated for the first time.

A Cross-Scale Representation of Tourist Activity Space

Destination, as a key concept in tourism geography, has largely determined the scale at which tourist activity space was modeled and studied. Existing studies usually focused on investigating tourists’ activities and movements either at the intradestination (e.g., within a city) or interdestination scale. Although useful in numerous research contexts, these models based on fixed spatial scales are incapable of portraying the complex spatial structure of tourist activity spaces, which sometimes exhibit hierarchical structures, and could span across different spatial scales. In this study, we propose a new representation of tourist activity space to bridge these gaps. The representation takes tourists’ accommodation locations as key reference points. At the macroscale, the sequence of accommodation locations forms the backbone of tourist activity space, denoted as itinerary type. At the microscale, we introduce the concept of territory to describe how individuals organize activities around these overnight “base camps” (i.e., accommodation locations). We apply this representation over a large-scale mobile phone data set of international travelers visiting South Korea to demonstrate its capability. Results show that four generic itinerary types capture the activity space structure of 89 percent of the tourists. The interrelationships of territories and their topological structures further categorize activity spaces into subtypes, leading to a new method of tourist classification based on their spatiotemporal activity patterns. We believe the proposed representation could enrich new perspectives and debates on how tourist activities can be studied. The representation can also be extended as a generic framework to delineate complex forms of human activity space.

A participatory modelling approach to cognitive mapping of the socio-environmental system of sandy anthropogenic shores in the Netherlands

Sandy Anthropogenic Shores (SAS) are coasts formed or heavily modified by moving large amounts of dredged sand from offshore towards the land. Subsequently, natural processes such as waves, wind, and currents are spreading the sand, where wind can transport sand into the foredune area and reinforce the foredune for long-term coastal safety. Besides improving safety, more expansive beaches and artificial lagoons, which may be part of a SAS design, provide new space for human activities and animal and plant habitats. The landscape of SAS is influenced by humans who manage and utilise the shore for various objectives, including flood safety, recreation, and ecological functions. Consequently, the sustainable management of multifunctional and multi-actor systems like SAS becomes challenging and requires an inter- and transdisciplinary approach to analyse the trade-offs between various socio-environmental functions. Although numerous studies of SAS have been conducted, they have had a sectoral, disciplinary approach and mainly focused on the natural aspects of SAS. In this study, we applied participatory modelling to explore the role of social systems (management activities and their interactions with natural systems) in SAS to broaden insight beyond natural systems and improve management and social acceptance of managerial decisions. We conducted several interviews and workshops with multiple stakeholders. We discussed different management aims and activities in SAS, the essential socio-environmental drivers of the managerial activities, their interactions, and the managerial indicators for analysing the various SAS functions. The elicited knowledge was structured in the form of a collective cognitive map (CCM) developed with stakeholders. We used the designed cognitive map for a qualitative assessment of the influence of some managerial decisions on trade-offs between the multiple functions of SAS. The developed CCM provides suitable ground to start the discussion with multiple stakeholders on the design of SAS as a new coastal management approach.

THE SPACE OF SPIRITUAL CORPORATION IN THE HUMAN DIMENSIONAL ASPECT

The article examines the issue of modern understanding of the component space of national culture, as well as the effects of various civilizational systems on the space of human cultural activity. It is noted that the phenomenon of national spirituality is a powerful factor in the self-development of the nation's moral existence, which reproduces the space of national culture (external and internal). 
 The purpose of the work is to determine the various degrees of human perception of the social space and the presence of God in the universe, nature, and philosophical systems.
 The research methodology consists in the use of dialectical and analytical methods to study the philosophical understanding of the spiritual values of a person. The functional-instrumental method is applied in order to identify the features of the progress of philosophical considerations and their impact on a person in modern society.
 Based on the considered concepts, it can be noted that the existence of spatial spiritual characteristics of physicality in the Ukrainian ethnic group are related to the interpretive aspects of creative power (Holy Trinity). Nowadays, the problem of cultural space is determined by a number of solutions to environmental problems, the close interaction of the biosphere and the noosphere. And also the problem of preserving the integrity of the environment, the solution of which is necessary for a person to exist. The priority solution to this problem is that the phenomenon of national spirituality acts as a powerful factor of self-development and moral improvement of the existence of the nation and individual. The solution of the specified problem is connected with many human interests, as well as the creation of civilizational comfort in the functioning of the mechanisms of today's complex philosophical processes. The spiritual aspect of the spatial characteristics of national culture today is due to the need for a philosophical counterbalance in the conditions of modern globalization.

