AEROSPACE ENGINEERING STRATEGIC VISION /// 2022-2027
Commercial Space
The democratization of space and sizable increase of players with varying levels of regulations bring opportunities and challenges to the utilization of space.
The entry barriers to space are falling thanks to reusable launchers, nano-sats, and new and innovative non-traditional players. Space has transitioned from a government-driven, research-oriented sector to a more commercially-oriented industry with a mixture of government, private, public and start-up participants. The number of countries actively participating in space will increase substantially; more than 20 countries will launch their first satellite in the next decade.
Space tourism will emerge in the very near future as a new part of the space ecosystem, which currently lacks institutions and rules to govern projected growth. All of these lead to questions that an interdisciplinary approach to research, technology, and policy will guide this growing area of space exploration and make it sustainable for all of us.
WHY MICHIGAN?
U-M is a pioneer in electric propulsion and has the second largest population of nano-sats among universities. We are looking forward as we build on this foundation with continued expertise in new propulsion concepts such as nuclear space propulsion and airspace operation systems.
We will do our work in collaboration with colleagues across the College of Engineering and continue our leadership in the U-M Space Institute to transform space systems of today to the vision needed to meet demands of tomorrow.
Space Domain Awareness
Understanding the increasingly crowded space domain requires new technologies and systems, from debris tracking and removal to navigation and control of multiple systems to communication and networking. This dramatic increase in space hardware will drive the development of spacecraft/satellite on-flight services and increase the need for space domain awareness and sustainability.
Space Exploration
In-space and planetary mobility will grow and require in-situ resource utilization and fabrication. Advanced materials and manufacturing techniques (e.g., 3D printing) and propulsion systems are enablers to this next phase of space exploration.
Airspace and Commercial Space Operation Integration
The proliferation of space activities will necessitate more launch vehicles entering/exiting the atmosphere, likely interfering with existing airspace activities and operations. For sustainable, efficient and safe access to space, integration between the airspace and commercial space oporations must be addressed. An increase in industry startups will demand technologies supporting long-term human exploration, from sustainable aviation sources to control systems and autonomous technologies.