Advancing Utilization of Spacecraft Swarms for Sample Return, Multipoint Observation and Space Traffic Management Using Inflatables

Inflatable structures have been widely considered a viable alternative for structural applications that would otherwise have employed heavier, rigid materials in space. Due to their expansion capabilities, inflatables can be packed into small volumes, making them very suitable for space applications since both volume and mass come at a premium. Over the past few decades, there have been several proposals for using inflatables as habitat structures to be used on the surfaces of the Moon and Mars, as well for deep space exploration. With the advent of miniaturization of electronics, the number of small satellites launched to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Deep Space is rapidly increasing. Missions like NASA’s Inflatable Antenna Experiment (IAE) in 1996 paved the way for the use of inflatables for communication applications. Furthermore, inflatable structures have a great potential to play the role of dampers for high-speed space applications, similar to the Entry Descent and Landing (EDL) Mechanisms used in NASA Mars Lander Missions. While small satellites have shown great promise in achieving the science objectives that conventional large satellites were able to reach just a decade ago, their potential to perform cooperative maneuvers remains mainly untapped by current technology. Inflatables present an innovative way to reduce the relative velocity between spacecraft of different mass and volume at different angles of impact. In this paper, we propose a novel approach for a swarm of spacecraft to perform multi-point observation, sample return, or space traffic management. The key is to enable such capabilities using a team of simple spacecraft that can diffuse into a target environment, perform capture or observation readings, and then be effectively gathered by a mothership at low risk of collisions. Inflatables offer the promise of large expandable structures that can be used to collect and attach nano-spacecraft. Such inflatable structures could even be used to electrically charge the onboard batteries on a nano-spacecraft to ensure all the data is collected to the mothership. The inflatable could then separate from the mothership with all the collected nano-spacecraft and perform a disposable maneuver. Such an approach can reduce the risk of a mothership colliding with a swarm of nano-spacecraft. In addition, it can enable the utilization of a swarm approach where the nano-spacecraft have limited guidance, navigation, and control capabilities. The paper will present numerical and computational simulations of fluid mechanics and structural analysis of the inflatable while it is allowed to inflate and deflate, along with a roadmap to outline a pathway towards future hardware and proof-of-concept demonstrations.