Syftet med vår uppsats är att undersöka Sveriges möjligheter för att etablera kommersiell rymdfart och om detta är en realistisk framtida möjlighet. Vi tittar även på om vissa satsningar borde göras som ett komplement till detta, genom till exempel virtuella upplevelser från jorden. Utgångspunkten för att undersöka om etablering av kommersiell rymdfart är genomförbart i Sverige var att titta på Kirunas möjligheter att utvecklas till en mer etablerad turist- och rymdstad. Vi fokuserar främst på utvecklingsmöjligheter och rådande framtidsplaner för Sveriges enda rymdraketbas Esrange Space Center. Vi har i denna uppsats huvudsakligen använt oss av kvalitativa metoder i form av strukturerade och ostrukturerade intervjuer. Vi har intervjuat fem, för vår forskning, relevanta aktörer med sin unika koppling till rymden, muntligt och via mejl. Den kvantitativa metoden som vi använt bestod av en enkätundersökning som vi utförde med hundra respondenter under en veckas tid. Våra teorier bygger på fem olika teoretiska ramverk som bidragit till att undersöka och styrka vårt syfte genom att applicera dessa i rymdsammanhang. Teorierna visar hur man genom att använda olika framtidsscenarier som undersökningsmetod kan hjälpa forskarna att förutspå ett visst framtida utfall. De visar även människans behov av självförverkligande och längtan efter nya upplevelser tillsammans med de aspekter som kan påverka människor att ta till sig en ny innovation eller välja att avvisa den. Teorierna undersöker även de hot, styrkor, svagheter och möjligheter som kommersiell rymdfart står inför. En etablering av kommersiell rymdfart innebär flera svårigheter inom områden som säkerhet, miljö och ekonomi. Men om utvecklingen följer samma kurva som för den vanliga flygtrafiken kan det bli möjligt att resa till rymden för ett rimligt pris om cirka 50 år. Var rymdaktörerna slutligen väljer att etablera kommersiell rymdfart kommer indirekt bestämmas av kunderna, då deras efterfrågan styr var en rymdstation blir mest lönsam att etablera. För Kiruna, med Sveriges enda rymdbas, är det viktigt att arbeta aktivt och ambitiöst för att kunna erbjuda ett attraktivt resande för intresserade kunder. Tills man hittar tekniska lösningar på de hinder kommersiell rymdfart står inför kan cyberturism (virtual reality) vara ett substitut för att få uppleva rymden utan att behöva ta hänsyn till tid, plats, säkerhet eller ekonomi. / The purpose of this essay is to explore Sweden’s opportunities to establish commercial spaceflight and whether this is a realistic or unrealistic possibility in the future. We also looked at whether efforts should be made as a complement to this, for example through virtual experiences from Earth. One of our starting points was to investigate the opportunities and potential for Kiruna to develop to a more established tourist- and urban space town. To achieve this, we are primarily focusing on the development opportunities and current plans for the future of Sweden´s only spaceport Esrange Space Center. In this paper, we mainly used qualitative methods in the form of structured and unstructured interviews. We had interviews with five relevant parties for our research, both verbally and via email. The quantitative method we used consisted of a survey we did with one hundred respondents during a period of one week. The theories that have been used are four different theoretical frameworks which have helped us to investigate and strengthen our purpose by applying these into the context of space. They include how the use of future scenarios as a method of investigation could help scientists to predict a certain future outcome. Also the human need of total fulfillment and the longing for new experiences together with the aspects that can affect whether a person accepts a new innovation or decides to reject it. The theories also examines the threats, strengths, weaknesses and possibilities that commercial spaceflight is facing. The commercial space sector is facing curtain difficulties in terms of safety, environmental and economic issues. But if the development follow the same curve as for the regular air traffic it might be possible to travel to space for a reasonable price 50 years from now. Where space organizations ultimately choose to establish commercial spaceflight depends on the customers, since their demand will determine where they want to fly out from. For Kiruna, which is already hosting Sweden´s only spaceport it will be crucial to work hard to show ambition and provide attractive offers for their potential clients. Until technology provides us with the solutions preventing commercial spaceflight cyber Tourism (virtual reality) can be a substitute for visitors to experience space without the need to take account of time, location, security and economy.