Space resource activities and the evolution of international space law

We are experiencing a period of renewed interest in human activities in outer space and, in particular, the return of humans to the Moon. Multiple lunar missions, including the NASA led Artemis project and the China and Russia International Lunar Research Station propose a sustained human presence on the Moon which will require in-situ resource extraction and usage. This article explores the likely impact of statements and actions by states on the future evolution of international space law in relation to space resource activities, highlighting the urgent need for greater clarity in the law regarding space resource activities. It will examine the relevant international law, domestic legislation, multilateral agreements, and recent international discussions concerning space resource activities. It concludes that the current international space law regime lacks clear laws regarding space resource activities and emphasises the importance of space law evolving in order to progress with industry and exploration.

Analysis of accidental spacecraft break-up events in cislunar space

Fragmentation events are the most common source of artificial debris in space. Such events can happen for multiple reasons, ranging from collisions with active or inactive objects to propellant tanks or battery explosions. They are an inherent part of human activities in space, regardless of the location. At the same time, the interest in the Moon and the space around it increases. Multiple planned missions want to leverage the peculiar dynamics of the Earth-Moon system to build an infrastructure likely to support human exploration of space for centuries to come. The present research puts a step forward in the direction of Space Debris Mitigation techniques for future cislunar missions. After being tuned with novel implementation techniques, the NASA Standard Break-up Model has been employed to simulate explosion events in multiple locations in cislunar space. Notably, the Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem model has been employed to generate orbits, corrected in a higher-fidelity model to generate initial conditions for long-term propagations. Moreover, multiple starting positions along each orbit have been crossed with several possible event dates, providing a broader understanding of the aftermath of explosion events. Three case studies have been considered: an EML2 southern Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO), candidate for the Gateway station, a larger Halo orbit of the same family, and a Distant Retrograde Orbit (DRO). These locations have been chosen to characterize dynamically different trajectories used in current applications. Results provided include the number, locations, and characteristics of collision with the Moon and the Earth, together with considerations on the interactions with Earth’s protected orbital regions of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geostationary Orbit (GEO). A novel analysis is also introduced to determine the immediate danger for the Gateway station in the case of such an event. This research lays the foundation to develop a cislunar Space Debris Mitigation (SDM) framework in the hopes that awareness is raised when there is still time for proper implementation of guidelines.

Star Wars: Anti-Satellite Weapons and Orbital Debris

ABSTRACT The militarization and weaponization of outer space are increasing continuously with the development of new and more advanced space weapon systems by a growing number of nations. This is a direct consequence of the high and growing strategic value of outer space for defense, security, and warfare. This paper reviews trends in space weapon systems and analyzes the implications of anti-satellite military weapons for human activities in outer space. A direct consequence of the completion of anti-satellite military tests is that the amount of orbital debris has increased significantly. We use a simple physical – economic model to illustrate how anti-satellite military tests, particularly those using direct-ascent weapons, dramatically increase the probability that the Kessler syndrome will occur. Whereas the long-run impact of low altitude anti-satellite tests is limited because of atmospheric drag, at high altitude direct-ascent anti-satellite tests are persistently harmful for human activities in space. The paper also provides a simulation of the long-run effects of a war in space.

Social work in space: Expanding policy and practice into the cosmos

AbstractAs private interests expand in space, what is the significance, if any, to social work? To answer this question, I present several implications of contemporary human activities in space and assess their relevance to environmental and ecological justice. Specifically, I evaluate the connection between the profession and the commercialization and exploitation of space resources, human‐generated cosmic “trash,” and terrestrial challenges. I conclude that social work must “look to the stars” and help humanity navigate competing interests in a delicate space future. Nearly a quarter century ago, ecological consequences of human activity prompted social work to incorporate the natural environment into practice. In preparation for the realization of modern extraterrestrial objectives, I propose that social work expand its conceptualization of the natural environment from ecosphere to cosmos. In this uncharted context, I propose future directions and offer questions to which leaders, scholars, and practitioners might begin seeking answers.

