space research borne out of science fiction

8/13/2019 Space Research Borne Out Of Science Fiction

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Necessity is the mother of invention

There may be exigencies during the course ofspace travel by the protagonists/ space travelersin the science fiction where they are faced withsituations of loss of space craft, running out of

breathing oxygen etc., which necessitates theauthor to think of the means to steer clear ofsuch threats to his/her characters. A newingenious concept/method/device ensuring the

survival and successful travel by the protagonistis successfully employed during the course of thescience fiction


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A Space survival kit is used when the spacecraft is

lost

In one of the science fictions Oxygen please the protagonist is returning to Earth after

mining precious ores and minerals on an asteroid. His spacecraft catches fire due to fuel

tanks bursting into flames. He ejects out of the spacecraft and with the survival kit he carries

with him sets up a inflated dome by pumping air from the pump in the kit. The inflatable

dome is made of strongest material to withstand the enormous expansion that will tear apart

the expanding structure. Till such time someone came over the dome is his sole means of

survival. It had been specially built to serve as a shelter in the event of spacecrafts being lost,abandoned. Deflector shield on the outer wall wards off cosmic rays without which he could

be radiated to death. A battery powered lamp illuminated the interior and there is a

porthole for observation. There is a sleeping couch with built in transmitter and other

amenities for stay. Had some ready to eat food to last for considerable number of days.

Serious research has been applied to visualize the expansion due to zero-g and the resultantunchecked expansion of the inflatable dome when inflated. Cosmic rays bombardment in

blank space where there is no protection against them is anticipated providing for a cosmic

ray deflector shield, communication equipment and food and rest arrangement have been

thought of and provided. This concept was accepted as abstract in the International

Association in the advancement of Space safety IAASS conference


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Generationof new body invention to suit the aliens

breathing air

In the foregoing story, the protagonist in the inflatabledome is rescued by the aliens but he runs out of breathingair. The aliens have only Timitron and could not producethe Oxygen required by him. After long study they decideto create another body resembling his by bio processor tomatch their chemistry.His memories are copied andtransferred to the brain in the new body. Since hismemories constitute what he is he starts living in the newbody eating the aliens food and becoming one of them!

The combination of biology and electronics is an emergingfield and you may be hearing Bionics where robots aregiven feelings like the human beings.


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A stay in chamber in the satellites to enable the protagonist

survival

In another Science Fiction Space Pyrotechnics a satellite falls sick and the protagonist is sent forrepairing the ailing satellite. The repairing process is described to some extent and the injection offresh fuel into the satellite is physically done by the space-walking astronaut-protaganist. He uses amotor-powered back-pack in the space suit to enable motor driven propelling movement.Communication transponder, fuel injector etc., are described.

The spacecraft parked by the protagonist is shot down by a super powers spy satellite by laserbeams mistaking it to be a super enemys satellite. The loss of space craft forces the astronaut totake shelter in the emergency rest room provided in the satellite and sends SOS. On receiving theSOS, a space vehicle from the space colony rescues him.

This is also a case of loss of space craft where emergency room in the satellite is provided in the foruse during such exigency

Satellites working and the ways to move about in space while repairing have been lent a research

thought and incorporated. Though as things stand these are days of miniaturizing the satellite forconvenience with tiny nano and cube satellites to reduce the payload weight during launch theprovision of a room in the satellite itself is a novel idea and may be considered in some satellites


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A LOOK AT THE PARTS OF SATELLITE


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Functions of the parts

Antennas and transceivers send and receive radio signals to and from the Earth or another satellite;

Rocket motors move the satellite in space;

Fuel tanks store the fuel for the rocket;

Solar panels use solar cells to turn the sun's energy into electricity;

Batteries store the electricity generated by the solar panels; and.

On-board processors provide the brain of the satellite and tell the satellite to do what humans want it to do.

In order for a satellite to work effectively, several different subsystems must work together:

A propulsion system is used to move the satellite in space. The propulsion system consists of a large rocket motor that is used to move the satellite into the desired location, as well as

smaller thruster rockets that keep the satellite at that location. These motors are powered by electric or chemical fuel. Thrusters are needed because various natural forces cause

satellites in orbit to drift out of position. These forces include the pressure of the solar wind, the effects of the Earth's and moon's gravity, and variations in the Earth's magnetic field.

