JP7130226B2 - Lunar base supply method and landing aid - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a lunar base supply method for supplying a base to the lunar surface and a landing assistance device used therefor.

In order for a spacecraft to travel to a planet other than the Earth (e.g. Mars), a base must be established on the Moon, whose gravitational pull is about 1/6 that of the Earth, and the spacecraft must travel between the lunar base and Mars. sailing is possible. Also, since the moon does not have an atmosphere, it is possible to be exposed to a large amount of cosmic rays (radiation).

In general, fuel consumption in a flying object such as a spacecraft is significant when the speed of the flying object changes significantly. That is, a large amount of fuel is consumed when the flying object accelerates for takeoff and when the flying object decelerates for landing. Also, the greater the total mass of the flying object, the more fuel is consumed. Therefore, when a flying object carries a large amount of fuel for landing, the overall mass of the flying object increases, causing a snowball phenomenon in which a larger amount of fuel must be carried for takeoff.

As a related technique, Patent Document 1 discloses a method that enables saving the mass of on-board fuel for an interplanetary mission such as Mars exploration. The method comprises launching from Earth a first orbital spacecraft into a first interplanetary orbit toward a target planet to be explored and a second orbital spacecraft into a second interplanetary orbit toward a gathering spot. retrieving the cargo to be carried and loading it onto a first orbital spacecraft; returning the first orbital spacecraft and cargo from the target planet to the assembly spot;2. docking one orbital spacecraft; and returning at least a second orbital spacecraft and cargo from the assembly spot to earth orbit.

According to U.S. Pat. No. 5,900,004, on the way back to Earth, the first orbital spacecraft joins the second orbital spacecraft at a gathering spot, and the two orbital spacecraft are brought together. and then return to Earth together, a second orbital spacecraft is required for the return, braking, and entry into orbit around the Earth of the two tethered spacecraft. provide adequate fuel. Therefore, the first orbital spacecraft does not have to carry a large amount of fuel for landing.

JP 2010-18271 (paragraphs 0006-0007, 0025, FIG. 2)

As disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,200,201, when exploring Mars, two spacecraft can meet at a meeting spot to reduce fuel onboard a spacecraft reaching Mars. Landing on or taking off from the Moon consumes less fuel than landing on or taking off from Earth, so a lunar base could be used as a rallying spot.

However, since the moon and the earth are about 380,000 km apart, when building a base on the moon, if the materials used to build the base are transported from the earth to the moon and the base is assembled on the moon, The personnel who assemble the base also have to travel back and forth between the earth and the moon, which is a heavy burden. In addition, a large amount of fuel is required to transport the personnel to assemble the base by spacecraft.

Therefore, in view of the above points, a first object of the present invention is to provide a lunar base that can supply a base to the lunar surface more easily than transporting materials from the earth to the moon and assembling the base on the lunar surface. It is to provide a supply method. A second object of the present invention is to provide a lunar base supply method capable of supplying bases to the lunar surface while suppressing fuel consumption during landing. A third object of the present invention is to provide a landing aid for use in such a lunar base supply method.

In order to solve the above problems, a lunar base supply method according to a first aspect of the present invention transports materials used for assembling structures to the sky above the earth and causes them to circulate along the orbit around the earth. Step (a), step (b) of assembling a structure using the materials in orbit around the earth, and moving the assembled structure from orbit around the earth toward the moon and soft-landing it on the surface of the moon. and (c) making it available as a base.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the structure is assembled while the materials are orbiting along the earth's orbit, the gravitational force of the earth acting on the materials and the centrifugal force due to the orbital motion are balanced, resulting in a zero-gravity state. is created, reducing the force required to move materials and assemble. In addition, since the orbit of the earth is much closer to the earth than the moon, it is easier to supply a base on the moon than to transport materials from the earth to the moon and assemble a base on the moon, which greatly reduces space development costs. It is possible to greatly reduce the amount of labor required and the work time to be greatly shortened.

