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Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX 2021), St Petersburg, Russian Federation, 14-18 June 2021.

Copyright ©2021 by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). All rights reserved.

GLEX-2021,9,1,11,x62310

Design Case Study of a National Space Station: Orbital, Logistical and Strategic Considerations

Yukta Sharma, Chesler Thomas*

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GLEX-21.9.1.11.x62310- Design Case Study of a National Space Station: Orbital, Logistical and Strategic Consideration | Chesler Thomas*, Yukta Sharma

Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX 2021), St Petersburg, Russian Federation, 14-18 June 2021.

Copyright ©2021 by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). All rights reserved.

1st Unmanned Mission

2nd Unmanned Flight

Dec 2021

2022-23

GAGANYAAN THE ‘SKY CRAFT’

Height

3 m (1st Crew Mission)

Diameter

3.5 m (1st Crew Mission)

Take-Off Mass

20 T

Altitude

400 km

Launch Cadence for Development

5-7 Years

1st Mission Unmanned - 2021

Crewed Mission - 3 Astronauts for 5-7 Days

Launch Vehicle

GSLV MkIII

Applications

Not Space Tourism

Microgravity Experiments

Large Scale Precision Transfer

Human Studies

Capacity

3 Astronauts for 15-20 Days

Completion Target

2030

Project Budget

INR 800 Cr

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INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION (ISS)

GLEX-21.9.1.11.x62310- Design Case Study of a National Space Station: Orbital, Logistical and Strategic Consideration | Chesler Thomas*, Yukta Sharma

Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX 2021), St Petersburg, Russian Federation, 14-18 June 2021.

Copyright ©2021 by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). All rights reserved.

Russian Modules

Pris

Poisk

Zveda

Rassvet

US Modules

Zarya

Leonardo

Tranquility

Unity

Density

BEAM

Harmony

Quest

Cupola

Eccentricity (ECC)

0.0002738

Inclination (INC)

51.6441 deg

Perigee height

418 km

Apogee height

421 km

Right Ascension of Ascending Node (RAAN)

218.2986 deg

Argument of Perigee (AOP)

300.0498 deg

Mean Anomaly at epoch

188.3969 deg

Semi Major Axis (SMA)

6738 km

ESA Modules

Columbus

Japanese Modules

JEM-ELM-PS

JEM-PM

Canadian Modules

Canadarm2

Dextre

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GLEX-21.9.1.11.x62310- Design Case Study of a National Space Station: Orbital, Logistical and Strategic Consideration | Chesler Thomas*, Yukta Sharma

Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX 2021), St Petersburg, Russian Federation, 14-18 June 2021.

Copyright ©2021 by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). All rights reserved.

  • Funded only until 2025

  • May be deorbited in 2030

Why not join ISS?

Indian Space Programme is Relatively New

Delhi's Nuclear Policy

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GLEX-21.9.1.11.x62310- Design Case Study of a National Space Station: Orbital, Logistical and Strategic Consideration | Chesler Thomas*, Yukta Sharma

Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX 2021), St Petersburg, Russian Federation, 14-18 June 2021.

Copyright ©2021 by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). All rights reserved.

ORBIT DESIGN

High / Medium Earth

500 Km & Above

Sun synchronous Polar

Inclined Polar

LEO

Equatorial 

Slower Velocity

More Satellites

Power Reliability

Same as Sun Sync.

Cost Effective

Easy to Maintain & Insert 

More Comfortable

Risk of Collisions

More Heat

No Power & Heating

Less Propellant

Min. Drag

Space Debris

More Propellant

Better Global Coverage

Less Distributed ground Track

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GLEX-21.9.1.11.x62310- Design Case Study of a National Space Station: Orbital, Logistical and Strategic Consideration | Chesler Thomas*, Yukta Sharma

Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX 2021), St Petersburg, Russian Federation, 14-18 June 2021.

Copyright ©2021 by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). All rights reserved.

ORBIT DESIGN

Inclination & RAAN

Optimized Ground Track b/w 30°N-30°S

Maximum Coverage

India + other Strategic countries

Start of Mission: 01 Jan 2024

Orbit type: Exact Repeat

Minimum perturbation

Less fuel consumption

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GLEX-21.9.1.11.x62310- Design Case Study of a National Space Station: Orbital, Logistical and Strategic Consideration | Chesler Thomas*, Yukta Sharma

Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX 2021), St Petersburg, Russian Federation, 14-18 June 2021.

Copyright ©2021 by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). All rights reserved.

Bangladesh

Japan

Italy

Bhutan

Malaysia

USA

Brunei

Nepal

Brazil

China

Pakistan

Singapore

France

Russia

Kazakhstan

Indonesia

Sri Lanka

New Zealand

Israel

Tajikistan

Maldives

Countries of Strategic Significance

Sensors

SAR

AIS

Thermal

Hyperspectral

Visible

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GLEX-21.9.1.11.x62310- Design Case Study of a National Space Station: Orbital, Logistical and Strategic Consideration | Chesler Thomas*, Yukta Sharma

Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX 2021), St Petersburg, Russian Federation, 14-18 June 2021.

