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Site: UNIVERSEH: The European Space University
Course: UNIVERSEH: The European Space University (UNIVERSEH)
Glossary: Dictionary of Space Concepts
R

Radiation

(Last edited: Monday, 2 October 2023, 5:43 PM)

Image:

Image: Source: https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Proba_Missions/Detecting_radiation

Image: Source: https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Proba_Missions/Detecting_radiation

Short Definition:

Generation of strong and hazardous energy that results from atoms being broken up.

Detailed Definition:

The full process through which energy is released by one body, transported across a space or other intermediary, and then absorbed by another body. The universe is full of radiation as it is a form of energy that is emitted in the form of rays, electromagnetic waves, and/or particles, which are found all over the cosmos. Radiation may be utilized cautiously to learn more about biological and mechanical systems, despite the fact that it can also be harmful to both of these systems.

Etymology:

Radiation comes from the Latin radiare, which means emit rays.

Sample Sentence(s):

High radiation doses are administered to patients during cancer therapy.

Alpha particles are an illustration of ionizing radiation.

Translations of Terms/Concepts into Partner Languages

French: radiation

German: Strahlung

Polish: promieniowanie

Swedish: strålning

Links to Videos/Articles:

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/how-nasa-prepares-spacecraft-for-the-harsh-radiation-of-space

https://www.nasa.gov/analogs/nsrl/why-space-radiation-matters


Reaction control system

(Last edited: Monday, 2 October 2023, 5:48 PM)

Image

Image Shepard, A., NASA. (1972, December). Apollo 14 LM RCS quads. Retrieved form https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/LM_RCS.jpg

Image Shepard, A., NASA. (1972, December). Apollo 14 LM RCS quads. Retrieved form https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/LM_RCS.jpg

Short Definition

Reaction control system (RCS) is a system of low-thrust engines that is used to control orientation of a spacecraft in space (attitude control) and for fine position and velocity adjustments.

Detailed Definition

The reaction control system of a spacecraft consists of multiple low-thrust engines that are placed symmetrically on the spacecraft equidistantly from its barycentre to ensure even force and torque distribution. Thrusters can provide thrust in any direction and combining thrusters in different positions allows acquiring force in any direction or torque in any plane, which enables the spacecraft to perform translational motion in any direction and any of roll, pitch and yaw rotations. RCS is used for attitude control (for example, to keep a telescope pointed at one object for a long time), precise manoeuvring (for example, while spacecraft docking), orbit correction and other purposes.

Etymology

Reaction – re- (back, again, anew) + action (from French réaction)Control – from Anglo-French contreroller– exert authoritySystem – from Late Latin or Greek systema– an arrangement, organized whole, a whole compounded of parts

Sample Sentences

The spacecraft's reaction control system precisely adjusts the orientation and stability of the vehicle during maneuvers in the microgravity environment of space.

Translations in partner languages:

German: Reaktionskontrollsystem (RCS)

French: système de contrôle de la réaction (RCS)

Swedish: seaktionskontrollsystem (RCS)

Polish: system sterowania reakcyjnego (RCS)

Italian: sistema di controllo della reazione (RCS)

Translations in other languages:


Russian: Реактивная система управления

Ukrainian: Реактивна система керування

References

Colas, A. L., Valenzuela, J. G. (2020, August). Reaction Control System Performance Characterization using Vacuum Chamber Thrust Stand. Retrieved form https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/10.2514/6.2020-3526

Boeing. (2006, November). ISS Motion Motion Control System. Retrieved from http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=34777.0;attach=586775


Reaction engine

(Last edited: Monday, 2 October 2023, 5:49 PM)

Image

Image U.S. Air Force. (2010, November). F100 F-15 engine. Retrieved from https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/F100_F-15_engine.JPG

Image U.S. Air Force. (2010, November). F100 F-15 engine. Retrieved from https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/F100_F-15_engine.JPG

Short Definition

A reaction engine is an engine that produces thrust by expelling reaction mass. It works in accordance with the third Newton's law of motion.

Detailed Definition

Reaction engines work in accordance with the third Newton's law of motion, stating that for every action force there is an equal by magnitude, but opposite in direction, reaction force. Thus, reaction engines apply force to the reaction mass, under which reaction mass accelerates and leaves the engine. As a result, the engine together with the vehicle are accelerated by the reaction force that makes the vehicle move. Jet engines and different types of rocket engines are reaction engines. In fact, this is the only engine capable of working in a vacuum, since there is nothing to propel a vehicle besides the fuel (reaction mass) carried by the vehicle itself, which makes those engines the only applicable to spacecrafts. Reaction engines have a broad application area that is not limited to space. For example, boats and ferries are often powered by reaction engines. But instead of a jet of heated gas, they expel water.

