Tuesday, May 21, 2019

In Orbit Refueling Made Simple

By Edward Smith


While this might sound like a topic that only astrophysicists could understand, it does not actually have to be all that complicated. In orbit refueling is actually, in a sense, just what it sounds like. A cache of fuel orbits the Earth and is there for space-bound vehicles, as well as satellites and a number of other uses.

This is something that has been proposed for the use of shuttles that are leaving the Earth and going out into the Final Frontier for exploration. It is so difficult to have enough fuel to get very far (and then back again, of course) when you have to go through all of the trouble of getting out of the atmosphere of the Earth and leaving its gravitational field. That is where the majority of the fuel goes, so if you can fuel back up while you are orbiting, the boundaries of what is possible expand significantly.

There are different concepts for what a cache like this to hold fuel might look like, and it all depends on a number of different factors. For one thing, it really matters what kind of fuel is going to be used, or even different kinds in coordination with one another. Beyond that, considerations must be made into how much fuel the cache will hold, not to mention how far out it will be orbiting the Earth.

Something that excites plenty of people who work in the space industry is that satellites will be able to have their lifespan expanded considerably. Most people do not think about how satellites are able to maneuver around to avoid debris and perfect their alignment. When that fuel runs out, it makes for a lot of junk left around the planet.

It is so easy and so much fun to learn about this kind of thing by going online. If you have any kids who are crazy about everything related to space, they will definitely love to learn about this topic. All that you have to do is type in a few keywords and watch all of the results come up.

It should seem obvious that safety is a very huge concern with these kinds of techniques. Fuel is something that is extremely flammable, and therefore, extreme caution must be taken in order for safety standards to be upheld. Overall, these methods are far safer than other means of fueling.

One way that missions have been taken on in order to test this kind of thing is with robots. Artificial intelligence has advanced to the point where it can now do many things that were once only dreamt of. Thanks to these machines, missions that are too risky for humans can be pulled off and tested out.

It is very common for new techniques and technologies to experience problems starting up. That is why in these early stages of development, there are still plenty of bugs to work out. That is why scientists and engineers are doing all they can to solve the problems that still exist. Once the various methods and techniques that have to be learned are perfected, fueling up while in space will be extremely safe and efficient.




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