Photo credit: www.nasa.gov
As part of its initiative to promote responsible exploration of space for the betterment of humanity, NASA’s Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy (OTPS) is investing in research proposals focused on the sustainability of space. Five university-based research teams have been selected to investigate important economic, social, and policy challenges associated with Earth’s orbit and cislunar space.
The recent funding aligns with NASA’s Space Sustainability Strategy, which underscores the agency’s dedication to maintaining safe, peaceful, and responsible exploration for current and future generations. This endeavor aims to promote sustainable practices in cislunar space and on the lunar surface, ensuring that ongoing operations do not hinder future activities.
Among the awarded proposals, three will tackle the pressing issue of orbital debris, which includes human-made objects that are currently non-functional in Earth’s orbit. This debris poses significant risks to spacecraft, threatens the accessibility of space, and can obstruct efforts aimed at developing a vibrant low-Earth orbit economy.
The other two research initiatives concentrate on sustainability on the lunar surface. These projects seek to address critical policy issues such as safeguarding important sites, including locations of cultural and historical significance, and exploring various technical, economic, and cultural factors that should inform future mission planning.
“The sustainable use of space is critical to current and future space exploration,” remarked Ellen Gertsen, deputy associate administrator for OTPS at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Reducing the risks associated with orbital debris and ensuring that future generations have access to the lunar surface are of utmost importance. These awards will support research aimed at better understanding the economic, policy, and social facets of sustainability, producing innovative tools and evidence to guide informed decision-making.”
A panel of NASA experts has awarded approximately $550,000 to fund the chosen proposals, which are as follows:
Lunar surface sustainability
- “A RAD Framework for the Moon: Applying Resist-Accept-Direct Decision-Making,” presented by Dr. Caitlin Ahrens from the University of Maryland, College Park.
- “Synthesizing Frameworks of Sustainability for Futures on the Moon,” proposed by researcher Afreen Siddiqi of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Orbital Debris and Space Sustainability
- “Integrated Economic-Debris Modeling of Active Debris Removal to Inform Space Sustainability and Policy,” authored by researcher Mark Moretto from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
- “Avoiding the Kessler Syndrome Through Policy Intervention,” from aeronautics and astronautics researcher Richard Linares at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
- “Analysis of Cislunar Space Environment Scenarios, Enabling Deterrence and Incentive-Based Policy,” contributed by Ryne Beeson, a mechanical and aerospace engineering researcher at Princeton University.
Source
www.nasa.gov