An attitude control system keeps the satellite pointed towards the desired location on the Earth. If a satellite is not pointed in the right direction, or moves out of position,

communications will be interrupted. Because a satellite is weightless in space, it is very susceptible to external forces of the Sun and Earth that will cause the satellite to move. There aretwo ways to control a satellite's attitude. First, the satellite can be spun up or down (usually between 30 and 300 rotations per minute, or rpm) around its axis which provides stability

and keeps the satellite pointing in the right direction. These satellites are cylindrical in shape and often referred to as spinners.

Courtesy of Boeing Satellite Systems. All rights reserved.The second method of controlling a satellite's attitude is by using a momentum wheel, which is a solid metallic disk driven by an

electric motor. By spinning the disk, the stability of the satellite is maintained. Satellites using momentum disks are often ca lled three-axis stabilized satellites.

Courtesy of Orbital Sciences Corp. All rights reserved.The power system generates electricity from solar cells placed on panels outside of the satellite. On spinner satellites, the solar

cells cover the outside of the satellite. On three-axis stabilized satellites, the solar panels extend out like wings from thesatellite. The solar cells convert solar energy to electricity that is

then stored in batteries inside the satellite and is used to power the electronics on board the satellite.

The communications system consists of antennas used to transmit and receive radio signals to and from the Earth, as well as electronic devices to strengthen or amplify these signals.

These electronic devices are called transponders. They are called transponders because, in addition to amplifying radio signals, they also change the frequency of the radio signal.

A thermal control system is necessary to keep the electronics on board the satellite cool enough to work properly. Without thermal control, electronics would overheat and cease towork. The thermal control system releases unnecessary heat into space, so that it will not interfere with satellite operations.

A telemetry and command system consists of antennas and computers on board that satellite that allow people on the Earth to tell the station what to do and to monitor the health of

the satellite. A satellite sends information about its operations, called telemetry, back to the Earth. Based on this information, operators send commands to the satellite.


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New propulsion system to reach stars and far away planets

Spacecraft propulsion is any method used to accelerate spacecraftand artificial satellites. There are many different methods. Each method hasdrawbacks and advantages, and spacecraft propulsion is an active area of research. However, most spacecraft today are propelled by forcing a gasfrom the back/rear of the vehicle at very high speed through a supersonic de Laval nozzle. This sort of engine is called rocket engine.

All current spacecraft use chemical rockets (bipropellantor solid-fuel) for launch, though some (such as the Pegasus rocketand SpaceShipOne) haveused air-breathing engineson their first stage. Most satellites have simple reliable chemical thrusters (often monopropellant rockets) or resistojetrocketsfor orbital station-keepingand some use momentum wheelsfor attitude control. Soviet bloc satellites have used electric propulsionfordecades, and newer Western geo-orbiting spacecraft are starting to usethem for north-south station keeping and orbit raising. Interplanetaryvehicles mostly use chemical rockets as well, although a few have used ion thrustersand Hall effect thrusters(two different types of electricpropulsion) to great success.

Solid fuel chemical propulsion, Liquid fuel chemical propulsion, Cold-gas chemical propulsion, Ion are the different types of propulsion

The solid motor is used mainly as a booster for launch vehicles. Solid motors are almost never used in space because they are not controllable. Theboosters are lit and then they fire until all the propellant has burned. Their main benefits are simplicity, a shelf life which can extend to years as in thecase of missiles, and high reliability.

Liquid motors come in many shapes and sizes: Most of them are controllable (can be throttled up and down), restartable, are often used as controland maneuvering thrusters. Liquid thrusters can be broken into three main types: monopropellant, bipropellant, and cryogenic thrusters.Monopropellants only use one propellant such as hydrazine. Bipropellants use a fuel and an oxidizer such as RP-1 and H2O2. Cryogenic systems useliquefied gases such as LiH and LOX (liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen). Cryogenic means super-cooled. You would have to super-cool hydrogen andoxygen to make them liquids. With each step from monopropellant to bipropellant to cryogenic the thruster complexity goes up but theperformance also goes up.