Etymology

Reaction – re- (back, again, anew) + action (from French réaction)Engine – from Middle English engyn or Anglo-Norman engine or Old French engin– skill, cleverness, war machine

Sample Sentences

The reaction engine utilized a combination of fuel and oxidizer to generate thrust for propulsion.

Translations from alliance partner languages:

French: Moteur de réaction
German: Rückstoßantrieb
Italian: Motore a reazione
Polish: Silnik reakcyjny
Swedish: Reaktionsmotor

Translations from other languages:

Belarusian: Рэактыўны рухавік

References

The European Space Agency. (2020, December). System study results for SABRE-powered reusable launcher. Retrieved from https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Future_space_transportation/System_study_results_for_SABRE-powered_reusable_launcher

Petrescu, R. V., Aversa, R., Apicella, A., Petrescu, F. I. T. (2018, January). Romanian Engineering, "On the Wings of the Wind". Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.3844/jastsp.2018.1.18


Redshift

(Last edited: Monday, 2 October 2023, 5:50 PM)
Image Source: https://itu.physics.uiowa.edu/sites/itu.physics.uiowa.edu/files/2021-08/itu/redshift_galaxyspectra.png

Image Source: https://itu.physics.uiowa.edu/sites/itu.physics.uiowa.edu/files/2021-08/itu/redshift_galaxyspectra.png


Short Definition:

Redshift is a physical concept which describes a shift in the light spectrum towards the red part of the spectrum which is emitted by distant galaxies. Based on this phenomenon the Hubble Law was concluded which states that the velocity at which the galaxies receded were proportional to the distance and that the redshift increased with the distance.  


Detailed Definition:

This phenomenon was described as an effect of the Doppler shift when it was first discovered by Hubble.  

The Doppler shift is a effect where an observer which moves away from a light source can see light with a longer wavelength than the emitted light (redshift). If the observer moves towards the light source the light appears to have a shorter wavelength (blueshift).  

A characteristic of the universe which was concluded by Edwin Hubble by the redshift is that the Universe is expanding. 

The previously mentioned Hubble Law is the following cosmological velocity-distance law in a equation: velocity = Ho x distance. The variable Ho is the Hubble constant, which describes how fast the universe is expanding and isn´t yet measured.  


Etymology:

Red – German röthe (“redness, red”) 

Shift – Proto- Germanic skiftan (“to divide, change, seperate”) 


Sample Sentence(s):

“Red shift” is a key concept for astronomers.  

Relativistic, gravitational and cosmological redshifts can be understood under the frame transformation laws.


Translations:
French: Déplacement vers le rouge
German: Rotverschiebung
Polish: Przesunięcie ku czerwieni
Swedish: Rödförskjutning


Links to Videos/Articles:

RemoveDEBRIS Mission

(Last edited: Saturday, 30 September 2023, 11:22 PM)


Source:https://www.airbus.com/sites/g/files/jlcbta136/files/styles/airbus_1440x1440/public/2021-10/Spacecraft_infographic.jpg?itok=IaLkM9ST)


Definition:

A mission under the supervision of the Surrey Space Centre of the University of Surrey (supported by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd., Airbus Defense and Space, Innovative Solutions in Space, CSEM, Inria and Stellenbosch University) that aimed to find the best method of capturing and removing space debris. The project was based on a satellite containing several pieces of equipment (a net, a harpoon, a drag sail and vision-based navigation equipment, as well as a set of targets simulating space debris), which remained in orbit between 2018 and 2021.

The satellite platform for the project RemoveDEBRIS was launched using SpaceX Falcon 9, was delivered to the International Space Station and later deployed into orbit, where a series of experiments on debris removal were conducted, using several pieces of equipment:

  • a space net (ejected by the DebrisSat-1 at the distance of 7 meters from the target, aiming to entangle the targeted debris)
  • vision-based navigation equipment (the DebrisSat-2 is used to identify and track the debris)
  • a harpoon (firing at a 10*10 cm target extending from the platform at the distance of 1,5 m)
  • a drag sail (used to deorbit the platform itself – unfortunately, the sail was not fully deployed during the in-orbit demonstration)

Translations:

  • French:
  • German:
  • Polish: Misja DEBRIS
  • Swedish:

Links to Videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLuHk5gWx3k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QUhCLTfXf0


Articles:

https://www.surrey.ac.uk/surrey-space-centre/missions/removedebris

https://www.airbus.com/en/products-services/space/in-space-infrastructure/removedebris

https://directory.eoportal.org/web/eoportal/satellite-missions/r/removedebris

Rocket engine

(Last edited: Monday, 2 October 2023, 5:52 PM)

