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Shane Ross

@RossDynamicsLab • 5,117 subscribers

Engineering math professor at @Virginia_Tech. Dynamics and transport, from spacecraft trajectories to airborne agricultural pathogens.

Shorts

SpaceX wants up to a million satellites as orbital data centers. Half would ride the day-night line, sunlit while the ground below is dark. Top and bottom are the same sky at the same moment. The only difference is how bright they're assumed to be. Scientific American covered it today.

SpaceX wants up to a million satellites as orbital data centers. Half would ride the day-night line, sunlit while the ground below is dark. Top and bottom are the same sky at the same moment. The only difference is how bright they're assumed to be. Scientific American covered it today.

122,373 views

What if a spacecraft could cycle between Earth and Moon orbits, performing multiple circuits of each, naturally and indefinitely, with zero propulsion? We’ve discovered a new class of stable, prograde, low-energy cycler orbits that do just that. Why these orbits matter: Ballistic → fuel-free Stable → long-term ready Near-chaotic → agile with low ΔV Low-energy → access to Earth/Moon, Lagrange points, Sun–Earth L1/L2, even heliocentric space At the AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference in Boston next week, I’ll present on a new family of ballistic Earth-Moon cycler orbits that are stable, prograde, and mission agile—unlike any cyclers in the current literature. The example below is shown in both the Earth-Moon rotating frame and inertial frame. Conference Paper:

What if a spacecraft could cycle between Earth and Moon orbits, performing multiple circuits of each, naturally and indefinitely, with zero propulsion? We’ve discovered a new class of stable, prograde, low-energy cycler orbits that do just that. Why these orbits matter: Ballistic → fuel-free Stable → long-term ready Near-chaotic → agile with low ΔV Low-energy → access to Earth/Moon, Lagrange points, Sun–Earth L1/L2, even heliocentric space At the AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference in Boston next week, I’ll present on a new family of ballistic Earth-Moon cycler orbits that are stable, prograde, and mission agile—unlike any cyclers in the current literature. The example below is shown in both the Earth-Moon rotating frame and inertial frame. Conference Paper:

632,214 views

Nine families of Earth–Moon cyclers, stable orbits that ferry back and forth between the two, forever. 🌍♾️🌙 In the rotating frame each one closes up and repeats. The label (k₁,k₂) counts the loops: k₁ around the Earth, k₂ around the Moon. Periods run ~42–106 days.

Nine families of Earth–Moon cyclers, stable orbits that ferry back and forth between the two, forever. 🌍♾️🌙 In the rotating frame each one closes up and repeats. The label (k₁,k₂) counts the loops: k₁ around the Earth, k₂ around the Moon. Periods run ~42–106 days.

38,709 views

Yes, but only for a while. In this simulation, 20 nearly identical pendulums start together, then diverge after a few seconds, the time horizon of predictability. Chaos doesn’t mean randomness, just sensitivity.

Yes, but only for a while. In this simulation, 20 nearly identical pendulums start together, then diverge after a few seconds, the time horizon of predictability. Chaos doesn’t mean randomness, just sensitivity.

19,030 views

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Now interactive: my simulation of 500,000 orbital data center satellites. Pick any latitude, date and time, then explore two brightness models alongside actual stars. App and code in the first reply. Try your sky and report back.

Now interactive: my simulation of 500,000 orbital data center satellites. Pick any latitude, date and time, then explore two brightness models alongside actual stars. App and code in the first reply. Try your sky and report back.

71,816 views • 3 days ago

Orbital data centers want dawn-dusk sun-synchronous orbits, because that's where the sunlight never stops. So the satellites ride the day/night terminator. I propagated one to see what it looks like from the ground. You see the sunset fine, but looking east you see this.

Orbital data centers want dawn-dusk sun-synchronous orbits, because that's where the sunlight never stops. So the satellites ride the day/night terminator. I propagated one to see what it looks like from the ground. You see the sunset fine, but looking east you see this.

146,766 views • 1 month ago

Sun-synchronous satellite constellation scaled to 300,000 satellites, still below the proposed number. It stops being satellites and becomes an artificial ring of light around the Earth, blanketing the sky at dawn and dusk. Welcome to the Twilight Zone.

Sun-synchronous satellite constellation scaled to 300,000 satellites, still below the proposed number. It stops being satellites and becomes an artificial ring of light around the Earth, blanketing the sky at dawn and dusk. Welcome to the Twilight Zone.

28,262 views • 1 month ago

An Earth–Moon multi-orbiter cycler: stable, repeating, and periodic in both rotating and inertial frames. This rare dual-periodic orbit loops Earth multiple times, then the Moon, repeating every 109 days, no propulsion required. 👉🏽Details in the paper:

An Earth–Moon multi-orbiter cycler: stable, repeating, and periodic in both rotating and inertial frames. This rare dual-periodic orbit loops Earth multiple times, then the Moon, repeating every 109 days, no propulsion required. 👉🏽Details in the paper:

38,065 views • 1 year ago

Projects from my Nonlinear Dynamics & Chaos class were spectacular. One student made a chaotic waterwheel (also called the Lorenz or Malkus waterwheel) using 3D-printed parts and an inexpensive water pump. The dynamics are governed by the famous Lorenz equations.

Projects from my Nonlinear Dynamics & Chaos class were spectacular. One student made a chaotic waterwheel (also called the Lorenz or Malkus waterwheel) using 3D-printed parts and an inexpensive water pump. The dynamics are governed by the famous Lorenz equations.

59,257 views • 2 years ago

Yes, but only for a while. In this simulation, 20 nearly identical pendulums start together, then diverge after a few seconds, the time horizon of predictability. Chaos doesn’t mean randomness, just sensitivity.

Yes, but only for a while. In this simulation, 20 nearly identical pendulums start together, then diverge after a few seconds, the time horizon of predictability. Chaos doesn’t mean randomness, just sensitivity.

19,030 views • 11 months ago

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