• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.324-331
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• 2018

The thermal environment on lunar surface is more severe than that of earth's surface or low earth orbit because of the long daytime and nighttime due to 28 days of rotation cycle of moon. Thus, analyzing heat flux on lunar lander at potential landing sites is important to determine the landing site in its initial design phase. In this study, thermal model of lunar regolith that can simulate lunar surface temperature was constructed for analyzing thermal characteristics according to the potential landing sites of lunar lander. The heat flux analyses were performed various latitudes of equator, mid-latitude, polar regions, lunar mare and highland. In addition, we also investigated the heat flux of lunar lander when it is landed on adjacent area to hill.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.37 no.9
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• pp.843-854
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• 2009

For preparing Korean lunar missions, optimal Earth-Moon transfer trajectory is designed using continuous low thrust. Using both constant and variable low thrusting method, "End-to-End" mission analysis is made from beginning of the Earth departure to the final lunar arrival. Spacecraft's equations of motion is expressed using N-body dynamics including the gravitational effects due to the Earth, Moon, Sun and also with Earth's $J_2$ effects. Planets' exact locations are computed accurately with JPL's DE405 ephemeris. As a results, optimal thrust steering angle's characteristics are discovered which showed almost tangential direction burns at the near of central planets. Also, it is confirmed that variable low thrusting method is more efficient than constant thrusting method, and can save about 5% of fuel consumption. Presented algorithm and various results will give numerous insights into the future Korea's Lunar missions using low thrust engines. Also, it is expected to be used as a basis of more detailed mission analyzing tool.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.23 no.12
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• pp.41-53
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• 2022

After industrialization has been started, mankind needs and consumes more resources. Now, the resources depletion is a serious problem in the Earth. However, there are infinite resources in the Space. Especially, the Moon is the closest planet and has much resources, including Helium-3 and rare earths, which are needed to human being in the future. Humanity needs to reside on the moon to harvest these resources. For the resident, much resources, such as food, construction, and industrial materials, are needed. However, to transport these resources to the Moon from the Earth, an astronomical cost should be consumed. Thus, research is underway to support human activities by procuring resources locally. This is called In-Situ Resources Utilization (ISRU), which is the essential technology for the space development. In this paper, the reason why ISRU is essential and the its status are introduced and future research projects will be explained.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.223-237
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• 2010

The initial heating rate is well known as one of the most influencing factors on the occurrence of spalling and the loss of strength in concrete after fire initiation. In this study, a series of fire tests were carried out at different initial heating rates to find out its effects on the deterioration of tunnel structural members. Heat transfer analyses combined with an element elimination model were also carried out to verify its applicability in the same conditions as the fire tests. Moreover, the convection heat transfer coefficients compatible with fire test results were derived from parametric studies. In this course, their time-dependent variations were also analyzed at different initial heating rates. Finally, a numerical formula to estimate the heat transfer coefficients at the various initial heating rates was proposed by the interpolation of the results of numerical analyses.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.42 no.12
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• pp.1037-1044
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• 2014

In this study, we designed a drop test system considering lunar surface environment and tested landing gear of experimental lunar lander. The lunar lander would be landed at soil place for soft landing. When the lunar lander touches down, the acceleration of the lander is largely affected by mechanical characteristics of the lunar soil. Accordingly, a drop test using lunar soil is needed to verify the performance of the lunar landing gear. Because the lunar soil is not available generally, we developed a lunar simulant KAUMLS(Korea Aerospace University Mechanical Luna Simulant) based on mechanical properties of the lunar soil of NASA's LUNA PROJECT. In addition, drop tests on steel plate and dry sand are performed to evaluate impact characteristics by the surface environment.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.59.2-59.2
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• 2021

