Abstract As awareness towards the problem is growing, eco-friendliness is today a paramount requirement for all space activities and in particular for the ground segment, fully comparable to other industrial sectors. The present work focuses on the assessment and the sustainable development enhancement of a ground-based space facility, the European Astronaut Centre (EAC), located in Germany. The project is framed within the European Space Agency development of an environmental outlook, which aims not only at the full compliance with the legislation and at assessing the impact of its activities, but also at laying the foundation for future evolution through innovation. Indeed, ESA promotes the sustainable use of space as a necessity and duty for Europe. As history teaches us, technical knowledge emerged within the space sector serves as innovation driver in other industrial branches: the goal of the project is to transform the EAC building into a spaceship integrated with the territory through the conscious management of this spontaneous process, fostering the combination between the space sector and the architecture and civil engineering fields. The work explores the potential of space technologies, processes and systems applied on ground and presents a range of space-driven innovative concepts which may improve the sustainability of the EAC building, focusing on different aspects of its resource demand – energy, water and waste management – and defining the integration with the pre-existing compound, the limitation of the impact on the surrounding landscape and the participation of the local community as additional fundamental requirements. Indeed, the project embraces the full concept of sustainability, which considers not only eco-friendliness but also its balance with economic and social aspects. Two factors – a certain urgency for action, which leaves little space for research and experimentation, and a call for ground-breaking solutions – guided the design activity: taking advantage of these conflicting requirements, a comparison between standard technologies and innovative space-related concepts was performed. When dealing with complex and uncertain scenarios, decision among the possible solutions is not straightforward and needs to be supported by appropriate methodologies: a multi-criteria and quantitative decision-making tool, able to concentrate on the main goal while considering all other relevant aspects – environmental, economic, social sustainability – was therefore developed. Furthermore, the project promotes local community participation in the decisional process, as a way to enhance knowledge, generate understanding and promote towards the EAC redesign, space activities and their potential innovative impact on sustainability.
Highlights We examinate a meaningful building for the space sector to assess sustainability. We propose common technologies to improve the case-study sustainability. We propose innovative solutions derived and adapted from the space sector. A quantitative decision making tool permits us to rank the best solutions.
Spaceship Earth. Space-driven technologies and systems for sustainability on ground
Acta Astronautica ; 115 ; 195-205
2015-05-21
11 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
Sustainability , Innovation , Green space , Decision making , Design methods , Multidisciplinary design , AHP , Analytical Hierarchy Process , EAC , European Astronaut Center , ESA , European Space Agency , FC , Fuel cells , GHG , Greenhouse gas , ICE , Internal Combustion Engines , IPV , Innovative Photovoltaic , LCA , Life Cycle Assessment , MCFC , Molten carbonate fuel cell , MGT , Micro Gas Turbine , MRC , Microbial fuel cell , NMV , No-Mix vacuum toilet , O&M , Operations and Maintenance , PAFC , Phosphoric acid fuel cell , PEMFC , Proton exchange membrane fuel cell , PV , Photovoltaic , R&D , Research and Development , SOFC , Solid oxide fuel cell , SPV , Standard Photovoltaic , TRL , Technology Readiness Level
Spaceship Earth. Space-driven technologies and systems for sustainability on ground
Online Contents | 2015
|AIAA | 1995
|Transportation planning for spaceship earth
Elsevier | 1976
|