Cold-gas motors have controllability similar to liquids but are the simpler and lighter. They are basically a high pressure tank with switches which flipbetween the open and shut state. They function a little like spray paint, with the contents under pressure inside, and when the valve is opened, theystream out.

Ion engines are vastly different from chemical (solid, liquid) engines in that they are low thrust engines which can run for extended periods of time.The length of use of chemical engines is usually from seconds to days while the length of use of ion engines can be anywhere from days to months.

In reaching out to the stars, new types of propulsions like anti-matter propulsion are mooted. The methods to generate such anti matter have to beresearched . This may be touched upon in the science fictions
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spacecrafthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellitehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air-breathing_enginehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multistage_rockethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multistage_rockethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipropellant_rockethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solid_rockethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monopropellant_rockethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monopropellant_rockethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monopropellant_rockethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceShipOnehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistojet_rockethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistojet_rockethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistojet_rockethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistojet_rockethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air-breathing_enginehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbital_station-keepinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbital_station-keepinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multistage_rockethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momentum_wheelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attitude_controlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monopropellant_rockethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrically_powered_spacecraft_propulsionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrically_powered_spacecraft_propulsionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrically_powered_spacecraft_propulsionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistojet_rockethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistojet_rockethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbital_station-keepinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momentum_wheelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attitude_controlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrically_powered_spacecraft_propulsionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_thrusterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hall_effect_thrusterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_thrusterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hall_effect_thrusterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hall_effect_thrusterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_thrusterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrically_powered_spacecraft_propulsionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attitude_controlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momentum_wheelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbital_station-keepinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbital_station-keepinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbital_station-keepinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistojet_rockethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistojet_rockethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistojet_rockethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monopropellant_rockethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multistage_rockethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air-breathing_enginehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air-breathing_enginehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air-breathing_enginehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceShipOnehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegasus_rockethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solid_rockethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solid_rockethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solid_rockethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipropellant_rockethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellitehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spacecraft


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Anti matter propulsion


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Countering the ill-efects of zero gravity and weightlessness

Astronauts who live in space quickly become the victim of muscle weakness, bone loss and aerobicdeconditioning due to the lack of gravity. The effects are similar to being bedridden for severalmonths. To combat this problem, the crew on board the International Space Station must exercisefor two or more hours every day using specially-designed machines that can work despite the lackof gravity.

Cardiovascular Impacts

Your body is accustomed to the pull of gravity on Earth to help maintain blood flow through yourheart and blood vessels in your arms and legs. In zero gravity conditions, the blood rushes out ofyour extremities and pools in your torso and head. This leads to "puffy face syndrome," with theveins in the neck and face standing out. Duane Graveline, MD, a former NASA astronaut andresearch scientist in aerospace medicine, points out that any reduction in the demands placed onyour heart due to inactivity will lessen your heart's efficiency. In space, this can combine with aprogressive loss of circulatory reflexes important in maintaining blood pressure, although exercisingin zero gravity will help promote more normal blood flow and blood pressure.

Also rapid Calcium loss leading to bone

Weight exercise in treadmill and generation of some means of artificial gravity is mooted toovercome this problem. As of now astronauts take up vigorous daily work outs to overcome the illeffects of zero gravity and weightlessness


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A look at the assembling of a small satellite


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Assembled satellite


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Dropping the satellite from 7 storey building


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Satellite parachuting down


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The Ultimate: prolonging longevity of life and providing nutritious

food to space travelers

The desire to live longer is very much there onEarth itself and in space it is becoming anecessity as long travels have to be undertaken toreach the stars and far away planets. The

methods to overcome ageing have to beresearched and methods of providing nutritiousfood have also to be examined. The soil lesshydroponic agriculture is experimented in the

international space station. Success of it will pavethe way for growing food when on travel andopen a new route for getting nutritious fresh foodto the space travelers


