UNSY 501, Assignment 5.4, Unmanned Systems Space-based Applications

Source Article:

Marlow, J.  (2012, July 26).  Thoughts on the Future of Manned Spaceflight (From Someone Who’s Been There).  Wired.  Retrieved from http://www.wired.com/2012/07/thoughts-on-the-future-of-manned-spaceflight-from-someone-whos-been-there/

The employment of unmanned space systems (USS) has been a force multiplier for humanity’s space exploration efforts.  Since the beginning of humanity’s space programs with Sputnik, unmanned systems have augmented manned spaceflights and provided an invaluable resource.  USS have undertaken missions deemed too risky for humans, such as initial excursions into orbit when we were unsure on the effects on the human body.  They have also carried out missions where a manned presence was unnecessary, such as re-supply flights to the International Space Station. However, while USS will continue to be a valuable resource in space exploration, they will not completely replace manned space missions.

Marlow (2012) interviews Astronaut Don Thomas regarding his thoughts on the value of manned space exploration missions.  Astronaut Thomas describes an emotional aspect regarding the human perspective to new discoveries.  He also makes valid assertions for manned space missions point out humans’ better abilities to repair equipment, handle unexpected situations on the spot, and traverse terrain faster than unmanned vehicles.  Astronaut Thomas is correct in arguments with respect to current technology.  The future could yield technological developments in which unmanned vehicles or robotics will counter the points Astronaut Thomas has made.  However, these developments would not be reasons to phase out manned space missions.

Astronaut Thomas’ point about the human component to discovery is part of why manned space exploration should continue.  Exploration during the Age of Discovery took place for a variety of reasons.  One aspect that virtually every endeavor shared was a strong, driving sense of willpower.  If humanity is ever to establish itself on territory beyond Earth, the human component, willpower, will serve a similar role.  There are a variety of arguments and reasons why humanity should eventually establish settlements on other worlds.  However, regardless of the reasons, efforts will not reach fruition without that willpower driving efforts.  The motivation for this monumental challenge will be not just Astronaut Thomas’ point about the excitement of the human presence but for humanity’s future existence.

Our Sun is a star and, as such, has a finite lifespan.  The scientific community estimates that the Sun has about 6 billion years before its hydrogen fuel supply is exhausted (Cain, 2012).  There is no way to tell with any certainty if the human race will survive to this time period.  However, if humans are still around we know with certainty that we will not be able to remain on Earth. Manned spaceflight will be a necessity at that point.  Relying completely on unmanned space missions and waiting to re-invest in manned capabilities could result in too great of a development lead time.  The challenges to travel to another habitable, heavenly body are great and even with a 6 billion year lead time, procrastination is not beneficial.

Another scenario to consider beyond the knowledge that our Sun has a finite lifespan is an event that could make the Earth uninhabitable well before that time.  Scientists have theorized that an asteroid of sufficient size colliding with the Earth could create conditions untenable for life on the planet.  Current technology allows us to track asteroids and project their trajectories to give us advance warning on the scale of years (Osborne, 2015).  Similar to the scenario with the end of the Sun’s life, this is an event that would make manned spaceflight a necessity.

Unmanned spaceflight does provide valuable capabilities to space missions.  However, it does not replace manned spaceflight.  Eventually, humanity’s survival will depend on setting foot on other planets beyond our solar system.  Our willpower must motivate us to continue, as Lord Tennyson astutely wrote: “To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”

References:

Cain, F.  (2012, March 10).  Life of the Sun.  Universe Today.  Retrieved from http://www.universetoday.com/18847/life-of-the-sun/

Osborne, H.  (2015, March 26).  Mammoth asteroid 2014-YB35 is not going to destroy life on Earth tomorrow.  International Business Times.  Retrieved from http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/mammoth-asteroid-2014-yb35-not-going-destroy-life-earth-tomorrow-1493652

 

Lord Tennyson, A.  (1842).  Ulysses.  Poems by Alfred Tennyson (233).  London: Edward Moxon.

UNSY 501, Assignment 4.4, Unmanned Aerospace Systems

Source Article:

Wenz, J.  (2015, February 10).  Drone Waiters Will Now Take Your Order.  Popular Mechanics.  Retrieved from http://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/drones/a14017/drone-waiters-infinium-robotics-singapore/

The use of unmanned aerospace systems (UAS) in commercial applications are on the verge of reality.  Along with the development and operations work to bring commercial applications projects to fruition, potential operators must consider safety and liability issues.  Until these concerns are addressed, this technology will not be accepted by the public.

With any new technology, the public’s trust must be gained through proof of effective and safe operations.  Not only must a new technology demonstrate utility to appeal to future users but also safe operation to avoid harm to people’s lives.  Wenz (2015) writes that some restaurants in Singapore are seeking to alleviate a service labor shortage in the country’s dining establishments with UAS “waiters”.  The example in Wenz’s article is an Infinium Robotics quad-rotor design capable of a payload of 4.4 pounds.  The UAS employs infrared navigational sensors to avoid collisions with people, other UAS, and structures.  The Infinium quad-rotor UAS feature protective grates over the rotors and avoidance sensors as safety measures.  However, there is no mention of how effective the sensors are at avoiding collisions or the crash test characteristics of the UAS “waiters”.  There are numerous questions that must be addressed regarding safety and accidents.  For example, if a person moves suddenly and unexpectedly in front of a UAS, will the sensors and flight control system react quickly enough to avoid a collision?  Could an evasive maneuver possibly result in a hot entree being spilled on to a person?  If the “waiter” is accidentally overloaded with weight, will the flight control logic return an error and prevent take-off?  Are there any items that the restaurant serves that are within the cargo weight limits but adversely affect the center-of-gravity and stability of the UAS?  In the event of a collision, how resilient is the fuselage?  How much force can be absorbed before a protective grate over the rotor gets knocked loose?  What procedures are in place in the event of an accident?  These are questions that must be answered before this system becomes fully operational.

