• Journal of Space Technology and Applications
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.101-117
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• 2023

Active debris removal, a technology that approaches and removes space debris in orbit, and the on-orbit service, a technology for extending the mission life of satellites by fuel charging or by exchanging the battery, are gaining interest with the growth of the space community. SaTReC plans to develop a satellite capable of capturing and removing Korean satellites orbiting in space after the end of their missions. In contrast to the previously launched satellites by Korea, which were mainly intended to observe Earth and the space environment, rendezvous/docking technologies, as required in the future during, for instance, space exploration missions, will be implemented and demonstrated. In this paper, an orbital transition method for next-generation small satellites that will capture and remove space debris will be introduced. It is assumed that a small satellite with a mass of approximately 200 kg will be injected into the mission orbit through Korea Space Launch Vehicle-II in 2027. Because the satellite must access the target using a minimum amount of fuel, an approaching technology using Earth's J2 perturbation force has been developed. This method is expected to enable space debris removal missions for relatively lightweight satellites and to serve as the basis for carrying out a new type of space exploration in what is termed the 'Newspace' era.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.58.1-59
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• 2021

Exploration of asteroids' internal structure is essential for understanding their evolutional history. It also provides a fundamental information about the history of coalescence and collision of the solar system. Among several models of the internal structures, the rubble-pile model, confirmed by the near-Earth asteroid (25143) Itokawa by Hayabusa mission [1], is now widely regarded as the most common to asteroids with size ranging from 200 m to 10 km [2]. On the contrary, monolithic and core-mantle structures are also possible for small asteroids [3]. It is, however, still challenging to look through the interior of a target object using remote-sensing devices. In this presentation, we introduce our ongoing research conducted at Seoul National and propose an idea to infer the internal structure of Apophis using available instruments. Itokawa's research provides an important benchmark for Apophis exploration because both asteroids have similar size and composition [4][5]. We have conducted research on Itokawa's evolution in terms of collision and space weathering. Space weathering is the surface alteration process caused by solar wind implantation and micrometeorite bombardment [6]. Meanwhile, resurfacing via a collision acts as a counter-process of space weathering by exposing fresh materials under the matured layer and lower the overall degree of space weathering. Therefore, the balance of these two processes determine the space weathering degrees of the asteroid. We focus on the impact evidence on the boulder surface and found that space weathering progresses in only 100-10,000 years and modifies the surface optical properties (Jin & Ishiguro, KAS 2020 Fall Meeting). It is important to note that the timescale is significantly shorter than the Itokawa's age, suggesting that the asteroid can be totally processed by space weathering. Accordingly, our result triggers a further discussion about why Itokawa indicates a moderately fresh spectrum (Sq-type denotes less matured than S-type). For example, Itokawa's smooth terrains show a weaker degree of space weathering than other S-type asteroids [7]. We conjecture that the global seismic shaking caused by collisions with >1 mm-sized interplanetary dust particles induces granular convection, which hinders the progression of space weathering [8]. Note that the efficiency of seismic wave propagation is strongly dependent on the internal structure of the asteroid. Finally, we consider possible approaches to investigate Apophis's internal structure. The first idea is studying the space weathering age, as conducted for Itokawa. If Apophis indicates a younger age, the internal structure would have more voids [9]. In addition, the 2029 close encounter with Earth provides a rare natural opportunity to witness the contrast between before and after the event. If the asteroid exhibits a slight change in shape and space weathering degree, one can determine the physical structure of the internal materials (e.g., rubble-pile monolithic, thick or thin regolith layer, the cohesion of the materials). We will also consider a possible science using a seismometer.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.57.4-58
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• 2021

Asteroids have undergone various processes such as impacts, space weathering, and thermal evolution. Because they expose their surfaces to space without atmosphere, these evolutional processes have been recorded directly on their surfaces. The remote-sensing observations have been conducted to reveal these evolutional histories of the target asteroids. For example, crater and boulder distributions are unambiguous evidence for past nondestructive impacts with other celestial bodies. Multiband and spectroscopic observations have revealed space-weathering history (as well as compositions). Whereas most physical quantities have been examined intensively using spacecraft and telescopes, only a little has been studied on "the grain size". It is one of the fundamental physical quantities for diagnosing the collisional and thermal history of asteroids. Our group has conducted polarimetric research of asteroids (as well as Moon [1]) to determine the particle size and further investigate the evolutional histories of target asteroids [2],[3]. For example, the existence of regolith on an S-type asteroid, Toutatis, was suggested almost twenty years before space exploration [4]. Moreover, we reported that near-Sun asteroids indicate a signature of submillimeter grains, which could be created by a thermal sintering process by solar radiation [5]. However, it is important to note that in-situ polarimetry has not been reported on the asteroid surface, although the Korean Lunar Exploration Program aims to do polarimetry on the lunar surface [6]. Therefore, it is expected that the polarizer mounted on the Korean Apophis spacecraft can make the first estimate of the grain size and its regional variation over the Apophis surface. In this presentation, we outline research of S-type asteroid surfaces through remote-sensing observations and consider the role of polarimetry. Based on this review, we consider the purpose, potentiality, and strategy of the polarimetry using the onboard device for the Apophis spacecraft. We will report a possible polarization phase curve of Apophis estimated from ordinary chondrites and past observational data of S-type asteroids, taking account of the space weathering effect. Based on this estimation, we will consider the strategy of how to determine the particle size (and space weathering degree) of the Apophis surface. We will also mention the detectability of dust hovering on the surface.

• Sim-seong Yeon-gu
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• v.27 no.1_2
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• pp.1-27
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• 2012

It aims to deal with a topic of coniunctio oppositorum, hieros gamos in a Korean fairytale <Gurungdungdung Sin Seonbi>, in which a human heroine was marrying an animal husband. This Korean fairytale may be compared with Greek mythology <Eros and Psyche> introduced by Apuleius and <Dassingende springende Löweneckerchen> collected by Grimm Brothers. All these fairytales commonly tell that animal husband figures have divine nature. Because animals live their lives totally obeying instincts, the collective unconscious principles of species are completely accomplished. The animal nature excludes ecocentric attitude so that it has transpersonal divinity. The hero is transformed into an animal in the fairytales, which will provide an opportunity to change a one-sided exaggerated attitude of the ego consciousness and acquire universal humanity. During being an animal, the hero would have experienceds to recognize true meaning and value of other living creatures in nature and have attained wisdom of nature. The animal is a symbolic being who will realize value of collective and universal life so as to act therapeutically and contribute to the total personality, individuation processes. Animals in the fairytales correspond to the compensatory contents of the unconscious. Animal figure itself is opposite to the ego consciousness itself because the ego understands the unconscious contents like animal figures have instinctual impulse that the ego will not accept at all. Coniunctio oppositorum in the fairytales is going to show the ego's rendezvous processes to meet the unconscious. The fact that the hero turns into an animal or marries animal partner is a psychic event which greatly lowers under the level of ego consciousness. To overcome the state, it is essential for the hero to regain humanity or to transform animal partner into a human being. By the recovery of humanity or reaching the human level, compensation of the unconscious can be realized in the conscious life. In a Korean fairytale <Gurungdungdung Sin Seonbi>, male partner is a serpent but the heroine marries the serpent and make it cast off skin. Over sufferings and complishment of several tasks, heroine truly meets her husband. In this processes, the heroine obtains divinity. As result, her marriage to animal husband means hieros gamos. In this fairytale, we will be able to look through the ways how female ego-consciousness to make relations to the unconscious and to fulfill individuation.