STTR Phase I: Hyper Transfer Vehicle Concept Demonstration

这项小型企业技术转让项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是开发一种能够从空间清除碎片的新的非火箭推力技术。该项目将提供两种独立的商业模式，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）和国家海洋大气管理局（NOAA）的六个太阳同步轨道（SSO）SSO航天器在高价值的低地球轨道上解体，美国太空部队追踪了550多块NOAA-16和NOAA-17碎片（10厘米）。这项技术提供了解决方案，帮助从太空中清除这些有问题的碎片。这项技术将被设计用于美国政府机构和商业太空公司。拟议的车队生产预计将使从空间移出的有效离轨服务成为可能。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，称为超级转移飞行器（HTV）。HTV是一种解决空间火箭推进器性能限制的非火箭技术。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。该建议解决的空间碎片问题不是由运行卫星引起的，而是由人口密集的太阳同步轨道（SSO）上的非机动物体和碎片引起的。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，用于清洁太阳能电力推进（SEP）的高价值SSO中具有成本效益的轨道物体处置。HTV不是排出推进剂，而是在环形腔内旋转工作流体气体以产生可用的力。HTV的环面结构可以吸收气体，同时安装在一个环境压力外壳中，与真空空间分开。HTV利用角动量守恒（CAM）产生反作用力。当HTV流体角动量(H)和旋转能量（Trot）发生变化时，CAM保持不变。本课题将在满足CAM的情况下，以空气为工作流体气体，用实验测量证明外力的存在。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值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.