Volume 41 Issue 1
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Dae-Young Lee;Rok-Soon Kim;Kyung-Eun Choi;Jungjoon Seough;Junga Hwang;Dooyoung Choi;Ji-Hyeon Yoo;Seunguk Lee;Sung Jun Noh;Jongho Seon;Kyung-Suk Cho;Kwangsun Ryu;Khan-Hyuk Kim;Jong-Dae Sohn;Jae-Young Kwak;Peter H. Yoon 1
The Korean heliospheric community, led by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI), is currently assessing the viability of deploying a spacecraft at the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point L4 in collaboration with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The aim of this mission is to utilize a combination of remote sensing and in situ instruments for comprehensive observations, complementing the capabilities of the L1 and L5 observatories. The paper outlines longterm scientific objectives, underscoring the significance of multi-point in-situ observations to better understand critical heliospheric phenomena. These include coronal mass ejections, magnetic flux ropes, heliospheric current sheets, kinetic waves and instabilities, suprathermal electrons and solar energetic particle events, as well as remote detection of solar radiation phenomena. Furthermore, the mission's significance in advancing space weather prediction and space radiation exposure assessment models through the integration of L4 observations is discussed. This article is concluded with an emphasis on the potential of L4 observations to propel advancements in heliospheric science. -
The safety of electronic components used in aerospace systems against cosmic rays is one of the most important requirements in their design and construction (especially satellites). In this work, by calculating the dose caused by proton beams in geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) orbit using the MCNPX Monte Carlo code and the MULLASSIS code, the effect of different structures in the protection of cosmic rays has been evaluated. A multi-layer radiation shield composed of aluminum, water and polyethylene was designed and its performance was compared with shielding made of aluminum alone. The results show that the absorbed dose by the simulated protective layers has increased by 35.3% and 44.1% for two-layer (aluminum, polyethylene) and three-layer (aluminum, water, polyethylene) protection respectively, and it is effective in the protection of electronic components. In addition to that, by replacing the multi-layer shield instead of the conventional aluminum shield, the mass reduction percentage will be 38.88 and 39.69, respectively, for the two-layer and three-layer shield compared to the aluminum shield.
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Orji Prince Orji;Obiegbuna Dominic Chukwuebuka;Okoro Eucharia Chidinma;Ugonabo Obiageli Josephine;Okezuonu Patrick Chinedu;Iyida Evaristus Uzochukwu;Ugwu Chukwuebuka Jude;Menteso Firew Meka;Ikechukwu Ugochukwu Chiemeka 25
This paper evaluates the influence of rainfall on propagated signal at different time exceedance percentages of an average year, over the climate zones of the country. Specifically, it demonstrates critical and non critical signal fade or signal outage time exceedance (0.001% to 1%) for Ku, K, and Ka-band systems in an average year. The study was carried out using meteorological data made available by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) over a period of 10 years (2009-2018). The four climate zones in the country were represented by five (5) locations; Maidugiri (warm desert climate), Sokoto (tropical dry climate), Port Harcourt (tropical monsoon climate), Abuja and Enugu (tropical savanna climate). The parameters were simulated into the International Telecommunications Union Recommended (ITU-R) models for rain attenuation over the tropics and results presented using MatLab and Origin Lab. Results of Ku band propagations showed that only locations in the tropical savanna and tropical monsoon climates experienced total signal outage for time percentage exceedance equal to or below 0.01% for both horizontal and vertical polarizations. At K band propagations, the five locations showed to have experienced signal outage at time exceedance equal to and below 0.01%, almost same was recorded for the Ka-band propagation. It was also observed that horizontal and vertical polarization of signal had slightly different rain attenuation values for the studied bands at the five locations, with horizontal polarization having higher values than vertical polarization. -
Sungrazing comets, known for their proximity to the Sun, are traditionally classified into broad groups like Kreutz, Marsden, Kracht, Meyer, and non-group comets. While existing methods successfully categorize these groups, finer distinctions within the Kreutz subgroup remain a challenge. In this study, we introduce an automated classification technique using the densitybased spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) algorithm to categorize sungrazing comets. Our method extends traditional classifications by finely categorizing the Kreutz subgroup into four distinct subgroups based on a comprehensive range of orbital parameters, providing critical insights into the origins and dynamics of these comets. Corroborative analyses validate the accuracy and effectiveness of our method, offering a more efficient framework for understanding the categorization of sungrazing comets.
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Moon-Jin Jeon;Young-Ho Cho;Eunhyeuk Kim;Dong-Gyu Kim;Young-Joo Song;SeungBum Hong;Jonghee Bae;Jun Bang;Jo Ryeong Yim;Dae-Kwan Kim 43
Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO) is South Korea's first space exploration mission, developed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute. It aims to develop technologies for lunar exploration, explore lunar science, and test new technologies. KPLO was launched on August 5, 2022, by a Falcon-9 launch vehicle from cape canaveral space force station (CCSFS) in the United States and placed on a ballistic lunar transfer (BLT) trajectory. A total of four trajectory correction maneuvers were performed during the approximately 4.5-month trans-lunar cruise phase to reach the Moon. Starting with the first lunar orbit insertion (LOI) maneuver on December 16, the spacecraft performed a total of three maneuvers before arriving at the lunar mission orbit, at an altitude of 100 kilometers, on December 27, 2022. After entering lunar orbit, the commissioning phase validated the operation of the mission mode, in which the payload is oriented toward the center of the Moon. After completing about one month of commissioning, normal mission operations began, and each payload successfully performed its planned mission. All of the spacecraft operations that KPLO performs from launch to normal operations were designed through the system operations design process. This includes operations that are automatically initiated post-separation from the launch vehicle, as well as those in lunar transfer orbit and lunar mission orbit. Key operational procedures such as the spacecraft's initial checkout, trajectory correction maneuvers, LOI, and commissioning were developed during the early operation preparation phase. These procedures were executed effectively during both the early and normal operation phases. The successful execution of these operations confirms the robust verification of the system operation.