Montreal Space Symposium 2019

Prédire la risqué d’une collision astéroïde avec la terre est un grand défi. Plusieurs astéroïdes sont trop petits, et leur orbite trop imprécise pour être détecté de la terre. Ils peuvent seulement être observé à leur approche finale a la terre. Au 15 Avril 2018 l’Astéroïde 2018 GE3 est venu entre la terre et la lune des heures avant sa détection. Les mécanismes utilisé aujourd'hui pour la détection des astéroïdes comptent trop sur des télescopes de grand champ situé sur la terre.

On doit aller au-delà de comment on analyse et détermine le risque des collisions d’astéroïdes avec terre. Pendant que la quantité d’information venant des surveillances de ciel augmente, le numéro d’astronomes pour analyser cette information reste la même.

L’intelligence artificiel est utilisé pour chercher des motifs dans des donnés énormes. J’ai utilisé un Réseau-de-Neurones « Feed-Forward » pour créer un index répertoriant le risque de collision Astéroïde-Terre à l’aide des données du Centre pour les objets proches de la Terre (CNEOS, NASA)

La couche d’entrée de ce réseau neuronal était composée de trois paramètres: la vitesse de l’astéroïde, son diamètre et sa magnitude absolu. La couche de sortie était le risque de cet astéroïde entrer en collision avec la terre. Il compare la probabilité de l'impact potentiel détecté avec le risque moyen présenté par des objets de taille identique ou supérieure au fil des ans jusqu'à la date de l'impact potentiel.

Curieusement, aucun des astéroïdes modélisés par mon algorithme n'a généré un indice de risque positif. Cela indique que le risque de collision entre un astéroïde et la Terre est très faible mais non nul. L'indice suivait un indice de risque normalisé centré sur la distribution de -4 sur échelle logarithmique. Cela implique que le risque actuel est dix mille fois inférieur à un événement de fond aléatoire.

Planetary exploration with robot teams
Since the beginning of space exploration, Mars and the Moon have been explored with orbiters, landers, and rovers. Over forty missions have targeted Mars, and more than a hundred, the Moon. Developing novel strategies and technologies for exploring celestial bodies continues to be a focus of space agencies. Multi-robot systems are particularly promising for planetary exploration, as they are more robust to individual failure and have the potential to explore larger areas; however, there are limits to how many robots an operator can individually control. We recently took part in the European Space Agency’s interdisciplinary equipment test campaign (PANGAEA-X) at a Lunar/Mars analog site in Lanzarote, Spain. 
We used a heterogeneous fleet of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)—a swarm—to study the interplay of systems operations and human factors. Human operators directed the swarm via ad-hoc networks and data sharing protocols to explore unknown areas under two control modalities: one in which the operator instructed each robot separately; and the other in which the operator provided general guidance to the swarm, which self-organized via a combination of distributed decision-making, and consensus-building.

For each condition, we assessed cognitive load via pupillometry and perceived task demand and intuitiveness via self-report. Our results show that implementing higher autonomy with swarm intelligence can reduce workload, freeing the operator for other tasks such as overseeing strategy, and communication. Future work will further leverage advances in swarm intelligence for exploration missions.

ÉPPÉ (Extrasolar Planet Polarimetry Explorer / Explorateur polarimétrique des planètes extrasolaires) is a proposed concept for a microsatellite mission that would use time-resolved differential polarimetry to characterize known exoplanets (hot Jupiters, Neptunes, super Earths) and serve as a pathfinder for spectropolarimetric exoplanet biomarker detection. Exoplanet characterization is a top astrophysical science priority as enunciated by the NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program, the CASCA (Canadian Astronomical Society) 2011–2020 Long Range Plan, the Space Astronomy Origins and Planetary Systems Astrobiology topical team reports of the CSEW (Canadian Space Exploration Workshop), and ESA Cosmic Vision 2015-2025.

One of the limitations of current and future precision transit photometry and spectroscopy is that clouds and hazes prohibit spectroscopic feature detection. Vetting of a prospective exoplanet target prior to investing observation resources for detailed spectroscopy is therefore critical. The differential polarimetry capabilities of ÉPPÉ would be uniquely sensitive to polarized scattered light (dust, clouds, haze). So far, ground-based polarimeters have struggled to reach the 1 part-per-million level of precision required to detect scattered light from an exoplanet. By going to a dawn-dusk, Sun-synchronous orbit, we nearly eliminate the two major suspects for uncalibrated instrumental noise in ground-based measurements: the thermal stability of the optical setup and flexure of the optics at different telescope orientations.

The notional ÉPPÉ concept consists of a polarimetry instrumentation payload with a 30 cm aperture operating in the 300-800 nm band from a 180 kg class spacecraft in low-Earth orbit. ÉPPÉ is currently being advanced under a concept study funded by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). In addition to defining the science requirements and developing technical concepts for the mission, spacecraft, and payload, planning for education and public outreach is also an integral component of the study.

