Understanding The Concept Of In Orbit Refueling

By Edward Smith


This might seem like something that is intimidating to learn about at first, but it does not have to be so complicated if you just look at it basically. The main thing to understand about in orbit refueling is that a cache full of space fuel orbits around the Earth. From there, a shuttle can attach to it and draw fuel as needed.

This is something that has been proposed for the purposes of fueling space exploration. It is easy to imagine why it would be much less of a hassle to get your fuel while you are still in space rather than having to come all the way back down to Earth. It is very exciting to think about all of the discoveries that might be made if people can travel with greater ease to the Moon, Mars, and even beyond that.

Depending on what kind of fuel is being proposed for use in these shuttles, there might be different popular designs to choose from. Another key factor will be where it will be orbiting and at what distance from the Earth. Also involved in the decision making process of how to construct the cache would be how much fuel it is designed to hold.

Something that excites plenty of people who work in the space industry is that satellites will be able to have their lifespan expanded considerably. Most people do not think about how satellites are able to maneuver around to avoid debris and perfect their alignment. When that fuel runs out, it makes for a lot of junk left around the planet.

It is so easy and so much fun to learn about this kind of thing by going online. If you have any kids who are crazy about everything related to space, they will definitely love to learn about this topic. All that you have to do is type in a few keywords and watch all of the results come up.

It should seem obvious that safety is a very huge concern with these kinds of techniques. Fuel is something that is extremely flammable, and therefore, extreme caution must be taken in order for safety standards to be upheld. Overall, these methods are far safer than other means of fueling.

One way that missions have been taken on in order to test this kind of thing is with robots. Artificial intelligence has advanced to the point where it can now do many things that were once only dreamt of. Thanks to these machines, missions that are too risky for humans can be pulled off and tested out.

When any new type of technology is emerging, it is very common for it to have problems. This might seem discouraging to those who are working in this field or watching the progress develop. However, those who have seen this kind of thing at work for long enough know that it is just part of creating a new technology.




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