Space Solar Power Satellite Research Articles

M-Lattice: A self-configurable modular robotic system for composing space solar panels

This article presents a modular robotic system called M-Lattice usable for automatically composing huge solar cell panels for space solar power satellites. The module structure design along with the model structure, the connector mechanism and the pattern of multi-module movement are described. A distributed control strategy called simulated growth enables the self-configuration. Using local communications, each module can execute path searching, path planning and multi-module movement. Computational simulations have demonstrated the practicability of the design. Whereas the current designs are mostly restricted to the situations when the modules are taken into the workspace one by one, the simulated growth strategy enables movement of several modules simultaneously or in a pipeline order.

Optimal Matched Rectifying Surface for Space Solar Power Satellite Applications

In this paper, we propose a microwave energy reception approach for space solar power satellite applications based on the concept of artificial perfectly matched layer. By embedding rectifying diodes into well-designed metamaterial cells, the obtained rectifying surface simultaneously exhibits a nearly perfect impedance matching to the air and the rectifying circuits, and a strong impedance mismatching to the air at harmonic frequencies, leading to a simple structure that can be implemented using commercial multi-layer printed circuit board technology. The fabricated sample shows that, with a thickness of nearly 1/40 of the free-space wavelength, this rectifying surface has an experimental power absorption rate of 99.92% under normal incident power density of 0.1 mW/cm2, and a 56.16-dB suppression to the second-order harmonic. The measured rectifying efficiency complies well with the theoretical expectation. By introducing an additional layer of passive power combiner network, the proposed approach can also be used in applications of harvesting weak ambient RF and microwave energy. We expect a wide range of applications to emerge from this novel concept in the future.

Управление ориентацией солнечной батареи и передающей антенны электростанции космического базирования

Управление ориентацией солнечной батареи и передающей антенны электростанции космического базирования

Selected Papers from i-SAIRAS 2010

This special issue features the selected papers from i-SAIRAS 2010 (The 10th International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Automation in Space) at Sapporo, Japan on August 29 - September 1, 2010), which explores the technology of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Automation and Robotics, and its application in space. In the AI domain, in particular, i-SAIRAS focuses on the following issues: (1) spacecraft autonomy (e.g., inboard software for mission planning and execution, resource management, fault protection, science data analysis, guidance, navigation and control, smart sensors, testing and validation, architectures); (2) mission operations automation (e.g., decision support tools for mission planning and scheduling, anomaly detection and fault analysis, innovative operations concepts, data visualization, secure commanding and networking); (3) design tools and optimization methods, electronic documentation; and (4) AI methods (e.g., automated planning and scheduling, agents model-based reasoning, machine learning and data mining). In the selection process for JACIII (Journal of Advanced Computational Intelligence and Intelligent Informatics), 13 papers were firstly nominated from 133 oral presentation papers as outstanding AI-related papers by i-SAIRAS International Committee, and 6 papers were finally accepted through the two-stages of pear-reviews. All papers were reviewed by three reviewers. As the brief introduction of these papers, the paper by Mark Johnston and Mark Giuliano presents an architecture called MUSE (Multi-User Scheduling Environment) to integrate multi-objective evolutionary algorithms with existing domain planning and scheduling tools. The second paper by Amdeo Cesta et al. discusses general lessons learned from a series of deployed planning and scheduling systems. The third paper by Alessandro Donati et al. spotlights specific achievements and trends in the area of spacecraft diagnosis and mission planning and scheduling. The fourth paper by Cedric Cocaud and Takashi Kubota proposes the system that provides position and attitude information to a spacecraft during its approach descent and landing phase toward the surface of an asteroid. The firth paper by Tomohiro Harada et al. studies On-Board Computer which evolves computer programs through the bit inversion and analyzes its robustness to the bit inversion. Finally, the last paper by Masayuki Otani et al. explores the distributed control of the multiple robots which may be broken in the assembly of space solar power satellite. The editor hopes that these papers would help for readers to capture the state-of-art of AI technology in space.

