Engineering topics
Castillo, Julie
Publications and source records attributed to Castillo, Julie.
Two-Dimensional Planetary Surface Landers
We proposed to develop a new landing approach that significantly reduces development time and obviates the most complicated, most expensive, and highest-risk phase of a landing mission. The concept is a blanket- or carpet-like two-dimensional (2D) lander (~1-m × 1-m surface area and <1-cm thick) with a low mass/drag ratio, which allows the lander to efficiently shed its approach velocity and provide a more robust structure for landing integrity. The form factor of these landers allows dozens to be stacked on a single spacecraft for transport and distributed en masse to the surface. Lander surfaces will be populated on both sides by surface-mount, low-profile sensors and instruments, surface-mount telecom, solar cells, batteries, processors, and memory. Landers will also incorporate thin flexible electronics, made possible in part by printable electronics technology. The mass and size of these highly capable technologies further reduces the required stiffness and mass of the lander structures to the point that compliant, lightweight, robust landers capable of passive landings are possible. This capability avoids the costly, complex use of rockets, radar, and associated structure and control systems. This approach is expected to provide an unprecedented science payload mass to spacecraft mass ratio of approximately 80% (estimated based on current knowledge). This compared to ~1% for Pathfinder, ~17% for MER, and 22% for MSL rovers. Clearly, one difference is rovers vs. a lower capability lander. An outcome of the Phase I study is a clear roadmap for near-term demonstration and long-term technology development.
E-Glider: Active Electrostatic Flight for Airless Body Exploration
The environment near the surface of asteroids, comets, and the Moon is electrically charged due to the Sun's photoelectric bombardment and lofting dust, which follows the Sun illumination as the body spins. Chargeddust is ever present, in the form of dusty plasma, even at high altitudes, following the solar illumination. If abody with high surface resistivity is exposed to the solar wind and solar radiation, sun-exposed areas andshadowed areas become differentially charged. The E-Glider (Electrostatic Glider) is an enabling capability foroperation at airless bodies, a solution applicable to many types of in-situ mission concepts, which leverages thenatural environment. With the E-Glider, we transform a problem (spacecraft charging) into an enablingtechnology, i.e. a new form of mobility in microgravity environments using new mechanisms and maneuveringbased on the interaction of the vehicle with the environment. Consequently, the vision of the E-Glider is toenable global scale airless body exploration with a vehicle that uses, instead of avoids, the local electricallycharged environment. This platform directly addresses the "All Access Mobility" Challenge, one of the NASA'sSpace Technology Grand Challenges. Exploration of comets, asteroids, moons and planetary bodies is limitedby mobility on those bodies. The lack of an atmosphere, the low gravity levels, and the unknown surface soilproperties pose a very difficult challenge for all forms of know locomotion at airless bodies. This E-Gliderlevitates by extending thin, charged, appendages, which are also articulated to direct the levitation force in themost convenient direction for propulsion and maneuvering. The charging is maintained through continuouscharge emission. It lands, wherever it is most convenient, by retracting the appendages or by firing a cold-gasthruster, or by deploying an anchor. The wings could be made of very thin Au-coated Mylar film, which areelectrostatically inflated, and would provide the lift due to electrostatic repulsion with the naturally chargedasteroid surface. Since the E-glider would follow the Sun's illumination, the solar panels on the vehicle wouldconstantly charge a battery. Further articulation at the root of the lateral strands or inflated membrane wings,would generate a component of lift depending on the articulation angle, hence a selective maneuveringcapability which, to all effects, would lead to electrostatic (rather than aerodynamic) flight. Preliminarycalculations indicate that a 1 kg mass can be electrostatically levitated in a microgravity field with a 2 mdiameter electrostatically inflated ribbon structure at 19kV, hence the need for a "balloon-like" system. Due tothe high density and the photo-electron sheath and associate small Debye length, significant power is requiredto levitate even a few kilograms. The power required is in the kilo-Watt range to maintain a constant chargelevel.
E-Glider: A Concept for Active Electrostatic Flight for Airless Body Exploration
No abstract available
Lunar Flashlight and Near Earth Asteroid Scout: Exploration Science Using Cubesats
No abstract available