In November 1953, the editor of the Manchester Guardian, AP Wadsworth, responded to Jodrell Bank Director Bernard Lovell regarding a complaint over an article that had appeared on the observatory's radio telescope project. Wadsworth understood there had been much collaboration between Lovell and his journalists in regard to the construction of the article and so the complaint suggested that there was 'far more to it (production) than appears on the surface'. Many scholars of science and the media point to the importance of uncovering the context of production from which popular science emerges in interactions between science and media actors. However, these and many other scholars also point to the difficulty of symmetrically unravelling the production context because of the complexities of such interactions and the diverse actors and agendas at play. To view and draw out these complexities, I employ the analytical flexibility and utility of space science as a lens because the production of popular space science was of interest, and valuable, to diverse scientific and media actors. I also use a broad and triangulated selection of primary sources, including from the often-elusive media context, to explore episodes of contingency where agendas and approaches are revealed. I hypothesise the notion of a 'common arena' to aid understandings of the context of production of science and the media. Within this common arena scientists, media professionals and science-mediating specialists met to negotiate the production of popular scientific representations. Scientific and media culture and science-mediating specialists sought authority over and identities within the arena through 'contributory expertise'. In such negotiations, popular scientific representations became a form of 'boundary object'. Across the middle of the twentieth century, and especially in the space age, popular space scientific representations were prestigious and high-profile and the subject of much negotiation. In many ways, the media gained much at the expense of science by redrawing the arena, exploiting science in the way that science sought to exploit the media. On reflection the arena is too simplistic a concept to support the rich narrative history and, in future, it is hoped, will be surpassed by a more constructivist encounter model that characterises interactions and developments at the science-media interface. Despite these limitations, two supplementary arguments emerge from the empirical application of the arena concept. Firstly, that the 'problem' of science and the media is historical and its origins long precede the political movement of the same name of the 1970s. In fact, the problem originated in the 1930s as soon as the traditional authority over the production arena enjoyed by scientific culture, and celebrity scientists such as cosmologist James Jeans, was challenged by media professionals. The Council of the British Interplanetary Society identified it, for example. Motivated by increased public demand for popular scientific material and intensifying competition among media industries, print and broadcasting media professionals extended their cultural authority over the common arena. This extension was facilitated because technological developments, such as satellite broadcasting, further restricted membership of the arena to those who understood the demands of media technique and were committed to serving the interests of audiences rather than science; in sociological terms arena and production authority was 'reduced' to media culture. Such developments reduced the ability of experts to directly address audiences and, thus, the influence of scientists over popular representations of science. In other words, mediation was a threat to the social authority of science. However, this problem was not mobilised into a movement because the relationship between scientific and media actors remained somewhat deferent and symbiotic. This fluidity allowed the likes of radio astronomer Lovell to continue to popularise, at least for a time. Another reason why the problem was not mobilised, and comprising the second supplementary argument, was the development of science-mediating specialists as 'boundary spanners'. Public eagerness for popular science, and the tensions between scientific and media culture for authority over its production, provided the opportunity for new social identities to emerge in the arena. Science writers such as JG Crowther, Ritchie Calder, and John Maddox, and science broadcasters such as Mary Adams, Aubrey Singer, and James McCloy, developed who mediated between, and were expert in and partisan to, both media and science; they were intercultural boundary spanners. However, the extension of the cultural authority of the media over the arena meant that membership of the arena became predicated on producing copy and programming that served the commercial interests of the media. Combined with, and reflecting, growing popular ambivalence with science, such pressures on science writers and broadcasters to actively challenge the social authority of science were the catalyst for the mobilisation of the problem movement by the scientific establishment. This movement sought to redraw production arena authority and re-establish the influence of scientists over popular scientific representations, as with Beagle 2.