Space Diplomacy from an Astronaut’s Viewpoint

Summary Intergovernmental space diplomacy has played an essential role in human space activities. The International Space Station of low-Earth orbit and the Artemis programme to explore the moon and beyond are essential examples. Current noteworthy developments that are influencing space diplomacy include the following: (1) the number of governments that engage in human space activities has been increasing; and (2) inter-industry and grassroots co-operation has had a significant impact. We astronauts, and I believe anybody who aims to explore space, appreciate the value of norms in space, which assure a safe environment for our activities and secure future possibilities to expand our frontier to the moon and beyond.

The importance of land in resource criticality assessment methods: A first step towards characterising supply risk

Land is a key resource for human activities under growing pressure. Resource criticality assessment methods investigate the extent to which a resource may become a limiting factor according to various dimensions, including geological, economic and geopolitical availability. They have been applied to resources like minerals, fossil fuels, biotic material or water, but none consider land resources, i.e. natural land units providing space and support for human activities. Based on two recognised criticality methods developed by i) the Yale University and ii) the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, this study aims to develop spatialized land supply risk indexes at country level. The accessibility of raw resources can be quantified and compared using the supply risk index. The specific characteristics of land call for certain adaptations of the criticality approach, and are designed to ensure comparability between resources. The main adaptations include the definition of land stress and the internal land concentration index. Land stress represents the physical availability of land, while internal land concentration relates to the concentration of landowners within a country. Finally, land supply risk indexes are computed for 76 countries, including 24 European countries for which the results of the two criticality methods are compared. Comparison points to divergences in the countries ranking for land accessibility, thus underlining the importance of methodological choices in the construction of the indexes. Data quality is discussed for European countries with the JRC method, and the use of alternative data sources reveals that it may lead to differences in absolute values, although the ranking of countries with low or high land supply risk does not change.Finally, this work covers a gap in criticality methods by including land resources. These resources can be critical for certain countries, and are essential for human activities such as food or energy production.

Developing and implementing digital marketing strategies of the future: toward improving product quality and competitiveness

The development of tools and technologies of the fourth industrial revolution wave has a direct impact on almost the entire multifaceted space of human activity, and the marketing industry is not an exception. The influence of digital tools on the marketing sphere is undeniable and shapes the modern paradigm of digital marketing. The analysis of the current digital technologies and tools state used by marketing organisations in their professional activities, as well as analytical forecasts of the likely development of digital marketing, create a relevant background for determining the development benchmarks of the marketing industry as a whole. In this study 500 specialised publications and scientific papers on digital marketing for the period 2018-2023 were analysed. The chosen papers were cited 20492 times and interpreted into 423 taxonomic units, which were combined into 15 clusters using 6416 connections. In order to correlate the results of the bibliometric analysis, a survey of the management of 50 marketing companies and agencies in Ukraine was additionally conducted with a focus on the impact of the results of specialised scientific works and digital marketing tools on the organisation of their target activities. It was found that the focused scientific research has little impact on the activities of marketing companies. However, companies actively monitor scientometric indicators and make attempts to integrate scientific developments into the future of marketing. It has been found that modern digital marketing tools are focused on the Internet and social media, and future tools are aimed at studying emotional intelligence and consumer behavioural patterns. It is recommended to use a probable comprehensive strategy for the future of digital marketing that combines current and future tools in order to improve the quality and competitiveness of products. Further research in the field of digital marketing could focus on the study of new technologies and their impact on the strategies and practices of marketing organisations. Particular attention should be paid to the development of methods for analysing big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to optimise marketing campaigns and identify potential consumers. The scientific novelty of the current work stems from the focus on determining the impact of scientific research on the activities of marketing companies and sets the direction of the future of digital marketing based on the use of the latest technologies and developments. In addition, the study proposes a comprehensive marketing strategy that covers various measures aimed at improving the quality and competitiveness of products, taking into account the technological requirements of the modern world. The practical significance of the study lies in the fact that it can be used by the management of marketing companies to focus on the future development of their activities and formulate a strategy that covers important aspects of digital marketing. The research can also be used in scientific studies that examine the relationship between scientific research and the field of marketing. In addition, the results of the study can serve as a basis for further research on digital marketing and its impact on entrepreneurship.