현재 우리나라는 달탐사 개발 사업을 통하여 2022년 8월 발사를 목표로 달 궤도선인 KPLO와 과학임무 및 기술검증 임무를 수행하게 될 임무 탑재체, 임무 수행을 위한 각종 소프트웨어의 개발, 궤도/궤적의 설계 등 일련의 개발 과정을 순조롭게 수행하고 있다. 또한 달 궤도선인 KPLO와 이들 탑재체에 대한 운영과 관제를 수행하는 KPLO 심우주 지상국도 일정에 따라 개발 막바지에 접어들고 있다. 특히 KPLO 심우주 지상국에는 우리나라 대학과 정부출연연구소에 의해서 개발되는 과학탑재체 4기가 달 궤도에서 과학임무를 수행하여 얻게되는 달 탐사 과학자료, 즉, 과학임무자료를 달 탐사에 직접 참여하는 과학자들뿐만 아니라 일반인들도 교육 및 연구에 활용할 수 있도록 달 탐사 과학자료의 저장, 공개, 관리를 위한 Archive system인 KARI Planetary Data System(KPDS)도 함께 개발되고 있다. KPDS는 전문 연구자와 일반인들이 별도의 교육없이 인터넷을 통하여 쉽게 접속하여 KPLO의 과학탑재체가 획득한 달 탐사 과학자료를 검색하여 내려받아 사용할 수 있도록 서비스를 제공할 예정이다. 본 논문에서는 과학탑재체 개발기관 소속의 연구자가 달 탐사 과학자료에 대한 검보정 처리와 과학적 분석을 수행하기 위해서 텔레메트리 형태의 원본형태의 과학자료를 KPDS로부터 다운로드 받는 과정과 검보정 처리가 된 과학자료를 일반 사용자들이 내려 받아 사용할 수 있도록 과학자료가 공개되기까지 일련의 과정을 설명하고, 연구자 및 일반사용자가 직접 접하게 되는 KPDS의 주요한 사용자 환경에 대해서 설명한다.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.29-36
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• 2017

In this study, a numerical analysis is made of the fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics in the solar arrays of HALE (High Altitude Lond Endurance) UAV. In the stratosphere where UAV operates, high level solar radiation is induced, heat transfer decreases due to natural convection and forced convection is dominated by ambient flow. In order to predict the solar array temperature range in this environment condition, the conjugate heat transfer analysis was carried out for the solar arrays on the main wing. The investigation focused on the temperature distribution of solar array and heat transfer characteristics according to influence of solar energy, flight condition as vehicle speed, air density, temperature.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.437-444
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• 2020

A lunar rover's optical camera is used to provide navigation and terrain information in an exploration zone. However, due to the scant presence of atmosphere, the Moon has homogeneous terrain with dark soil. Also, in extreme environments, the rover has limited data storage with low computation capability. Thus, for successful exploration, it is required to examine feature detection and matching methods which are robust to lunar terrain and environmental characteristics. In this research, SIFT, SURF, BRISK, ORB, and AKAZE are comparatively analyzed with lunar terrain images from a lunar rover. Experimental results show that SIFT and AKAZE are most robust for lunar terrain characteristics. AKAZE detects less quantity of feature points than SIFT, but feature points are detected and matched with high precision and the least computational cost. AKAZE is adequate for fast and accurate navigation information. Although SIFT has the highest computational cost, the largest quantity of feature points are stably detected and matched. The rover periodically sends terrain images to Earth. Thus, SIFT is suitable for global 3D terrain map construction in that a large amount of terrain images can be processed on Earth. Study results are expected to provide a guideline to utilize feature detection and matching methods for future lunar exploration rovers.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.46 no.12
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• pp.1028-1036
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• 2018

KARI plans to launch Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO) to the Moon by December 2020 for the first step of the Korea Lunar Exploration Project. This orbiter will be launched to obtain lunar exploration technologies and science data in advance before launching a main orbiter and a lunar probe. This paper describes the verification of thermal design for the orbiter. It is exposed to more extreme thermal environment than that of low Earth orbit satellite due to the heavy infrared emission of the Moon. Accordingly, a thermal design considering this environment is needed to maintain the temperature of payloads and components equipped in the orbiter within operating temperature range in all orbits. We performed the thermal analysis for Earth-Moon transfer orbit, lunar mission orbit and lunar eclipse required for thermal design verification of the lunar orbiter. As a result, this thermal design met the design requirements.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.51-58
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• 2020

As interest in lunar exploration increases, studies on lunar surface environment simulation including a lunar soil simulant are being conducted. One of the problems when creating a vacuum environment with lunar soil is that it takes long time to reach high vacuum due to outgas from the soil. Most of the outgas is water, and the time to reach high vacuum can be significantly reduced by a pretreatment process that removes moisture adhering to the surface of the lunar soil before putting soil into a vacuum chamber. The existing soil drying methods were examined to determine how these methods were effective to remove moisture from the lunar simulant soil. Drying experiments of lunar soil samples were carried out using a dry oven, a microwave oven, direct heating method and a vacuum oven, and the results of the drying experiment were presented. Drying soil at 110℃ using a dry oven and drying soil by a microwave oven were not enough to remove moisture, and vacuum oven drying method and direct heating drying method at more than 200℃ were effective in water removal.