Orientador: Andre Tosi Furtado / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Geociencias / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-07T20:06:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 CostaFilho_EdmilsondeJesus_D.pdf: 2183949 bytes, checksum: ffde0322a264c0cdd6e0349a07af46ae (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: O êxito da cooperação espacial sul-sul pode ser considerado um caso sui generis na literatura internacional, devido às dificuldades inerentes que os projetos de co-desenvolvimento cientifico e tecnológico imputam a países periféricos. O trabalho tem por objetivo fazer uma análise de um programa de cooperação tecnológica sino-brasileira na área espacial, o Programa CBERS, buscando enfocar a dimensão do aprendizado do Brasil com a cooperação. Esta análise foi estruturada em torno de três eixos: macro, relacionado ao aspecto político da cooperação; meso, relacionado ao aspecto organizacional do INPE; e micro, relacionados aos aspectos científicos e tecnológicos da área de Engenharia e Tecnologia Espacial do instituto. Segundo a proposta metodológica, estes eixos se complementam e se interligam formando uma ferramenta capaz de analisar o aprendizado da cooperação. O estudo se baseou em um levantamento de informações quantitativas e qualitativas junto ao INPE e ao MRE, assim como em entrevistas com técnicos brasileiros participantes do programa. Os resultados do estudo apontam que, embora os três eixos sejam igualmente importantes para o aprendizado nacional, estes apresentaram um claro desbalanceamento, onde a dimensão política e a organizacional do Programa no Brasil tiveram um avanço maior em detrimento das dimensões científicas e tecnológicas / Abstract: The success of south-south space cooperation may be considered a unique case in the international literature, due to the difficulties concerning to scientific and technological co-development which peripheral countries face. This research intends to analyze a China-Brazil technological cooperation program on the space field (the CBERS Program), seeking to focus on the dimension of Brazilian learning with the cooperation. This analysis was structured over three focuses: macro, related to the political aspect of the cooperation; meso, related to the organizational aspect of INPE (National Institute for Space Researches); and micro, related to the scientific and technological aspects of the Institute¿s Engineering and Space Technology Division. According to the methodological proposal, these focuses match and link to each other, becoming a tool which is able to analyze the learning process upon the cooperation. This study was based on a both quantitative and qualitative information survey provided by the INPE and the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE), and also on interviews with Brazilian technicians who participated in the program. The results of the study point out that, although the three focuses have equal importance for the national learning, they present clear unbalance: the political and organizational dimension had a more significant advance than the scientific and technological dimensions of the Program in Brazil / Doutorado / Doutor em Política Científica e Tecnológica

<div>Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry (GNSS-R) is a remote sensing technique that uses reflected satellite navigation signals from the Earth surface in a bistatic radar configuration. GNSS-R observations have been collected using receivers on stationary, airborne and spaceborne platforms. The delay-Doppler map (DDM) is the fundamental GNSS-R measurement from which ocean surface wind speed can be retrieved. GNSS-R observations can be assimilated into numerical weather prediction models to improve weather analyses and forecasts. The direct assimilation of DDM observations shows potential superiority over the assimilation of wind retrievals.</div><div><br></div><div>This dissertation demonstrates the direct assimilation of GNSS-R DDMs using a two-dimensional variational analysis method (VAM). First, the observation forward model and its Jacobian are developed. Then, the observation's bias correction, quality control, and error characterization are presented. The DDM assimilation was applied to a global and a regional case. </div><div><br></div><div>In the global case, DDM observations from the NASA Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) mission are assimilated into global ocean surface wind analyses using the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) 10-meter winds as the background. The wind analyses are improved as a result of the DDM assimilation. VAM can also be used to derive a new type of wind vector observation from DDMs (VAM-DDM).</div><div><br></div><div>In the regional case, an observing system experiment (OSE) is used to quantify the impact of VAM-DDM wind vectors from CYGNSS on hurricane forecasts, in the case of Hurricane Michael (2018). It is found that the assimilation of VAM-DDM wind vectors at the early stage of the hurricane improves the forecasted track and intensity.</div><div><br></div><div>The research of this dissertation implies potential benefits of DDM assimilation for future research and operational applications.</div>

Turbulence in the ionosphere is important to understand because it can negatively affect communication signals. This work examines different scenarios in the ionosphere in which turbulence may develop. The two main causes of turbulence considered in this work are the gradient drift instability (GDI) and the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI). The likelihood of the development of the GDI during the August 17, 2017 total solar eclipse is studied numerically. This analysis uses the ``Sami3 is Also a Model of the Ionosphere" (SAMI3) model to study the effect of the eclipse on the plasma density. The calculated GDI growth rates are small compared to how quickly the eclipse moves over the Earth. Therefore, the GDI is not expected to occur during the solar eclipse. A novel 2D electrostatic pseudo-spectral fluid model is developed to study the growth of these two instabilities and the problem of ionospheric turbulence in general. To focus on the ionospheric turbulence, a set of perturbed governing equations are derived. The model accurately captures the GDI growth rate in different limits; it is also benchmarked to the evolution of instability development in different collisional regimes of a plasma cloud. The newly developed model is used to study if the GDI is the cause of density irregularities observed in subauroral polarization streams (SAPS). Data from Global Positioning System (GPS) scintillations and the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) are used to examine the latitudinal density and velocity profiles of SAPS. It is found that the GDI is stabilized by velocity shear and therefore will only generate density irregularities in regions of low velocity shear. Furthermore, the density irregularities cannot extend through regions of large velocity shear. In certain cases, the turbulence cascade power laws match observation and theory. The transition between the KHI and the GDI is studied by understanding the effect of collisions. In low collisionality regimes, the KHI is the dominant instability. In high collisionality regimes, the GDI is the dominant instability. Using nominal ionospheric parameters, a prediction is provided that suggests that there exists an altitude in the upper textit{F} region ionosphere above which the turbulence is dominated by the KHI. / Doctor of Philosophy / In the modern day, all wireless communication signals use electromagnetic waves that propagate through the atmosphere. In the upper atmosphere, there exists a region called the ionosphere, which consists of plasma (a mixture of ions, electrons, and neutral particles). Because ions and electrons are charged particles, they interact with the electromagnetic communication signals. A better understanding of ionospheric turbulence will allow for aid in forecasting space weather as well as improve future communication equipment. Communication signals become distorted as they pass through turbulent regions of the ionosphere, which negatively affects the signal quality at the receiving end. For a tangible example, when Global Positioning System (GPS) signals pass through turbulent regions of the ionosphere, the resulting position estimate becomes worse. This work looks at two specific causes of ionospheric turbulence: the gradient drift instability (GDI) and the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI). Under the correct background conditions, these instabilities have the ability to generate ionospheric turbulence. To learn more about the GDI and the KHI, a novel simulation model is developed. The model uses a method of splitting the equations such that the focus is on just the development of the turbulence while considering spatially constant realistic background conditions. The model is shown to accurately represent results from previously studied problems in the ionosphere. This model is applied to an ionospheric phenomenon known as subauroral polarization streams (SAPS) to study the development of the GDI and the KHI. SAPS are regions of the ionosphere with large westward velocity that changes with latitude. The shape of the latitudinal velocity profile depends on many other factors in the ionosphere such as the geomagnetic conditions. It is found that for certain profiles, the GDI will form in SAPS with some of these examples matching observational data. At higher altitudes, the model predicts that the KHI will form instead. While the model is applied to just the development of the GDI and the KHI in this work, it is written in a general manner such that other causes of ionospheric turbulence can be easily studied in the future.

