How to Equip the Near-Earth Space to Deal with Cosmic Threats

UDC 004.946; 004.942; 523.68

The article is based on the report made on the International Latin-American Forum PeRuSat-2013, held in Lima (Peru) in September, 2013. The active model of gravity tractor described in this article was demonstrated there.

Mikhail B. Ignatyev – professor, International Institute of Cybernetics and Artonics, director.

Yan A. Lipinskiy – post-graduate student.

Vadim A. Nenashev – post-graduate student.

Aleksandr V. Nikitin – associate professor.

Aleksandr P. Shepeta – professor, Institute of Computer Systems and Programming, director.

St. Petersburg State University of Aerospace Instrumentation, St. Petersburg, Russia.

E-mail: ignatmb@mail.ru

67, Bolshaya Morskaya, St. Petersburg, Russia, 190000,

tel: +7(812)494-70-44

Abstract

Background: The so-called “comet and asteroid hazard” has been studied in recent years, but the strategy of the Earth’s asteroid protection discussed in press is still very abstract. The main emphasis is on gathering information about the characteristics of the most dangerous asteroids with more than 1 km in diameter by monitoring them for the purpose of detecting, identifying and predicting their movement. A permanent base on the Moon appears to be a suitable place for the location of the asteroid security services.

Results: Before carrying out an actual exploration of the Moon and asteroids, it is necessary to implement a full scale computer simulation of different options in order to choose the best one. For this purpose it seems reasonable to use the technology of virtual worlds and to set up a worldwide virtual observatory. One of the technical means against meteorite threat is a cosmic gravity tractor, the functioning model of which was designed by the authors of this article. Another means is several asteroids towing into the Moon’s orbit in order to create a so called screen ‘reflecting’ cosmic threats.

Research implications: Saint Petersburg State University of Aerospace Instrumentation offers a system of interactive three-dimensional simulation of a lunar base and some other space objects on the basis of the technology of virtual worlds to develop design solutions for the variety of objects and the system of machines for the Moon’s and Earth-orbital space exploration and asteroid hazard protection.

Conclusions: extensive international cooperation against cosmic hazards requires a new level of international interaction. A united center for cosmic threats prevention and combat as well as science and technological potential mobilization on the Earth is necessary.

Keywords: comet and asteroid hazard, cosmic threats, virtual worlds, a gravity tractor.

Since ancient times, meteorites and asteroids have been falling on our planet, causing global catastrophes. In connection with the exploration of outer space, a new threat made by people, – i. d. space debris – has appeared. Currently, there are more than 600,000 objects more than 1 centimeter in diameter on the Earth’s orbit.. Due to their high velocity these objects pose a serious threat to satellites and manned missions. The development of civilization on our planet allows to raise an issue of cosmic threats prevention. Russia’s contribution to the solution of this problem can be significant. In order to consolidate the scientific and technological potentials of universities, academies and enterprises of different countries, both state and private, it is essential to launch a special international project on Earth-orbital space exploration in order to prevent and combat cosmic threats. The main sections of this project on the basis of literature summarizing are presented below.

1. Space exploration is the result of complex scientific and educational programs development. New challenges of space exploration present new challenges for education [2] and can raise the profile of education and especially in the field of computer science, which can build sophisticated models of future spacecraft and lunar bases. The launch of the first satellite in the Soviet Union in 1957 was a triumph of the Soviet educational system. In the United States urgent steps were taken to improve the educational system.

In recent years, various aspects of the so-called “comet and asteroid hazard” have been discussed. An academic interest in this problem has always existed in astronomy, since this problem is based on the fundamental task of studying the origin, structure and evolution of the solar system and its celestial objects (large and small planets, satellites, comets, asteroids, etc.). On the other hand, astronomical observations of recent years show that interplanetary space filling with natural celestial bodies such as asteroids, comets, and their fragments, Earth-orbital space being included, is high enough to pose a real threat to the Earth.

Currently, there are about four hundred asteroids whose orbits are dangerously close to the Earth’s orbit, so called near Earth asteroids (NEA), with the diameters ranging from a few meters to 40 km. The total number of undiscovered NEA could reach one hundred thousand or more according to some estimations. Earth’s meeting with one of these NEA can be disastrous to varying degrees. The most severe, global and regional disaster is expected from a collision with NEA of large and medium sizes ranging from 100 meters to dozens km or even more.