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Last but not the least: finding ways to get rid of space debris is

need of the hour

Thousands and thousands of satellites have beenlaunched into space and many defunct satellites andthe debris resulting from satellites and spacecrafts areposing grave danger to the satellites and the new space

crafts as hit targets . The danger of damage is verymuch real for the satellites, space crafts and theinternational space station our only outpost in space

Ways to rid the space of these debris have not beenfound so far . The same has to be done on top priority


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References

1.My Science fictions Oxygen Please!, Space Pyrotechnics

2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propulsion

3.http://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/propulsion/2-what-are-the-types-of-rocket-propulsion.html

4. http://www.livestrong.com/article/362352-the-effects-of-zero-gravity-exercise/

5. http://science1.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-

nasa/2001/ast01oct_1/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propulsionhttp://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/propulsion/2-what-are-the-types-of-rocket-propulsion.htmlhttp://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/propulsion/2-what-are-the-types-of-rocket-propulsion.htmlhttp://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/propulsion/2-what-are-the-types-of-rocket-propulsion.htmlhttp://www.livestrong.com/article/362352-the-effects-of-zero-gravity-exercise/http://www.livestrong.com/article/362352-the-effects-of-zero-gravity-exercise/http://www.livestrong.com/article/362352-the-effects-of-zero-gravity-exercise/http://science1.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2001/ast01oct_1/http://science1.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2001/ast01oct_1/http://science1.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2001/ast01oct_1/http://science1.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2001/ast01oct_1/http://science1.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2001/ast01oct_1/http://science1.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2001/ast01oct_1/http://science1.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2001/ast01oct_1/http://science1.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2001/ast01oct_1/http://science1.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2001/ast01oct_1/http://science1.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2001/ast01oct_1/http://www.livestrong.com/article/362352-the-effects-of-zero-gravity-exercise/http://www.livestrong.com/article/362352-the-effects-of-zero-gravity-exercise/http://www.livestrong.com/article/362352-the-effects-of-zero-gravity-exercise/http://www.livestrong.com/article/362352-the-effects-of-zero-gravity-exercise/http://www.livestrong.com/article/362352-the-effects-of-zero-gravity-exercise/http://www.livestrong.com/article/362352-the-effects-of-zero-gravity-exercise/http://www.livestrong.com/article/362352-the-effects-of-zero-gravity-exercise/http://www.livestrong.com/article/362352-the-effects-of-zero-gravity-exercise/http://www.livestrong.com/article/362352-the-effects-of-zero-gravity-exercise/http://www.livestrong.com/article/362352-the-effects-of-zero-gravity-exercise/http://www.livestrong.com/article/362352-the-effects-of-zero-gravity-exercise/http://www.livestrong.com/article/362352-the-effects-of-zero-gravity-exercise/http://www.livestrong.com/article/362352-the-effects-of-zero-gravity-exercise/http://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/propulsion/2-what-are-the-types-of-rocket-propulsion.htmlhttp://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/propulsion/2-what-are-the-types-of-rocket-propulsion.htmlhttp://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/propulsion/2-what-are-the-types-of-rocket-propulsion.htmlhttp://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/propulsion/2-what-are-the-types-of-rocket-propulsion.htmlhttp://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/propulsion/2-what-are-the-types-of-rocket-propulsion.htmlhttp://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/propulsion/2-what-are-the-types-of-rocket-propulsion.htmlhttp://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/propulsion/2-what-are-the-types-of-rocket-propulsion.htmlhttp://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/propulsion/2-what-are-the-types-of-rocket-propulsion.htmlhttp://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/propulsion/2-what-are-the-types-of-rocket-propulsion.htmlhttp://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/propulsion/2-what-are-the-types-of-rocket-propulsion.htmlhttp://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/propulsion/2-what-are-the-types-of-rocket-propulsion.htmlhttp://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/propulsion/2-what-are-the-types-of-rocket-propulsion.htmlhttp://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/propulsion/2-what-are-the-types-of-rocket-propulsion.htmlhttp://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/propulsion/2-what-are-the-types-of-rocket-propulsion.htmlhttp://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/propulsion/2-what-are-the-types-of-rocket-propulsion.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propulsion


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space research borne out of science fiction

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