STTR Phase I: Hyper Transfer Vehicle Concept Demonstration

这个小型企业技术转让项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一种新的、非基于火箭的推力技术，能够清除空间碎片。该项目将提供两种不同的商业模式，包括硬件制造和测试，以及主动轨道碎片清除服务。自2000年以来，美国国防部(DoD)和美国国家海洋大气管理局(NOAA)的太阳同步轨道(SSO)太阳同步轨道(SSO)航天器已在高价值低地球轨道上解体，美国航天部队跟踪了550多块NOAA-16和NOAA-17碎片(10厘米)。这项技术提供了帮助从太空中清除此类有问题的碎片的解决方案。这项技术将为美国政府机构和商业太空公司的有益使用而设计。拟议的车队生产预计将实现高效的脱轨服务，以从太空中移除。这个STTR第一阶段项目建议开发一种创新的地球轨道转移方法，称为超转移飞行器(HTV)。HTV是一种非火箭技术，解决了空间火箭推进器的性能限制。HTV在所有地球运行轨道上提供可重复使用和经济上可持续的轨道空间碎片清除解决方案。这项建议解决的空间碎片问题不是由业务卫星造成的，而是由人口稠密的太阳同步轨道(SSO)中的非机动物体和碎片造成的。从历史上看，SSO空间物体为技术、社会和科学进步做出了贡献。HTV研究的潜在成果是一种可行的、可重复使用的技术，可以在清洁太阳能电力推进(SEP)的高价值SSO中实现高性价比的轨道目标处理。HTV不是排出推进剂，而是旋转环形腔内的工作液体气体，以产生可用力。HTV环形结构在安装在与空间真空分离的环境压力封闭空间内时，会吸收气体。HTV利用角动量守恒(CAM)产生反作用力。当HTV流体角动量(H)和转动能(Trot)变化时，凸轮保持不变。该项目将通过实验测量，通过使用空气作为工作流体气体来演示外力，同时满足CAM。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) project is to develop a new, non-rocket based thrust technology capable of removing debris from space. This project will provide two separate business models including hardware fabrication and testing, and active orbital debris removal services. Six Department of Defense (DoD) and National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Sun Synchronous Orbits (SSO)SSO spacecraft have broken up in high-value low earth orbits since 2000, and the US Space Force tracks over 550 pieces of NOAA-16 and NOAA-17 debris objects (10cm). This technology provides solutions to help remove such problematic debris from space. The technology will be designed for beneficial use by both US Government agencies and commercial space companies. The proposed vehicle fleet production is expected to enable efficient deorbit services for removal from space.This STTR Phase I project proposes to develop an innovative method for Earth orbit transfer, called a Hyper Transfer Vehicle (HTV). HTV is a non-rocket technology that solves performance limitations of in-space rocket thrusters. HTV offers reusable and economically sustainable orbital space debris removal solutions across all earth operational orbits. This proposal addresses the space debris problem not caused by operational satellites, but from non-maneuverable objects and debris in the highly populated Sun Synchronous Orbits (SSO). Historically, SSO space objects have contributed to technical, societal, and scientific advancements. The potential outcome of HTV research is a viable and reusable technology for cost-effective orbit object disposal in high value SSO with clean Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP). Instead of expelling propellant, HTV rotates a working fluid gas inside a toroidal cavity to generate a usable force. HTV torus structure draws in the gas while mounted inside an ambient pressure enclosure, which is separate from the vacuum of space. HTV generates a reactive force by employing the Conservation of Angular Momentum (CAM). CAM is preserved when HTV fluid angular momentum (H) and rotational energy (Trot) change. This project will demonstrate with experimental measurements an external force by using air as the working fluid gas, while satisfying CAM.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.