Technologies enabling Settlement Michael Le Page Ph D

Technologies enabling Settlement Michael Le Page, Ph. D 19 th February 2018

Who is Exodus Space Systems? • A Perth-based start up company founded by 3 UWA graduates in August 2017. Michael Le Page, Ph. D Carl-P Conquilla Dr Alexius Julian

A New. Space startup company • The most visible of the “New. Space” companies are the rocket launch companies: – Space. X – Blue Origin – Virgin Galactic – Rocketlab USA • But there are many more categories of Space company: – – Satellite telecommunications and internet Earth imagery for commercial/scientific purposes In-space manufacturing – Pharmaceutical Development – Asteroid mining Tourism

How should Australia engage? • Aside from the early 1970 s launches at the Woomera Test range, Australia has relatively little experience of rocket launch and manufacture. • We do have expertise in nearly every other field. – – Operation of ground stations for NASA and ESA. – Radioastronomy Satellite Development – Earth Imagery Telerobotics – Internet of Things In-space propulsion

Delta V maps

Delta V map of the solar system

Prepare for the boom • These maps show us that just getting to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) is half the effort of going anywhere! • If launch companies with reusable rockets continue to reduce the cost of transport to LEO, everything beyond LEO becomes cheaper and easier to reach. • The reason the New. Space Industry is now growing exponentially is because getting into Low Earth Orbit economically is now a solved problem.

Where does Exodus fit in? • Our goal is to accelerate the technologies that can support large numbers of people in space. • Currently 6 people on ISS. • Our goal is to see >50, 000 people in space by 2050. – Most of these will be part of “beachhead” in LEO.

Not ‘where next? ’ but ‘how many? ’ • Moon- or Mars-first camps often point out the benefits of having a quantifiable goal, but • Achieving a given number of space travellers is a more useful goal: – Once visited, travelling to a location no longer provides the same motivation, (e. g. the Apollo program). – Achieving the ability to sustain a given number of people creates ongoing motivation to solve the problems of living in space long-term.

Spin Gravity • The idea of spinning space stations to create centripetal gravity has been around since at least the 1940 s. • Only known way to produce constant acceleration equivalent to what we experience on Earth, and prevent medical problems associated with long term zero-gravity.

Astronauts “adjust” to zero-g after 6 weeks Longest stay in space 438 days = 14. 4 months

A key technology for space settlement • Exodus Space Systems aims to become the go-to company for expertise in spin-gravity technology. – Not strictly necessary for space travel of durations <2 -3 years, but it is necessary for space settlement. – “No matter how difficult you think the engineering problem of implementing spin gravity is, the biological problem of not having spin gravity is much, much harder to solve. ”

So why hasn’t it happened yet? (1/3) Six Takeaways from studying other failed proposals: 1. NASA ISS is first and foremost a microgravity research facility. Centrifuges create vibrations incompatible with the science goals of the station. It won’t happen at ISS. 2. Many proposals have aimed to build large, massive, human-scale centrifuges, which are too expensive to launch. Start small, scale up.

So hasn’t it happened yet? (2/3) 1. why A 2. B 3. Any structure must be deployable from a rocket payload bay, and flexible enough to test a variety of radius/spin-rate states for Coriolis effects. The structure will be “space origami”. 4. Tethered structures, while lightweight, are dynamically unstable. Every part of the structure will be connected with tensile and compressive elements, like a suspension bridge.

1. A 2. B So hasn’t it happened yet? (3/3) 3. why C 4. D 5. Spinning spacecraft need to have precise control over control systems for orientation and angular momentum. Sun tracking, docking with other spacecraft must be possible without wasting fuel. 6. The scientific returns on spin gravity are very long term. To happen anytime soon, it needs a way to pay for itself.

What we’re building • A small, satellite that will demonstrate a unique solution to the problem. • A “space origami” structure that can independently control spin radius, spin rate, and orientation. • Capable of docking with other spacecraft without sacrificing angular momentum/wasting fuel. • A business model that will generate revenue soon after the first prototypes fly.

Our timeline • Exodus Space Systems has begun drafting a provisional patent on our key intellectual property. • Currently using 3 D printing to build prototypes. • Aiming for public hardware demo in 2 nd half of 2018. • We will then be seeking further investment to build the team, complete international patent application process, and work towards flight prototypes. • First flight 2021…?

Why we can do this in Perth • Exodus Space Systems plans to build payloads, not rockets. – Suggest other Australian Startups do the same and focus on what Australia is good at! • All the expertise in spacecraft design, 3 D modeling, computer simulation, and telerobotics exists in Australia, if not in Perth. • Interest from investors has been very encouraging!