A lunar base supply method according to a second aspect of the present invention uses a wire rope having one end connected to a structure that revolves along the earth's orbit, using a hoist provided on a landing auxiliary device. (a) connecting said structure and said landing aid by hoisting said structure and said landing aid; and operating at least one booster provided on said structure to orbit said structure and said landing aid. (b) moving from orbit toward the moon and orbiting along a lunar orbit; (c) increasing the distance between the structure and the landing aid to a predetermined distance so that the landing aid is closer to the lunar surface than the landing aid; and operating the at least one booster to cause the structure and step (d) of dropping the structure and the landing aid toward the lunar surface by reducing the orbital speed of the landing aid; and when the structure approaches the lunar surface by a first distance. a step (e) of reducing the falling speed of the structure by reducing the distance between the structure and the landing aid by starting to hoist the wire rope using the hoist; (f) disconnecting the landing aid from the structure when the object approaches the lunar surface to a second distance; ).

A landing assistance device according to a second aspect of the present invention is a landing assistance device used to soft-land a structure on the surface of the moon so that it can be used as a base, and comprises a wire rope having a predetermined length. and, in the orbit around the earth, the wire rope having one end connected to the structure is hoisted up to connect the structure and the landing auxiliary device, and in the orbit around the moon, the wire rope is sent out to the structure. The distance between the object and the landing aid is adjusted to a predetermined distance, and the wire rope is hoisted up when the structure falls toward the lunar surface, thereby reducing the distance between the structure and the landing aid. a hoist for retracting the structure to reduce the falling velocity of the structure.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the structure approaches the lunar surface, the hoist of the landing aid is used to hoist the wire rope, thereby reducing the falling speed of the structure. Therefore, it is possible to provide a base on the moon while suppressing fuel consumption at the time of landing, and to significantly reduce space development costs.

4 is a flowchart showing a lunar base supply method according to the first embodiment of the present invention; The schematic diagram which shows typically the space station and landing assistance device which are used for the lunar base supply method which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. 4 is a flow chart showing a lunar base supply method according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
<Moon base supply method 1>
FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing a lunar base supply method according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In step S11 of FIG. 1, the materials used to assemble the structure are transported to the sky above the earth and circulated along the orbit around the earth. In the present application, the "structure" may be a base facility installed on the moon or a part thereof, or may be a newly constructed space station.

For example, the materials used to assemble the structure are loaded onto the spacecraft and the spacecraft is launched from a coastal launch point along the flight path. The spacecraft is then controlled to enter orbit around the Earth, and once in orbit around the Earth, the spacecraft's rocket engines are shut down. As this orbit, an orbit within an altitude range of about 160 km to about 20,000 km as measured from the mean ocean surface of the earth is suitable, and for example, a circular orbit with an altitude of about 400 km may be set. The spacecraft orbits the earth at an orbital speed that balances the gravitational pull of the earth with the centrifugal force of the orbital motion.

In step S12, materials are used to construct a structure in orbit around the earth. For example, materials used to assemble a structure are transported from a spacecraft into outer space, where the structure is assembled. In the orbit around the earth, a weightless state is created by balancing the gravitational force of the earth acting on the materials and the centrifugal force due to the orbital motion, so the force required for moving and assembling the materials can be reduced.

In step S13, the assembled structure is moved from the orbit around the earth toward the moon, soft-landed on the lunar surface without being destroyed, and can be used as a base. To that end, at least one booster (a rocket engine that can be disconnected after use) may be attached to the structure itself to provide propulsion or braking power.

According to the first embodiment of the present invention, since the structure is assembled while the materials are revolving along the orbit of the earth, the gravitational force of the earth acting on the materials and the centrifugal force due to the orbital motion are balanced, resulting in weightlessness. Conditions are created and the force required to move materials and assemble can be reduced. In addition, since the orbit of the earth is much closer to the earth than the moon, it is easier to supply a base on the moon than to transport materials from the earth to the moon and assemble a base on the moon, which greatly reduces space development costs. It is possible to greatly reduce the amount of labor required and the work time to be greatly shortened.

<Moon base supply method 2>
Next, a lunar base supply method according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The lunar base supply method according to the second embodiment is a specific method for moving a structure orbiting along the earth's orbit to the lunar surface for soft landing. As the structure, a structure (including a space station) assembled by the lunar base supply method according to the first embodiment may be used, or an existing space station may be used.