Copyright ©2021 by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). All rights reserved.

Insertion Opportunities from NSS in 24 Hours

Well distributed eclipse events

Low exposure to solar radiation

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GLEX-21.9.1.11.x62310- Design Case Study of a National Space Station: Orbital, Logistical and Strategic Consideration | Chesler Thomas*, Yukta Sharma

Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX 2021), St Petersburg, Russian Federation, 14-18 June 2021.

Copyright ©2021 by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). All rights reserved.

Orbit

Epoch Format

UTC Gregorian

Epoch

01 Jan 2024 00:00:00.000

Coordinate System

EarthMJ2000Eq

State Type

Keplerian

SMA

6860.648939626995 km

ECC

0.0008382279999997383

INC

29.99612123325388 deg

RAAN

194.208054329 deg

AOP

124.0445565490071 deg

TA

7.446026201992832 deg

Altitude, Inclination Time- Plots for 3 Months

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GLEX-21.9.1.11.x62310- Design Case Study of a National Space Station: Orbital, Logistical and Strategic Consideration | Chesler Thomas*, Yukta Sharma

Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX 2021), St Petersburg, Russian Federation, 14-18 June 2021.

Copyright ©2021 by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). All rights reserved.

FUEL SELECTED: TRADE STUDY

  • LNG
    • Easier to handle due to higher Chill down capacity
    • Non-Toxicity
    • Gasification of Residue

Liquid Hydrogen (LH2)

    • Similar properties to LNG
    • Highly inflammable
    • Low temperatures tank brittleness

Liquid Oxygen & Liquefied Natural Gas (LOX-LNG)

    • Green propellants
    • High Fuel Economy & Performance

UDMH → Extremely complex due to Toxicity,

Reactiveness and Corrosiveness

Kerosene (RP-1)Complex to handle due to

Residue Cleaning Problems

REJECTED FUELS

Fuel

LNG

LH2

UDMH

Kerosene

Toxicity and Eco-friendliness and by-products

Nearly Zero Toxicity

H2O and CO2

Non Toxic

H2O

Highly Toxic

Carcinogenic Amines, Oxides, Acids & Salts

Harmful Oxides & Soot Formation (Ozone Depletion)

COx, NOx

MR

3.5

6

2.1

2.7

Temp (K)

112

20

273

298

Overall density

828

395

1200

1031

Isp (vac)

386.4

469.2

336

375.9

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GLEX-21.9.1.11.x62310- Design Case Study of a National Space Station: Orbital, Logistical and Strategic Consideration | Chesler Thomas*, Yukta Sharma

Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX 2021), St Petersburg, Russian Federation, 14-18 June 2021.

Copyright ©2021 by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). All rights reserved.

GENERAL CHOICE OF MATERIALS

Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP)

  • Reduces the weight and gives proportionate strength

  • Higher quality and performance

Kevlar

  • May also be used due to low-cost for low quality requirements

Ti6Al4V

  • For regions that may involve astrobiological or health aspects
  • Bio-compatibility.

SS304

  • Reduce the thermal control needs

Both materials cheaper would reduce the overall cost

High overall structural performance of unit mass

Internal Frame → Composite + Steel

External Frame → Steel + Multi-layer Insulation

Passive Thermal Control

Area with SAR sensor is subjected to high heat

  • Necessary amount of Inconel 718

SPECIAL MATERIALS

Dissipating Heat Produced – Microvascular Thermal Control System

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GLEX-21.9.1.11.x62310- Design Case Study of a National Space Station: Orbital, Logistical and Strategic Consideration | Chesler Thomas*, Yukta Sharma

Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX 2021), St Petersburg, Russian Federation, 14-18 June 2021.

Copyright ©2021 by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). All rights reserved.

Development Cost/Kg

3,57,606.89

Total Development Cost

96,37,35,448.01

Operational Expense / Person

11,35,029.35

Total Operational Cost / Year

283757.3385

5 Year Operational Cost

1418786.693

Total Project Cost

96,51,54,234.70

*All Values in USD

MONEY MATTERS

NUMERICAL MODEL

Upgrade to State-of-The-Art Electronice

Mass & Cost

Decrease

Processing Power  Increase

(Moore's Law)

Annual expense of ISS - $ 2.9 Billion

Per Person

- $ 1,135,029.354

With a margin of 100 Cr, the estimates match the budget set by the Indian Government for the Space Station programme.