MPB Communications Inc. has been involved in Space R&D projects for over 40 years, building optical payloads for satellites, rovers and rockets. Currently, MPBC is developing key technologies to aid lunar exploration, notably including two projects: Lunar Cubesat Mission (VMMO “Ice Mapper”) and Dusty Thermal Vacuum Chamber (DTVAC). The VMMO Volatiles and Mineralogy Mapping Orbiter is a low-cost 12U lunar Cubesat being developed with CSA and ESA for mapping water-ice and other volatiles within permanently shadowed craters near lunar south pole using MPBC’s fiber laser technologies at 532 nm and 1560 nm. DTVAC was designed and built as a planetary environment simulator for Canadian Space Agency that simultaneously combines a controlled dust simulant shower in vacuum with simulated solar illumination and thermal control of the test device from below -196°C to above +120°C. The feasibility of liquid-helium cooling of a small platen with lunar regolith to about 40 K was also demonstrated, simulating temperatures relevant to permanently shadowed regions on the moon. Both of these projects present significant design challenges that are discussed in this presentation.

The lunar environment is very challenging with extreme temperatures, no atmosphere, and a very abrasive dust that is pervasive.  Composite materials could be a material of choice to lower the mass of the rover, but also provide the right protection to allow survival of the instruments during the lunar night, where temperatures can drop to -200˚C and remain such for the equivalent of two weeks on Earth.

A large multidisciplinary team funded by CREPEC groups professors and students from Polytechnique Montréal, École de technologie supérieure, Université Laval, and the Canadian Space Agency and aims at developing a thermoplastic composite rover that is 3D printed to save on mass, prevent heat loss, and provide dust protection.  The use of space compatible thermoplastic composite material will allow for repair using induction methods.

This talk will present the challenges brought the lunar environment from a material, but also system point of view, the design strategies usually considered and the material options, and finally, the innovations this research group will bring forward.

Mohammad Rafiee, PHD, Clément Broggi, MSc
Design and 3D printing of a high performance thermoplastic lunar rover
3D printing is on verge to become a powerful way of manufacturing. Using a printer, one is able to produce complex parts, optimized for a specific application and thus with a lower mass. The Fused Deposition Modelling process is cheap and allow to produce parts it would be impossible to manufacture using traditional means. However, thermoplastics -commonly used material- do not possess, most of the time, the mechanicals properties required to 3D print structural parts and to be of interest for space applications. Some new high-performance thermoplastic composites could be a game changer.
This talk focus on the design and manufacturing of a lunar rover, printed in a high-performance thermoplastic, in partnership with the Canadian Space Agency. Lunar rovers and space parts in general, are made from aluminium because of its mechanical, thermal, and radiation properties. Composites could be a material of choice to lower the mass of the rover, provide better thermal insulation, and tailor properties to the requirements of the mission.   3D printing could allow designing a structure capable of surviving to the moon environment by reducing the amount of inserts and bolts, therefore reducing mass, but also reducing potential path of heat loss.
After a quick presentation of 3D printing, the design strategy will be explained. Finally, the up to date rover concept will be presented.

Arthur Lassus, Teodora Gancheva, Nick Virgilio and B.D. Favis

CREPEC, Department of Chemical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal

High-Performance Thermoplastics for Lunar Exploration

Over the last decade, advanced engineering thermoplastics (polyether ether ketones (PEEKs), polyetherimides (PEIs), etc.) have received increased attention and interest for automotive, energies, aeronautic and aerospace applications. In these domains, high-performance thermoplastics are being developed to bring lightness in combination with exceptional mechanical, thermal and chemical properties. For spatial and/or lunar environment applications, various parameters should be considered when developing material formulations, including tolerance to extreme temperature changes (- 200° C to + 100° C), resistance to abrasive and electrostatic nanoscale dust, adequate outgassing properties, and resistance to high-energy radiations.

The main objective of this work is to develop high-performance polymer blends/nanocomposites materials for the design of the next generation of lunar rovers. This work is part of a multidisciplinary project made possible by the cooperation between the Research Center for High Performance Polymer and Composite Systems (CREPEC), a FRQ-NT Strategic Cluster, and the Canadian Space Agency.

In June 2019, the Canadian Space Agency deployed its JUNO rover on a five day simulated lunar sample return mission. This deployment is an interdisciplinary process, requiring collaboration between teams from government, industry, and academia, composed of engineers, scientists, project managers, and robotic operators, all with a diverse set of skills and experience. Testing a rover prototype for a long-term mission in an analogue lunar environment on Earth is cheaper, faster, and less risky than testing on the moon – but that doesn’t mean it’s easy! We’ll share the challenges, opportunities, and lessons learned from planning and deploying a rover prototype in a simulated moon mission. Uniting disparate objectives, generating realistic mission scenarios, and physically transforming a quarry into a lunar analogue terrain are just some of the many challenges that must be tackled to ensure the mission is a success.