Research

Year 1:

I looked into the experimentation used to create the machinery of past aerospace missions. This included the Mars 2020 exploration mission and many others. I watched many presentations on the different aspects of space missions. This included the basis of the OSAM-1 mission and a detailed overview of how different fins may affect a rocket's mobility. My favorite article surrounded the decommissioning of the OSAM-1 mission, a servicing mission that is to be launched in the future.

Literature Review: How Experimentation Is Used to Find Solutions in Space Engineering

Below is my Year 1 poster board! I used this to present at the Science Research Symposium!

Year 2:

I decided to use the Monte Carlo Method as a way to understand the atmospheric decay of a spacecraft as it falls to Earth during its decommissioning. A Monte Carlo Simulation takes in a string of variables. After changing one variable, the program will run 100-200 times, producing probable outcomes for the scenario of the variables. The general objective is to create a Monte Carlo Simulation that shows how a spacecraft's atmospheric orbital decay changes based on the random variation in the values of its variables and system parameters, which have known or anticipated probability distributions.  The project team will create a stripped-down version of a complicated Monte Carlo Simulation to understand its mechanics. This will allow the research team to see how the initial conditions compare to the changed parameters.

Gap in Research:

This research will help understand the basics of spacecraft decommissioning. Monte Carlo Simulations that are actively used in the real world are extremely complicated. This study fills the gap in basic understanding and extremely complicated programming. Not only will students be able to use my simulation as a way to understand spacecraft decommission, but it will also be helpful to those who don't have access to high-level Monte Carlo Simulations.

Methodology:

My topic was heavily overseen by my mentor, Dr. Kurt Anderson (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute). This means that my process was generally constructed and controlled by him. In our discussions, we decided that I’d be using my Windows 11 Laptop to construct the code and run the analysis on our project. On this laptop, I will be using MATLAB, a programming language and numerical computing environment, for my simulation. This software is primarily used at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. That being said, using MATLAB was beneficial to me and my mentor, as he already had experience with the software.

The general objective is to create a Monte Carlo simulation that shows how a spacecraft's atmospheric orbital decay changes based on the random variation in the values of its variables and system parameters, which have known or anticipated probability distributions. We will create a stripped-down version of a complicated Monte Carlo Simulation to understand its mechanics. This will allow us to see how the initial conditions compare to the changed parameters. We will be using a digitized satellite called Satellite A. By changing the variables and parameters of Satellite A, we can analyze the results. These results will then be presented in visual formats such as maps, charts, and graphs.

I will be using a generalized program. We will then input it into MATLAB. For this function to work, I will need a system of differential equations that implements all the variables and parameters that are relevant for my specific study. The variables used for the simulation are the dependent and independent variables being used to describe the physics of the system (they are nominally time, position, and velocity). The parameters are all quantities appearing within the differential equations. They are the values being changed in our situation. These values may represent mass, stiffness, temperature, aspects of geometry, and more. 

The variables below come from the above formulas. These are constant values that are going to change throughout the experiment. In the parentheses next to each of the variables, indicate where the values came from. Some values were based on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, while others came from the International Standard Atmosphere Table. Other values were calculated based on standard values, the International Standard Atmosphere Table, and/or the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The idea is that we will change each variable one by one so that we can identify which variable affects the results the most.

My project may be simplified, but it doesn’t have many differences from a Monte Carlo used in a real-world scenario. The main differences rely on the Monte Carlo program’s set parameters, in terms of its actual coding and function. The program I am to use will have a stagnant 2-dimensional Earth. Its shape will be a uniform sphere. In a real-world scenario, the Earth would be 3-dimensional, revolving around the sun, and rotating. In my project, I am also not going to be using as many variables and parameters typically used for a real-world Monte Carlo simulation. This will simplify my project and allow me to get general results for my situation.

Research Proposal: Using the Monte Carlo Method to Analyze Atmospheric Orbit Decay Aspects of Spacecraft Decommissioning 

Year 3:

In the future, I want to spread my studies. We intend to create a research paper that professionally describes and analyzes the outcomes of the experiment. This study will also be portrayed in a presentation such as those seen in the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium. This research may also appear on a poster board for other competitions.