Half the composition replaced by CFRP, the mass decrements are immense

NSS Mass

86238.64583

NSS Volume

137500

NSS Design Capacity

20

NSS Actual Capacity

8

NSS Development Cost

INR 707.4 Cr

Structural Materials

SS-304L, CFRP

Structural Mass

81666.66667

Subsystems Mass

4571.979167

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GLEX-21.9.1.11.x62310- Design Case Study of a National Space Station: Orbital, Logistical and Strategic Consideration | Chesler Thomas*, Yukta Sharma

Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX 2021), St Petersburg, Russian Federation, 14-18 June 2021.

Copyright ©2021 by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). All rights reserved.

Expansive BOOM

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GLEX-21.9.1.11.x62310- Design Case Study of a National Space Station: Orbital, Logistical and Strategic Consideration | Chesler Thomas*, Yukta Sharma

Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX 2021), St Petersburg, Russian Federation, 14-18 June 2021.

Copyright ©2021 by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). All rights reserved.

  • Limited capabilities for dealing with the infra-red (thermal) part of the spectrum 

  • Needs national attentionAntenna technology for meeting modern SSA, SAR and C4 needs.

Dr. S.Chandrashekhar's Space, War & Security – A Strategy for India

Space Situational Awareness (SSA) capability: Radar, Optical & Laser - monitor the space environment 

Electro-Optical & SAR - Sun Synchronous Orbits (SSO) - Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance.

Satellites in LEO - Internet services - ELINT function

Satellite

Function/Sensor

Radar Imaging Satellite 2 (RISAT-2)

Synthetic Aperture Radar

CARTOSAT-2

Panchromatic Camera

CARTOSAT-2A/2B/2E

GSAT-6/7/7A

Communications

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GLEX-21.9.1.11.x62310- Design Case Study of a National Space Station: Orbital, Logistical and Strategic Consideration | Chesler Thomas*, Yukta Sharma

Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX 2021), St Petersburg, Russian Federation, 14-18 June 2021.

Copyright ©2021 by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). All rights reserved.

Length

16.6 m

Diameter

4.2 m

Take-Off Mass

22.5 T

Altitude

Perigee: 340 km

Apogee: 450 km

Launch Cadence for Development

11 in Total

5 in 2021: Tianzhou-2 (May), Shenzhou-12: 3 Astronauts in Orbit for 3 Months (June)

6 in 2022: Wentian Module, Mengtian Module, 2 x Cargo Spacecrafts, 2 x Manned Spaceships

Launch Descriptions

1 x Core Module

2 x Module Launches

4 x Manned Missions

4 x Cargo Vessel Flights

Launch Vehicle

Long March Series

Architecture

T-Shape (Wentian-Tianhe-Mengtian)

Capacity

6 Astronauts Simultaneously

Completion Target

2022

Lifespan Target

10 - 15 Years

Tiangong Space Station

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1

RESULTS & DISCUSSION

2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Our Parents

Department of Mechanical Engineering, GITAM University, Visakhapatnam

Skyroot Aerospace Pvt. Ltd.

Indian government organizations

Space Generation Advisory Council

  • Increased urgency for India to escalate its Space Station timeline

  • Also requires the same to meet its strategic needs

    • Tactical and Strategic Front

    • Secure communication

    • Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance

      • Space situational awareness
      • Airspace monitoring
      • Maritime surveillance
      • Kinetic energy weaponry

This work intends to catalyze the development by providing insights and results for select scopes of work.

Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX 2021), St Petersburg, Russian Federation, 14-18 June 2021.

Copyright ©2021 by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). All rights reserved.

GLEX-21.9.1.11.x62310- Design Case Study of a National Space Station: Orbital, Logistical and Strategic Consideration | Chesler Thomas*, Yukta Sharma

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FOR QUERIES AND COLLABORATIONS, CONTACT

Chesler Thomas

Aerospace Engineering Graduate, UPES Dehradun

cheslerthomastk@gmail.com

Yukta Sharma

Department of Mechanical Engineering, GITAM University, Visakhapatnam

yuktasbcsharma@gmail.com

Scan the QR Code and let’s connect on Linkedin!

Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX 2021), St Petersburg, Russian Federation, 14-18 June 2021.

Copyright ©2021 by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). All rights reserved.

GLEX-21.9.1.11.x62310- Design Case Study of a National Space Station: Orbital, Logistical and Strategic Consideration | Chesler Thomas*, Yukta Sharma

RECOMMENDATIONS

To stay on track with Human Space Mission independent of ISS fate and lead the NewSpace Race, India needs to:

  1. Speed up Timeline - Involve Private Players?
  2. LEO Orbit (Low-Perturbation)
  3. Inclined Equatorial Orbit
  4. Ground Track with Strategic Advantage
  5. Experiments/R&D, Astronomy, Satellite Deployment
  6. Sensors - ISR, Communication
  7. Upgraded Tech: Electronics, Materials, Propulsion
  8. Joint Multinational Projects - France
  9. International Relations - New Horizon