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its focus and hit a science fold mirror, angled at
45 degrees and able to rotate to reflect the light
towards various instruments. These instruments
will include spectrographs to identify the
chemical composition of the target object, as
well as its temperature, mass, luminosity and
relative motion. There will also be a polarimeter
to identify the angle of approaching light waves
to identify phenomena such as magnetic fields.

A straight-through port, positioned directly below
the primary mirror will also receive light directly
with no interaction with the science fold mirror.
Here, an imaging camera with a wide field of
view will enable photometry to study brightness,
about conditions in the ionosphere, which could for example from supernovae and gamma-ray
help develop more accurate atmospheric bursts. Alternatively, the straight-through port
models”. may host a polarimeter, as this can yield more
accurate polarimetric measurements.
SPACE UPDATE Postgraduate student Mansur Tisaev explains

more: The ability to switch the light beam towards or
away from the straight-through port in seconds
is crucial to being able to capture fleeting
“We’ve been developing a cathode, or
celestial activity. In order to prevent the light
neutraliser, to work in electrostatic thrusters
beam from being obscured, the focal station’s
operating in the thin air found in ultra-low Earth
mirror must be able to move out of the light path
orbit. By collecting and compressing the gases
rapidly. This mirror is therefore mounted on a
at that altitude, we can create a propellant flow
platform that can move laterally at high speed
First Study to examine Environmental Impact of University of Surrey pioneers powering of low- that is ionised [transformed into a mix of charged by means of a linear motion system with a
Satellites orbit Spacecraft particles] and accelerated using combinations ballscrew actuator.
of electric and magnetic fields, harnessing
electrical power from solar panels”.
The University of Southampton is leading the Scientists at the University of Surrey are The motion system combines a brushless
first ever study of the environmental impact pioneering a new way to power low-orbit DC motor with an integrated encoder, and a
of satellites as they re-enter the Earth’s spacecraft. Reference: ‘Air-breathing Spacecraft’, New Electronics, Vol.57 Issue6, positioning controller that enables smooth
atmosphere. June 2024, p.44-45 modulation of position and speed. The motion
The thin air at extremely low altitude orbits system is controlled by command signals
New robotic Telescope to capture rapidly
Particles and gases are released as requires a different type of spacecraft design carried via EtherCat, with real-time data
evolving Astronomical Events
decommissioned satellites combust on re-entry and propulsion that that used by conventional exchange operating precision.
and this research aims to assess the impact of spacecraft operating in the vacuum of
by-products from this combustion on climate traditional low Earth orbits. In 2003 Liverpool John Moores University
[ Reference: ‘Fast-moving Telescope will capture Cataclysmic
and the environment. developed the Liverpool Telescope to observe
Events’, Drives and Controls, May 2024, p.38-39 ]
transient astronomical events on the island of
The technique being devised is one in which
La Palma.
Dr. Minkwan Kim, Associate Professor of air-breathing electric propulsion harnesses
Astronautics at the University of Southampton, upper atmospheric air to act as a propellant
states: for an electric thruster allowing the spacecraft Now, a New Robotic Telescope is being built
to maintain orbital altitude through drag- jointly by Liverpool John Moores University, the
“This topic has never been studied before. The compensation, removing the need to store University of Oviedo in Spain, and the Institute of
ablation [burning] process is complex and we propellant on board. Mission lifetimes therefore Astrophysics of the Canary Islands, which will be
don’t yet fully understand how different materials do not need to be limited by propellant capacity. ten times faster and four times more sensitive
behave during re-entry to the atmosphere. with a primary mirror diameter of 4 metres
Our project will look at what happens to the Dr. Andrea Lucca, Senior Lecturer in Electric (double the size of the earlier model).
elements that are released, where they go, and Propulsion at the University of Surrey, comments:
how they might be affecting our planet’s delicate This fully automated telescope will be able to
environmental balance. In theory, the particles “There are benefits to flying in very low operate without staff and provide a 30-second
and gases released could be contributing to altitude orbits, like being able to operate Earth time-to-target when astronomers around
ozone depletion and potentially be affecting the observation at much higher resolutions than the world send alerts to it about fast-moving
Earth’s ability to regulate solar radiation”. offered at present. It could also mean faster astronomical phenomena. Instrumentation will
telecommunications, and it opens the door be housed around a focal station whereby light
[ Reference: New Electronics, Vol.57 Issue 6, June 2024, p.44-45 ] to new scientific discoveries about conditions will travel through the optical system down to

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