Power Management System for Online Low Power RF Energy Harvesting Optimization

For many years, wireless RF power transmission has been investigated as a viable method of power delivery in a wide array of applications, from high-power space solar power satellites to low-power wireless sensors. However, until recently, efficient application at the low sub-milliwatt power levels has not been realized due to limitations in available control circuitry. This paper presents a “smart” microcontroller-based power management system with online power stage efficiency optimization and maximum power point tracking (MPPT). The system is experimentally evaluated using a new, more accurate four-quadrant rectenna model and circuit realization that enables rigorous testing of the power management system for a wide range of rectenna arrays and power characteristics. Hardware results are presented with online optimization over a converter input power range from 10 μW to 1 mW. Results are also shown based on the application of harvesting RF power from a nearby cellular tower, where the power management system collects up to seven times more energy when compared to a direct battery connection.

Robustness of deadlock avoidance in assembling large-scale structure by multiple robots having trouble and individual differences

AbstractThis paper investigates the effectiveness of our proposed deadlock avoidance method through the space solar power satellite assembling simulation which is extended into the real-valued environment. For this purpose, we conduct the simulations in following three cases: (i) the discrete environment where the movement of each robot is based on the same discrete speed; (ii) the trouble environment where the speed of some robots is slow as the fault; and (iii) the individual difference environment where the speeds of all robots are different each other as the individual difference. Intensive simulations have revealed the following implications: (1) the individual difference environment enables the robots to get out deadlock situation easier than the discrete environment; (2) the robots achieve the more efficient assembly when the speeds of all robots are different each other than the discrete or the fault cases; and (3) our deadlock avoidance method is robust to the fault or individual differences of robots.

太陽発電衛星の組立法と構造

Construction methods, vibration reduction techniques and attitude control of space solar power satellites (SSPS) proposed so far are introduced. The SSPS that generate more than 1GW electric power, which corresponds to one nuclear power plant, require some squire kilometers. First, construction methods and various types of SSPS such as SPS2000, JAXA reference models of 2004/2005, USEF/JAXA (former ISAS) model, Tokyo Institute of Technology model, AIST model of Japan, Russian model and MIT model of U.S.A. are discussed. Second, vibration analysis and reduction technique using tethers conducted in Hokkaido University is presented. Finally, attitude control using tethers researched in Tokyo Metropolitan University is introduced.

Combined Optimization for Configuration and Control Algorithm, of A Tehtered Space Solar Power Satellite

Control of a tethered space solar power satellite is studied in this paper. The attitude is gravity-gradient stabilized with employment of tether system. The buss part connected by tether to the solar panel is treated as the proof-mass-actuator. The controllability and controlled performance is analyzed resulting in numerical simulation with sufficient capability of controlling the attitude motion of the present tethered space solar power satellite.

太陽発電衛星（ＳＰＳ２０００）用アクティブ集積アンプアンテナ

In this paper, as one of the examples of an application of an active integrated antenna technique, a design method and experimental data of the active integrated amplifier antenna array were reported for microwave power transmission in the space solar power satellite 2000 system. The stacked structure of a unit cell in the array proposed here consists of three layers: the amplification circuit layer, radiation layer, and coupling layer. By incorporating 2×2 unit cells with the combination of a directional coupler and an FET amplifier, a light unit patch plate with weight of 200g.

Laminated active integrated amplifier antenna arrays for a space solar power satellite

In this paper, as one example of an application of the active integrated antenna technique, a design method and experimental data of the active integrated amplifier antenna array are reported for microwave power transmission in the Space Solar Power Satellite 2000 system. The stacked structure of a unit cell in the array proposed here consists of three layers: the amplification circuit layer, radiation layer, and coupling layer. By incorporating 2/spl times/2 unit cells with the combination of a directional coupler and an FET amplifier, a light unit patch plate with weight of 200 g and effective radiated power of 25.6 dBm is fabricated and operated at 2.45 GHz.