This thesis investigates the possible development of a new urban form around space launching sites. A city form that is built with the influence of job opportunities offered at the spaceport and its surrounding local conditions-a futuristic company town. The design approach is derived from a multitude of learnings from the past and later it is curated to envision a futuristic aspect providing solutions for better livelihood of people while also advocating for the surrounding environment. The thesis intensively focuses on developing a set of frameworks that could be tailored for building cities around spaceports identifying various obstructions existing around them. And it is later tested with one of its kind – a potential growth site with its very own local contextual conditions. The distinctive design decisions and solutions provided consider the presence of the spaceport as a constant; with changing population and landscapes as variables. The determined frameworks can be applied to any other such potential site. The notion of the new urban fabric is to create a valuable settlement that supports and embraces the co-existence of technological innovation, environmental consciousness, and better liveability, creating resistance against fatal damages and complications. This science-driven city will be an identity for the future urban fabric around space science exploration zones. It aims in achieving its purpose and contributes to cultivating the good quality of life that people would need for healthy well-being while working towards innovative inventions for mankind to sustain on earth and beyond. / Master of Science / Some may criticize that cities were built after people decided to settle there. I would like to advocate, people came first and the cities followed, expanded constantly with growing needs. Most cities began as small settlements that flourished over time. Some of the world's well-known cities started as small ports or even as fishing villages, and then grew as their economies started linking to regional and international trade. As we are in the space and technological innovations age currently, we might not think about their importance very often, but the world's spaceports play an important role in our day-to-day life. Orbital sensors track weather patterns to help one to start the day, they also offer geospatial data to navigate without getting lost, they connect everyone across the globe, and many other benefits. All of this starts with a rocket launch, and spaceports provide the basic infrastructure to send these satellites above. Even though they have enormous benefits, this thesis focuses on the drawbacks associated with their impacts on the urban form around them. It also outlines a set of frameworks to improve the typical existing conditions by providing thoughtful strategic design solutions for their better existence and futuristic growth.

Astro maths -- The sky -- Astronomy of the ancients -- Renaissance astronomy -- The astronomer's toolbox: physical principles -- Overview of the solar system -- The sun, our nearest star -- Earth, the home world -- The moon -- The terrestrial planets -- The gas giant planets -- The dwarf planets -- Major moons of the solar system -- Solar system debris -- Properties of the stars -- The formation of stars -- The lives of stars -- Stellar corpses -- The interstellar medium -- Living in a galaxy called the milky way -- Galaxies -- Active galaxies and quasars -- Cosmology -- Exoplanets -- The search for life. The book Astro4U: An Introduction to the Science of the Cosmos excites students about the grandeur of astronomy and how the universe functions. Filled with vibrant figures and informative tables that support the written text, the book has a fresh, casual, student-friendly tone that dramatically increases interest in the material while also making it more accessible. The book provides a college-level description of science with astronomy serving as the vehicle of delivery for displaying the scientific model. The content follows a traditional progression of scale, beginning with a study of the sky, followed by discussions of ancient and medieval astronomy, modern scientific practices, and key physical principles. Chapters move through the Solar System, stars, then galaxies, and finally the cosmos as a whole. Additionally, the book presents astronomy as the story of light and gravity, crucial threads that permeate the text. Because students often express concern about the math content in astronomy classes, the book begins with a chapter entitled "Astro Maths" that reviews all the mathematical skills and concepts needed to complete the course. This up-front investment increases student confidence, eliminates one of the primary blocks students face, and improves chances for student achievement and success. Astro4U is written for general education survey courses in astronomy that are geared to non-science majors. / https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu_books/1016/thumbnail.jpg

