I initially joined the SGAC Space Safety and Sustainability project group in 2012, and was given the privilege of leading the project group from 2014 to 2016. During this time, we worked on multiple projects including active debris removal, on-orbit servicing, applicability of space debris removal to small satellites, space suit safety, and risk analysis for a one way human mission to Mars.
During my term as co-lead, 11 total projects were pursued by the SSS team, and through the introduction of a new proposal process for pitching new projects. These projects led to a total of more than 22 contributions in the form of papers, reports and presentations.
In this project, we proposed an approach to remove space debris from polar earth orbits using modified launch vehicle upper stages. The maneuvers needed and the economics of such an approach were analyzed, along with the safety of passive or active deorbiting.
We analyzed the concept of on-orbit servicing and the importance of standardization in this realm. We also performed mission analysis for one mission concept to better understand the economic aspects of on-orbit servicing missions.
We provided recommendations from students and young professionals on this topic to the UN COPUOS Scientific and Technical Subcommittee.
We analyzed the risks associated with a one way human mission to Mars, highlighting some of the reasons why such missions might not be a good idea.