Space stations currently in operation are operated by multiple countries at great expense, but will be retired about five years after they start operating. Moving decommissioned space stations to the lunar surface and reusing them would significantly reduce the cost and time required to set up a lunar base without wasting resources. In the following, as an example, a case will be described in which an existing space station orbiting the earth is moved to the lunar surface and used as a lunar base.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a space station and landing assistance equipment used in the lunar base supply method according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The space station 10 used in this embodiment orbits along the earth's orbit (one-dot chain line in the figure). The altitude H1 of the orbit measured from the mean sea level of the earth is suitably within the range of about 160 km to about 20,000 km, and for example, a circular orbit with an altitude of about 400 km may be set. The space station 10 circumnavigates the earth in about 90 minutes when flying along a circular orbit at an altitude of about 400 km.

The space station 10 includes at least one booster (two boosters 11 and 12 are shown in FIG. 2 as an example) that provides propulsion or braking force to the space station 10 in outer space, It also has a plurality of airbags 13 used for soft landing.

This space station 10 is used as a master unit, and in order to soft-land the master unit on the moon and use it as a base, a landing auxiliary device 20 that reduces the fall speed when the master unit lands is used as a slave unit (attachment unit). Used. The mass of the landing aid 20 is preferably 1/10 or more of the mass of the space station 10 and less than or equal to the mass of the space station 10, and may be approximately equal to the mass of the space station 10, for example. The landing assistance device 20 includes a wire rope 21 having a predetermined length (eg, 5 km to 10 km) and a hoist 22 for hoisting and sending out the wire rope 21 .

The hoist 22 includes an inverter circuit that converts the DC voltage supplied from the storage battery mounted on the landing aid 20 into an AC voltage, and a motor that rotates the hoisting reel according to the AC voltage supplied from the inverter circuit. It is configured to be remotely controlled from the station 10 by radio.

In orbit around the earth, the hoist 22 hoists the wire rope 21 , one end of which is connected to the space station 10 , to connect the space station 10 and the landing aid 20 . For example, a terminal fixed to one end of wire rope 21 is magnetically or mechanically connected to space station 10 .

On the other hand, in the lunar orbit, the hoist 22 sends out the wire rope 21 to adjust the distance between the space station 10 and the landing support device 20 to a predetermined distance (for example, 5 km to 10 km), and the space station 10 moves to the moon. By winding up the wire rope 21 when falling toward the surface, the distance between the space station 10 and the landing auxiliary device 20 is shortened to reduce the falling speed of the space station 10.例文帳に追加

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing a lunar base supply method according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In step S21 of FIG. 3, the wire rope 21, one end of which is connected to the space station 10 which is orbiting the earth, is hoisted using the hoist 22 provided in the landing assist device 20, and is placed in space. The station 10 and the landing assistance device 20 are connected. Thereby, the landing assistance device 20 can be brought into close contact with the space station 10 .

At step S22, at least one booster 11 and/or 12 provided on the space station 10 is operated to accelerate the space station 10 and move the space station 10 and the landing aid 20 from the orbit around the earth toward the moon. Let Traveling to the moon may be done slowly over several weeks. When the space station 10 and the landing aids 20 approach the moon, at least one booster 11 and/or 12 is operated to decelerate the space station 10 and move the space station 10 and the landing aids 20 to orbit around the moon (in the figure). )).

The altitude H2 of the orbit measured from the mean ground surface of the moon is suitably within the range of about 40 km to about 5,000 km, and for example, a circular orbit with an altitude of about 100 km may be set. The space station 10 and the landing aid 20 orbit around the moon at an orbital speed that balances the gravitational force of the moon and the centrifugal force due to the orbital motion.

At step S23, by operating at least one booster 11 and/or 12 and feeding the wire rope 21 from the hoist 22, the space station 10 is moved closer to the lunar surface than the landing aid 20. and the landing assist device 20 to a predetermined distance (eg, 5 km to 10 km). Here, it is desirable that the space station 10 and the landing assistance device 20 are arranged substantially on a vertical line.

At step S24, at least one booster 11 and/or 12 is operated to reduce the orbital speed of the space station 10 and the landing assistance device 20, thereby causing the space station 10 and the landing assistance device 20 to fall toward the lunar surface. Let The falling speed of the space station 10 and the falling speed of the landing aid 20 are almost equal.