A similar quad-rotor UAS was used in a Christmas-time promotion at a New York City restaurant in 2014.  A restaurant used the UAS to carry aloft a sprig of mistletoe.  The operator maneuvered the craft through the restaurant and hovered over a couples’ table to encourage them to partake in the holiday tradition.  During one such flight, one of the aircraft rotors struck a patron in the face, causing injury (Ogle, 2014).  This type of accident should be cause for concern for all potential operators of UAS for commercial purposes.  Insurance coverage for liability, accidents, and medical costs will most likely be all but required for commercial operation.  Without coverage, the aftermath of an accident may result in severe financial hardship for the liable business operating the UAS.  The method by which the insurance coverage is offered will also have impact on business owners’ decisions on whether or not to field a UAS.  Questions to consider are whether the insurance coverage will be a separate policy or offered as a special add-on to an existing policy?  Will the cost of coverage be prohibitive to operations?  Will insurance agencies stipulate some degree of formal training and certification for operators or offer a discount for such training?  Will larger, more reliable agencies be willing to risk entering this new market or will smaller, start-up agencies be the only ones willing to take the initial risk?

Commercial operation of UAS will most certainly have a place in our future.  However, potential operators must ensure that proper steps and due diligence is exercised to protect themselves in the event of accidents and ensure the public’s safety to the highest degree.

References:

Ogle, V.  (2014, December 8).  Drone strike! Our photographer injured by TGI Friday’s mistletoe copter.  Brooklyn Daily, 50.  Retrieved from http://www.brooklyndaily.com/stories/2014/50/bn-drone-disaster-at-tgifridays-2014-12-12-bk_2014_50.html

UNSY 501, Assignment 3.4, Unmanned Maritime Vehicles

Source Article:

Woodards, Shantee.  (2015, January 30).  Annapolis firm helped find plane that crashed near Jamaica last year.  Capital Gazette.  Retrieved from http://www.capitalgazette.com/news/ph-ac-cn-eclipse-salvage-0130-20150130,0,7621583.story

Manned search and rescue and search and recovery platforms are valuable assets in these critical missions.  Unmanned maritime vehicles (UMVs) enhance rescue and recovery operations and augment manned platforms in these important missions.  UMVs provide valuable capabilities with their persistent presence and ability to deploy in situations where manned platform may not be able to.

In search and rescue missions, time is a critical factor.  Victims may last for weeks without food and only a few days without water.  Depending on the environment and the state of health the victim finds him/herself in, this time period can be considerably shortened (Bryant, 2008, p. 2-3).  Assuming a scenario in which a victim does not possess survival supplies, this is the time period rescue personnel have to work with.  Depending on circumstances of the rescue operation the area to be searched may be vast and difficult to access.  Rescue assets are finite resources and must be carefully committed to maximize the chances of success.  There may be cases in which despite careful asset management, there are too few platforms, and victims are not reached soon enough.  Manned platforms must consider factors such as crew rest and meals, which will affect the lengths of time for which they can operate.  Unmanned vehicles can augment manned rescue platforms.  Additional vehicles can assist in searching a wider area and be risked in areas which are too risky for manned platforms.  Unmanned also are not limited by crews that need downtime for rest and meals.  UMVs, in particular, would be valuable in maritime rescues beneath the surface.  In these scenarios, there are the aforementioned time critical factors with food and water.  In the underwater environment, there is an additional factor of oxygen supply.  A human being will last for approximately 3 minutes without oxygen (Limaye, 2013).  Victims must be rescued before this scenario is reached.

 

In search and recovery missions, time is not as critical a factor.  However, there are the same inherent limitations to manned platforms as in rescue missions.  The same benefits that unmanned platforms bring to rescue missions can also be applied to recovery operations.  A greater number of searchers increases the chances of success.  A recent example was an operation to locate the wreckage of an aircraft that crashed near Jamaica on September 5, 2014.  Months had passed since the accident but in January 2015, an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) built by Phoenix International and operated by the Eclipse Group Inc. located the wreckage.  After locating the wreckage, the search team turned their findings over to investigators.  Woodards (2015) reports that Steven Saint-Amor, managing director of Eclipse Inc, stated:

I get a lot of raised eyebrows. [People say] 'What a terrible job you would have to perform,'" Saint-Amour said. "I counter that it's actually incredibly satisfying, because associated with the victims is a family. They want their loved ones back and they want to know what happened. If we can help them find some closure, that's an incredible feeling to walk away with.

The family of Larry and Jane Glazer, the victims of the September 2014 crash, thanked Eclipse Inc. for allowing them to feel closure in the aftermath of the tragedy.  UUV operations similar to this example conducted by Eclipse Inc. can not only provide a valuable resource to accident investigators but also provide emotional relief to families of victims.

 

References:

Bryant, C.  (2008, February 11).  How long can you go without food and water?  HowStuffWorks.com.  Retrieved from http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/survival/wilderness/live-without-food-and-water.htm

Limaye, T.  (2013, August 2).  For how long a person can survive without oxygen, water & food?  Just for Hearts.  Retrieved from http://www.justforhearts.org/2013/08/for-how-long-a-person-can-survive-without-oxygen-water-food/