The strategy of Earth’s protection from asteroids is still a theoretical one. The main emphasis is on gathering information about the characteristics of the most dangerous NEA with a diameter greater than 1 km by monitoring organization for the purpose of their detection, identification and movement prediction. As part of an international program of asteroid hazard (Spaceguard Foundation) more than 40 astronomical telescopes conduct regular monitoring for detection and identification of small bodies in the solar system, including NEA. Small sized asteroids that make up the main real threat as they fall to the Earth are more numerous and less studied. In this case, taking into consideration the high probability of their collision with the Earth, along with monitoring, the prevention of these collisions by deflecting or destroying NEA is of prime importance. In a series of papers the construction of asteroid hazard safety systems for various purposes, structures and locations is discussed. The lunar base is considered to be a suitable place for asteroid security service location. At the present time the USA, China, Europe and Russia intensify the Moon’s exploration.

According to NASA the forthcoming lunar expedition will be much longer than the ‘Apollo’ missions. To stay on the Moon surface astronauts will need ‘a lunar home’. Currently, NASA is planning to build the first lunar base by 2020. The first four ‘selenites’ will spend 7 days on the Moon, but with the expansion of the lunar base, their stay on it will reach 180 days. For the life on the Moon NASA has constructed a prototype of an inflatable lunar module prototype. The astronaut’s house is 3.65 meters high, and an inflatable frame is made of numerous fabric layers. In the next few years, engineers will test the inflatable frame for stiffness, strength and protection from radiation for the lunar residents to feel themselves at home. http://www.universetoday.com/2007/02/27/nasa-reveals-a-sample-lunar-base/?1365

In the late 1960s in the USSR, the firm established by academician V.P. Barmin built a model of a lunar base near the city of Tashkent on the location which resembled a lunar landscape. The Saint Petersburg University of Aerospace Instrumentation developed a range of robotic systems for that lunar base. One of the authors of this article participated in that project. There are various projects of the Moon’s exploration one of them being discussed by astronaut N. Sevostyanov. A new reusable ‘Clipper’ spaceship will deliver astronauts and cargo into the orbit .’ Clipper’ together with the multi-stage rocket, which will replace ‘ Cargo Progress’, will be able to carry up to 10 tons of cargo, which will significantly reduce transport costs – N. Sevostyanov said.

Manned ‘Clipper’ and an interorbital multi-stage rocket ‘Parom’ designed by RSC form a single reusable cargo-space complex, which will favor the industrial development of the Moon.

Nowadays the consensus on the structure of the lunar base is reached. It should consist of five blocks. The first block is the system of take-off and landing, the spaceport. The second block is a residential complex in which astronauts can live for a long time (for a year in a stand-alone mode). The third block is the block of constructions production from lunar raw materials and maintenance. The fourth block is a block for minerals extraction and processing. The fifth block is a block for astronomical research. For the development of these blocks specialists from various fields of science and technology should be involved and complex modeling should be implemented.

2. Before carrying out the actual exploration of the Moon and asteroids, it is necessary to implement a full-scale computer simulation of different options in order to choose the best one. The technology of virtual worlds allows people to be incorporated into a specific environment (e.g. artificially created three-dimensional world with six degrees of freedom) and interaction (interactivity) of man with objects and characters of this world in real-time using physical, physiological, and other characteristics of man [4; 14; 22; 23]. First of all it is necessary to found a worldwide virtual observatory for full monitoring of Earth-orbital space on the basis of networking of both professional observatories and astronomy amateurs using telescopes. While there are about a hundred professional astronomical observatories, there are over a hundred thousand astronomy amateurs, and their assistance in monitoring the Earth-orbital space is very important.

Now the technology of virtual worlds is a developed field of computer science, and the list of the main aspects of this technology applied to the problems of Earth-orbital space exploration in order to develop multi-functional, interactive 3D model of Earth-orbital space, representing the relative positions and behavior of the Earth, the Moon, asteroids and satellites for individual and group research and demonstration is given below.

Architecture

1. Subsystems

– Management

– User interface

Incorporation

• Video (mono/stereo)

• Audio
• Kinestetics
• odors
• taste

Interactivity

– Modeling

– Relationship with the Environment

2. Modes of operation

– Individual (one screen – one user)

– Group (one screen – a few users)

– Multi-user (users are geographically distributed)

The basic steps for creating

List of works
1. The overall scenario
2. Creating a model library and information resources
2.1 Interactive site map showing the location of important objects
2.2 Environment Simulation1) landscape 2) objects – stones, etc.
2.3 Modeling of buildings and facilities 1) statics – buildings – premises (connected and disconnected) – objects (furniture, etc.) 2) animation 3) interactivity 4) physical laws 5) intellectualization of conduct
2.4 Equipment Simulation 1) statics 2) animation 3) interactivity 4) physical laws 5) intellectualization of conduct
2.5 Modeling of characters 1) representing the user – model + animation (up to 5) 2) separate – model + animation (up to 5) 3) interactivity 4) intellectualization of conduct 5) face animation 6) interaction on the basis of physical laws
2.6 Development of information resources: 1) background information 2) videos etc
3. Creating single-user applications
4. The development of the environment for multi-user applications (Intranet / Internet): – Multiuser Server – Voice Communication – Text Chat
5. Creating a multi-user application for visual, voice, text and non-verbal communication support
6. Means of delivery to the user and their integration – Local – CDs – Network – site / portal – Combined

3. The Moon appears to be a perfect place for many current and future research programs. The implementation of these programs involves the creation of a long-term base on the Moon, which provides functioning of the observatory equipped with astronomical and other instruments.