Research on conceptual change provides strong evidence that not only children but also many adults have incorrect or incomplete understanding of science concepts. This mixed methods study was concerned with preservice and inservice teachers’ understanding of six earth and space science concepts commonly taught in elementary school: reasons for seasons, phases of the moon, reasons for the wind, the rock cycle, soil formation, and earthquakes. The first part of the study determined and compared the level of conceptual understanding held by both groups on topics they will need to teach in the Georgia Performance Standards [GPS]. The second part focused on whether readings or hands-on learning stations, in some cases combined with concept mapping, improves preservice teachers’ understanding of these concepts. The third part described the application of conceptual change strategies of one group of preservice teachers during their field placements. The overall sample was two cohorts of preservice teachers, one cohort of preservice teachers from an alternative initial certification program, and two masters’ cohorts consisting of inservice teachers. Four data sources were: a six item open-ended survey, concept maps, the field assignments, and the researcher’s field notes. Rubrics were used to score answers to each survey question. Concept map scores were calculated based on the criteria developed by Novak and Gowin (1984). The first part of the study shows that both preservice and inservice teachers have low conceptual understanding of the earth science concepts taught in elementary school. Independent samples t-tests results indicate that both groups have similar understanding about these concepts. A two way ANOVA with repeated measures analysis demonstrated that readings and learning stations are both successful in building preservice teacher’s understanding and that benefits from the hands-on learning stations approached statistical significance. A paired samples t-test shows that concept mapping added to the participants’ conceptual understanding whether the participants learned the concepts through readings or stations. Finally, field assignments allowed the participants to apply knowledge that they learned in their science methods course in their classroom placements. This study has implications for teacher preparation programs, staff development, and conceptual change practices in field placements.

The H.R. MacMillan Space Centre is a multi-faceted organization whose mission is to educate, inspire and evoke a sense of wonder about the universe, our planet and space exploration. As a popular, Vancouver science centre, it faces the same range of challenges and issues as other major attractions: how does the Space Centre maintain a healthy public attendance in an increasingly competitive market where visitors continue to be presented with an increasingly rich range of choices for their leisure spending and entertainment dollars?This front-end study investigated visitor attitudes, thoughts and preconceptions on the topic of space and astronomy. It also examined visitors’ motivations for coming to a space science centre. Useful insights were obtained which will be applied to improve future programme content and exhibit development.

The probability of satellite collisions and disintegrations cluttering the near-Earth orbital environmentis ever-growing. This is especially true for the congested Low Earth Orbit (LEO) regime; once a critical density of objects is reached, a collisional cascading is projected to generate runaway growth of theorbital population. Comprehensive tracking of Resident Space Objects (RSO) is a requisite precursor to conjunction forecasting and avoidance; a strategy for active debris mitigation. Conducted at Arctic Lidar Observatory for Middle Atmosphere Research (ALOMAR) Andøya Space, this work presents a means through which a passive optical observation station can be established using only an off-the shelf Canon EOS-1300 camera for uncued detection. A custom processing pipelinewas developed to perform data reduction on the retrieved images and initialisation of the object orbit was accomplished via implementations of the classic Initial Orbit Determination (IOD) algorithms of Laplace and Gauss. RSO identification was performed by reconstruction of the overpass and comparison against objects in a Two Line Elements (TLE) database. The complete script initiates the tracking process, and requires no inputs other than the image, and the geodetic coordinates of the ground station. The processing pipeline was demonstrated to perform robustly on the collected images and the algorithms were tested for different orbital regimes using precision angular data extracted from literature, with the retrieved results corresponding closely to the available reference values for all orbital regimes. Their performance as predictors of satellite position was compared for a variety of test cases, withthe Gauss algorithm producing more consistent results. However, orbits could not be initialised from the images, due to insufficient angular and timing precision. Various adaptations and extensions are suggested in order to achieve the requisite accuracy in the optical data and improve the data collection.