Preserving Ready-to-Eat Meals Using Microwave Technologies for Future Space Programs

The crewed suborbital and space flights launched by private companies over the past three years have rejuvenated public interest in space travel, including space tourism. Ready-to-eat meals (MREs) are the main source of nutrients and energy for space travelers. It is critical that those meals are free of bacterial and viral pathogens and have adequate shelf life. The participation of private companies in space programs will create new opportunities and demand for high-quality and microbiologically safe MREs for future space travels. In this article, we provide a brief review of nutrition and energy requirements for human activities in space. We discuss the general thermal processing requirements for control of bacterial and viral pathogens in MREs and introduce advanced thermal preservation technologies based on microwaves for production of MREs with different shelf-lives under various storage conditions. We also present the latest advancements in the development of polymer packaging materials for quality preservation of thermally stabilized MREs over extended storage. Finally, we recommend future research on issues related to the sensory quality of specially formulated MREs, microbial safety of dried foods that complement high moisture MREs, and food package waste management in future space missions.

A Population Dynamics Approach to the Distribution of Space Debris in Low Earth Orbit

The presence of the debris in the Earth’s orbit poses a significant risk to human activity in outer space. This debris population continues to grow due to ground launches, the loss of external parts from space ships, and uncontrollable collisions between objects. A computationally feasible continuum model for the growth of the debris population and its spatial distribution is therefore critical. Here we propose a diffusion-collision model for the evolution of the debris density in the low-Earth orbit and its dependence on the ground-launch policy. We parametrize this model and test it against data from publicly available object catalogs to examine timescales for the uncontrolled growth. Finally, we consider sensible launch policies and cleanup strategies and how they reduce the future risk of collisions with active satellites or space ships.

Space Diplomacy and the Artemis Accords

Summary The growth of human activity in outer space is attracting more International Relations (IR) scholar’s attention, enabling an understanding of the involvement of specific groups of actors and the dynamics of political negotiations that lead to concluding agreements on using outer space for peaceful purposes. This article provides analysis based on the triangulation of qualitative data gathered via document analysis and in-depth semi-structured expert interviews to gain insight into the involvement of the actors responsible for the negotiations that led to the Artemis Accords and their diplomatic communication style. The results identified different uses of public and private diplomatic communication for advancing norms of behaviour and transparency. Negotiators used public diplomatic communication in order to influence foreign governments on the need for norms of behaviour and transparency to further peaceful space exploration beyond low Earth orbit. Private diplomatic communication facilitated the inclusion of commercial partners.

Inapparent infections shape the transmission heterogeneity of dengue.

Transmission heterogeneity, whereby a disproportionate fraction of pathogen transmission events result from a small number of individuals or geographic locations, is an inherent property of many, if not most, infectious disease systems. For vector-borne diseases, transmission heterogeneity is inferred from the distribution of the number of vectors per host, which could lead to significant bias in situations where vector abundance and transmission risk at the household do not correlate, as is the case with dengue virus (DENV). We used data from a contact tracing study to quantify the distribution of DENV acute infections within human activity spaces (AS), the collection of residential locations an individual routinely visits, and quantified measures of virus transmission heterogeneity from two consecutive dengue outbreaks (DENV-4 and DENV-2) that occurred in the city of Iquitos, Peru. Negative-binomial distributions and Pareto fractions showed evidence of strong overdispersion in the number of DENV infections by AS and identified super-spreading units (SSUs): i.e. AS where most infections occurred. Approximately 8% of AS were identified as SSUs, contributing to more than 50% of DENV infections. SSU occurrence was associated more with DENV-2 infection than with DENV-4, a predominance of inapparent infections (74% of all infections), households with high Aedes aegypti mosquito abundance, and high host susceptibility to the circulating DENV serotype. Marked heterogeneity in dengue case distribution, and the role of inapparent infections in defining it, highlight major challenges faced by reactive interventions if those transmission units contributing the most to transmission are not identified, prioritized, and effectively treated.

Nonlinear remote monitoring system of manipulator based on network communication technology

Abstract In order to study the nonlinear remote monitoring system of the manipulator based on the network communication technology, a research method of the nonlinear remote monitoring system of the manipulator based on the network communication technology is proposed. In this article, in the Visual C++ environment, the transmission control protocol/internet protocol technology is used to build a remote monitoring system for the robotic arm, and it mainly realizes the function of the robotic arm running according to the trajectory in the remote. When storing video, you need to specify the ID of the video source, i.e., the synchronization source in the real-time transport protocol data packet header identifies the robot, which can monitor more clearly. The remote monitoring technology is widely used in the modern automation industry, which not only further extends the human space activity ability, but also removes the human from the dangerous and complex working environment. Therefore, the remote monitoring technology has broad application prospects.