In step S25, when the space station 10 approaches the lunar surface to a first distance (for example, several kilometers to several tens of kilometers), the hoisting machine 22 is used to start winding the wire rope 21, thereby The distance between 10 and the landing auxiliary device 20 is shortened to reduce the falling speed of the space station 10.例文帳に追加

In step S26, the landing aid 20 is separated from the space station 10 when the space station 10 has approached the lunar surface to a second distance (for example, about 500 m). For example, when the terminal of the wire rope 21 is magnetically or mechanically connected to the space station 10, the space station 10 releases the magnetic or mechanical connection, thereby smoothing the landing assist device 20. can be separated.

In the case of magnetic connection, it is assumed that the N pole (or S pole) side of the magnet included in the terminal fixed to one end of the wire rope 21 is connected to the electromagnet of the space station 10 . In that case, the space station 10 releases the magnetic connection by reversing the polarity of the electromagnet on the terminal side of the wire rope 21 from the S pole (or N pole) to the N pole (or S pole). can be

When disconnecting the landing aids 20, the space station 10 operates at least one booster 11 and/or 12 to horizontally shift the position of the space station 10 and the position of the landing aids 20, thereby moving into space. It is desirable to prevent the station 10 and the landing aid 20 from colliding.

When the landing aid 20 is separated from the space station 10, it collides with the lunar surface. If the landing assistance device 20 is constructed by connecting and assembling metal plate materials such as aluminum or its alloys or stainless steel with bolts and nuts, even if the landing assistance device 20 is severely damaged, the landing assistance device 20 will not be damaged. The component parts can be reused as materials for buildings and the like. On the other hand, the space station 10 falls relatively slowly because its fall speed is reduced.

In step S27, the space station 10 is soft-landed on the moon. The gravitational pull of the moon is on the order of ⅙ of the gravitational pull of the earth, and the space station 10 falls relatively slowly, preferably by activating at least one booster 11 and/or 12 to make the fall even slower. The space station 10 inflates a plurality of airbags 13 just before landing to reduce the impact of landing. When the space station 10 soft-lands on the moon, it becomes available as a lunar base.

According to the second embodiment of the present invention, when the space station 10 approaches the lunar surface, the hoist 22 of the landing aid 20 is used to hoist the wire rope 21, thereby increasing the falling speed of the space station 10. can be lowered. Therefore, it is possible to provide a base on the moon while suppressing fuel consumption at the time of landing, and to significantly reduce space development costs.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used in a lunar base supply method for supplying a base to the lunar surface and a landing assistance device used therein.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Space station, 11, 12... Booster, 13... Air bag, 20... Landing assistance device, 21... Wire rope, 22... Winding machine

Claims (2)

A method of providing a base on the moon, comprising:
A wire rope, one end of which is connected to a structure circling along the earth's orbit, is hoisted using a hoist provided in the landing assistance device to connect the structure and the landing assistance device. step (a);
(b) operating at least one booster provided on said structure to move said structure and said landing aid from earth orbit toward the moon and orbit along the lunar orbit; When,
A distance between the structure and the landing aid such that the structure is closer to the lunar surface than the landing aid by operating the at least one booster and feeding the wire rope from the hoist. a step (c) of spreading the by a predetermined distance;
(d) operating the at least one booster to reduce the orbital speed of the structure and the landing aid, thereby causing the structure and the landing aid to fall toward the lunar surface;
When the structure approaches the lunar surface to a first distance, the hoisting machine is used to start hoisting the wire rope, thereby reducing the distance between the structure and the landing aid, thereby reducing the distance between the structure and the landing aid. step (e) of slowing down the falling speed of the object;
(f) disconnecting the landing aid from the structure when the structure approaches the lunar surface a second distance;
a step (g) of soft-landing said structure on the moon to make it available as a base;
A lunar base supply method comprising: A landing aid used to soft-land a structure on the moon and make it available as a base,
a wire rope having a predetermined length;
In an earth orbit, the wire rope having one end connected to the structure is hoisted to connect the structure and the landing support device, and in a lunar orbit, the wire rope is sent out to connect with the structure. By adjusting the distance from the landing aid to a predetermined distance and winding up the wire rope when the structure falls toward the lunar surface, the distance between the structure and the landing aid is shortened. a hoist for reducing the falling velocity of the structure with
A landing aid with

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