Generally speaking, the Moon is a natural, inevitable stage of mankind space exploration. The dynamics of this process is determined by the level of human civilization development, its scientific and technological level. Some forecasts show that the initial stage of the Moon’s exploration with automatic devices, robots, can be implemented in the next 10 – 15 years. Further extension of the activities on the Moon and the construction of a manned lunar base (or bases) for a wide range studies of the Moon, from the Moon and on the Moon [24] can be considered in the next 10-20 years.

The Moon itself performs an important function in protecting the Earth from asteroids, some of the asteroids and meteorites being attracted by it. But only the Moon could not perform this function. It seems reasonable to tow some asteroids into lunar orbit, distributing them evenly over the lunar orbit, and thus creating a sort of a screen space for threat dismissing. [3]

Figure 1. Location protective stations in orbit of the moon.

Saint Petersburg State University of Aerospace Instrumentation offers a system of interactive three-dimensional simulation of a lunar base and other space objects on the basis of the technology of virtual worlds to develop design solutions for a variety of objects and the system of machines for the Moon’s and Earth-orbital space exploration [3; 4; 5; 20; 21; 22; 23; 25].

4. The development of civilization on our planet can raise the issue of the prevention of cosmic threats. There are various projects to achieve this goal. To fight debris the USA offers to use a powerful laser, and Japan – an ad hoc network. There are many projects to combat asteroid threat. One of these projects is a gravity tractor. The idea of this project is to change the trajectory of the asteroid by prolonged gravitational effects of the spacecraft, which should be close to the asteroid, and thus to change the characteristics of the asteroid [1; 8].

Figure 2. Gravity tractor to combat against the asteroid danger.

5. To illustrate the idea of the gravity tractor its model on the basis of literature overview is built. The model consists of a system of interacting bodies, a laser range finder, a control unit, a motor and a solar panel. In the model gravitational effects are simulated by magnetic interactions of a steel ball (asteroid model) and strong permanent magnets on a movable base. The ball moves in a circular trough. The principle of operation is that the model that by means of the laser range finder the distance from the movable base, wherein the permanent magnets are mounted, to the ball is measured. With the help of the control unit and the motor this distance is kept within 1 mm in the range of 20 – 40 mm, thus the asteroid movement under the influence of additional gravitational force of the spacecraft is simulated.

The model serves for better understanding the action of the gravity tractor and can be used for educational purposes.

According to some studies [1; 8; 11; 12; 13], the humanity at a modern stage of development cannot cope with a large asteroid having over 10 km in diameter. In this case a great planetary catastrophe is inevitable. Therefore important theoretical researches are important in order to develop a new picture of the world [1; 6; 9; 14].

Figure 3. Gravity tractor model.

6. The problems connected with Earth-orbital space exploration to dismiss cosmic threats can be solved with the help of close international cooperation. The first attempt to organize international cooperation in space was made at the Potsdam Conference, which was held near Berlin from July 17 to August 2, 1945. At the end of this conference, the head of the Soviet delegation, Joseph Stalin, proposed to consider the Moon’s exploration, but his proposal was rejected by the representatives of the Western powers, and on August 6 an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and a new arms race started. The Soviet Union is known to launch the first artificial satellite in 1957 and the first manned spaceship with Yuri Gagarin in 1961. In 1969, the United States sent a space expedition to the Moon, and only in 1970s the first joint project of Apollo – Soyuz was undertaken. In the late 1990s, the former U.S. Secretary of Defense R. Maknamara and the founder of the American hydrogen bomb E. Teller held talks in Russia to combat asteroid threat. Nowadays the International Space Station is successfully operating and many international space projects are being implemented, but the extensive international cooperation to combat cosmic threats requires a new level of international interaction. It is necessary to establish a united center to prevent and combat cosmic threats and mobilize scientific and technological potential of the Earth.

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Ссылка на статью:
Ignatyev M. B., Lipinskiy Y. A., Nenashev V. A., Nikitin A. V., Shepeta A. P. How to Equip the Near-Earth Space to Deal with Cosmic Threats // Философия и гуманитарные науки в информационном обществе. – 2013. – № 2. – С. 26–36. URL: http://fikio.ru/?p=613.