Global environmental issues and space solar power generation: promoting the SPS 2000 project in Japan

The approach to solving the global warming problem, suggested at the COP3 conference, proposed merely a treatment of symptoms; a fundamental solution of the extensive environmental problems facing the earth cannot be expected as an extension of this approach. What is required is nothing less than treatment of the fundamental causes of the problems. This article considers space solar power generation—a source of clean energy with unlimited capacity. There are problems to be overcome in order to realize this idea, the most significant being cost, which is largely determined by the cost of launching a solar power satellite into orbit around the earth. Efforts to overcome this high cost have already been initiated through private sector attempts to develop single-stage reusable launch systems. An additional approach to solving the global environmental problem is also presented here: the use of macro-engineering diplomacy to promote a pioneering project called SPS 2000 being planned in Japan. This project calls for the world's first space solar power satellite pilot plant. Such a project will catalyze the creation of a new industry that will employ a wide range of advanced technology in space. In addition, the potential for a “Copernican”-type revolution of the world's industrial economy—this one heliocentric—is suggested.

Special Issue. The Frontier of Space Science & Technology. Space Solar Power Satellite and Microwave Power Transmission.

Special Issue. The Frontier of Space Science & Technology. Space Solar Power Satellite and Microwave Power Transmission.

電離層におけるロケット排出物の拡散と電子減少

In coming new space age, we will have frequent trips between the ground and mission orbits by large rockets to realize the large projects such as space stations and solar power satellite systems. In such cases a great deal of rocket effluents should be released in the atomosphere. But, its effects on our environment is still unknown, and therefore various studies on these problems are expected. About such environmental problems, some studies were performed which motivated by so called “ionospheric hole” observed when Skylab-I was launched, May 14, 1973. It was certified by later scientific studies that the phenomenon was caused by the chemical reaction between rocket effluents and ionized particles in the ionosphere, by which the electron density of the ionosphere suddenly decreased to about a half values of that in its normal state in the range of about 1, 000km in radius centering about rocket trajectory and it took about 4 hours to recover. In this study, the results of these fundamental studies are applied to the engineering problem, that is, the numerical simulation of the change in electron density in the ionosphere is carried out in consideration of the diffusion of rocket effluents released along arbitrary trajectory in upper atomosphere and their chemical reactions with the ionospheric constituents.

Huge Object Manipulation in Space by Vehicle-Type Robots. 2nd Report, Basic Experiments of Manipulation.

The previous studies on space robots have assumed a relatively small object as a manipulated target. But in space, a target object can be huge, for example, a space station or solar power satellite. In these cases, manipulation by several vehicles which have the thrust engines is superior to that by arms mounted on the spacecraft. The thrust engines fixed on a vehicle and a 3 DOF Control Moment Gyro are necessary for controlling the direction of the contacting force. In this paper, we discuss on experimental system using multiple vehicle-type robots to simulate huge object manipulation in space. We also discuss experiments to verify the validity of the optimal contacting points selection method proposed in the 1st paper.

Lunar-based power systems

Systems deployed from Earth can power a small, lunar research base. Their general characteristics and opportunities to use lunar resources are noted. However, much larger opportunities exit. A functionally superior version of the space solar power satellite system can be produced on the moon from local materials. This lunar power system (LPS) can provide new motivations for a return to the moon.

宇宙太陽発電衛星(<特別編集号>マイクロエンジニアリングと機械技術)

宇宙太陽発電衛星(<特別編集号>マイクロエンジニアリングと機械技術)

June Bacon‐Bercey Scholarship in atmospheric sciences

The first annual June Bacon‐Bercey Scholarship in Atmospheric Sciences for Women has been awarded to Anthea J . Coster, a second‐year student in the Rice University graduate program in space physics and astronomy. Ms. Coster, the daughter of a geophysicist and granddaughter of a professor of physics, received her B.A. degree, with honors, in mathematics at the University of Texas at Austin. She followed this with courses in physics and mathematics at the University of Houston, where she worked with the space physics group, which was involved in auroral studies. She is currently affiliated with a research group engaged in ionospheric research, and this past summer Ms. Coster spent 8 weeks at the Arecibo Observatory working on an experiment in heating of the ionosphere related to the space solar power satellite problem.