Image

Image NASA. (2000, January). RS-68 being tested at NASA's Stennis Space Center. Retrieved from https://www.nasa.gov/images/content/148709main_d4_testing_08.jpg Photograph of a rocket engine in operation, with a converging plume of hot gas streaming out from the nozzle

Image NASA. (2000, January). RS-68 being tested at NASA's Stennis Space Center. Retrieved from https://www.nasa.gov/images/content/148709main_d4_testing_08.jpg Photograph of a rocket engine in operation, with a converging plume of hot gas streaming out from the nozzle

Short Definition

A rocket engine is a jet engine that discharges a jet of high-temperature gas as reaction mass, which was acquired from the propellant stored internally in a vehicle. Rocket engines, unlike general jet engines, can only use internally stored propellant to create a jet, because they have to operate in space, where there is no medium like air or water which can be used as a reaction mass in jet engines on Earth.

Detailed Definition

A rocket engine is an internal combustion jet engine that discharges a jet of high-temperature gas as reaction mass, which was acquired from the propellant stored internally in a vehicle. Rocket engines, unlike general jet engines, can only use internally stored propellant to create a jet of gas as a result of chemical reactions, because they have to operate in space, where there is no medium like air or water which can be used as a reaction mass in jet engines on Earth. The nozzle is always an integral part of a rocket engine because it makes the jet accelerate as gas moves through the nozzle, and the higher the speed of a discharged jet, the more efficient the engine. The de Laval nozzle is the most common type of nozzles used in rocket engines, as it accelerates the gas passing through it most efficiently. Gas, when burnt, moves at a low subsonic speed and accelerates as it moves through the nozzle, reaching supersonic speed by the moment it leaves the nozzle.

Etymology

Rocket – from Old Italian rochetto– a bobbinEngine – from Middle English engyn or Anglo-Norman engine or Old French engin– skill, cleverness, war machine

Sample Sentences

The rocket engine ignited with a powerful roar, propelling the spacecraft into space.

Translations from our alliance partners' languages:

French: Moteur-fusée
German: Raketentriebwerk
Italian: Motore a razzo
Polish: Silnik rakietowy
Swedish: Raketmotor

Other language translations:
Russian: Ракетный двигатель
Ukrainian: Раĸетний двигун
Belarusian: Ракетны рухавік

References

Braeunig, R. A. (2012). Rocket propulsion. Retrieved from http://www.braeunig.us/space/propuls.htm

Oberth, H. (1972, January). Ways to spaceflight. Retrieved from https://archive.org/details/nasa_techdoc_19720008133/page/n35/mode/2up


Roscosmos

(Last edited: Saturday, 30 September 2023, 11:24 PM)



Definition:

Russian state corporation formed in 2015 and responsible for various aspects of the country’s space exploration activities (space equipment, infrastructure, international cooperation, etc.). The corporation is a legal successor of the Soviet space program which existed from 1955 to 1991 and Russian Space Agency founded in 1992.


Etymology

The name of the corporation “Роскосмос” consists of two elements: “Рос” (abbreviation for “Russian”) and “космос” (“space”).


Translations:
  • French:
  • German:
  • Polish: Roskosmos
  • Russian: Роскосмос    [ˌroˈskosməs]
  • Swedish:

Rover

(Last edited: Monday, 2 October 2023, 5:56 PM)
Image/Video/Audio Source: Author: Kamila Kopacz

Image/Video/Audio Source: Author: Kamila Kopacz

Short Definition:

A Rover is a type of vehicle, operated autonomously or remotely, that is created for planet and moon exploration purposes. The most popular type of rover has 4–6 wheels, a frame and robotic arm with 2–6 degrees of freedom.


Detailed Definition:

A planetary rover is designed to explore an astronomical body (other than Earth). It is a device that was born out of human creativity and curiosity of the surrounding us world. As for now, humanity is limited by the technology we produce, we have only been able to send the rovers to the Moon and Mars. Because there is a limited distance you can remotely control a device, all the currently working in the space rovers are autonomous vehicles. It means they are programmed to explore the surface and collect soil samples for further analysis. The most recognizable rovers are the ones sent to Mars: Sojourner, Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity and Perseverance.



Etymology:

rover - /ˈrəʊvə/, Middle English: from Middle Low German, Middle Dutch rōver, from rōven ‘rob’; related to reave.



Sample Sentence(s):

In 2020 NASA sent another rover, Perseverance, on Mars. Its purpose is the exploration of Jezero crater. 

The winner of European Rover Challenge 2022 was Kalman rover from AGH Space Systems.


Translations of Terms/Concepts into Partner Languages [Multiple fields for entering the translation of the term in each partner language, additional languages can potentially be added, e.g. Russian, Chinese, Portuguese]

French: 

rover


German:

der Rover


Polish:

łazik


Swedish:

rover


Other sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMMQUXrcOGY
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mars-Exploration-Rover