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Joel C. Sercel

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Joel C. Sercel (/ˈ sɛrsəl /; born 1960) is an American aerospace engineer. He is the inventor of Omnivore Thruster, a new concept of propulsion technology for in-space transportation,[1] of Optical Mining, a technology for extracting raw materials from asteroids,[2] of the Radiant Gas Dynamic method of lunar water harvesting,[3] and of the Sun Flower Power Tower architecture for capturing and converting solar power into electricity to be used in polar lunar regions.[3] As of July 2021, his work and studies have led to eight US patents and seventeen published applications. An asteroid, (46308) Joelsercel, was named after him.[4]

Education

Sercel received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics from the University of Arizona in 1984.[5][6] He received his PhD and master's degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology with a thesis in plasma physics applied to space propulsion.[7]

Career

Sercel worked for fourteen years at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (1983–1997), being awarded by NASA for many advancements in space propulsion technologies, systems and space mission project management.[5] While at JPL, he worked on the ideation of the NSTAR ion propulsion system used on the Dawn spacecraft.[8] He taught space engineering courses at Caltech (1993–2008).[5] In the period 2002–2005, he was the Chief Systems Engineer of the (Transformational Satellite Communications System) project, a military satellite system commissioned by the US Air Force and worth twenty-two billion dollars.[5] In 2016, he served in the National Academy of Science Air Force Studies Board on "The Role of Experimentation Campaigns in the Air Force Innovation Life Cycle"[9] and in the NASA ARM Formulation Assessment and Support Team (FAST).[10] In 2019, Sercel acted as Founding CTO of Momentus, a technological space company based in the Silicon Valley.[5]

Trans Astronautica Corporation

Sercel founded TransAstronautica Corporation in 2015, converging in it his studies and inventions, with the aim to build the necessary space infrastructure for transportation and resource mining in the solar system.[11][12][6][13][14] Under Sercel's guidance, engineers at TranAstra are working on the following:[15]

  • Apis (Asteroid Provided In-situ Supplies) Flight Systems, the fleet of spacecraft equipped with Optical Mining technology and the Omnivore Thruster system, working as honey bees to collect and transport resources harvested in space[16][17][18]
  • Optical Mining, a technology that enables the extraction of resources in space thanks to the use of concentrated sunlight [19][20][21][22]
  • Omnivore Thruster, an innovative propulsion technology which allows to use a multitude of fuel types, water included, to be used for in-space cargo transportation [23][24]
  • Sutter Asteroid Survey, a new kind of telescope developed for the discovery of new asteroids in real-time and the detection of their velocity and luminosity, using the Compound Synthetic Tracking [25][26]
  • Beetle Lunar Rover, an electric powered rover aimed to harvest resources on the Moon or on Mars, thanks to a special technology called Radiant Gas Dynamic (RGD) mining, which allows to mine resources avoiding the problems of the classic mechanical digging operations [27][28]
  • Sun Flower Power Tower, a solar power generator, designed specifically to be used in the lunar poles, allowing to deliver megawatts of sunlight to support lunar mining operations [29][30][31]

NASA NIAC awards

Sercel received several NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Fellowships.[32] NIAC Phase I Awards:

  • APIS (Asteroid Provided In-Situ Supplies): 100MT of Water from a Single Falcon 9[33]
  • Sutter: Breakthrough Telescope Innovation for Asteroid Survey Missions to Start a Gold Rush in Space[34]
  • Lunar-Polar Propellant Mining Outpost (LPMO): Affordable Exploration and Industrialization[3]

NIAC Phase II Awards:

  • Optical Mining of Asteroids, Moons, and Planets to Enable Sustainable Human Exploration and Space Industrialization[35]
  • Lunar Polar Propellant Mining Outpost (LPMO): A Breakthrough for Lunar Exploration & Industry[3]

NIAC Phase III Award:

  • Mini Bee Prototype to Demonstrate the Apis Mission Architecture and Optical Mining Technology[1]

US patents

  • Systems and methods for obtaining energy in shadowed regions [36]
  • Spacecraft propulsion devices and systems with microwave excitation [37]
  • System and method for creating, processing, and distributing images that serve as portals enabling communication with persons who have interacted with the images [38][39]
  • Authentication and validation of smartphone imagery[40][41][42]
  • Cross-talk reduction in a bidirectional optoelectronic device [43]

Published applications

  • Space Mission Energy Management Architecture[44]
  • Systems and Methods for Adjusting the Orbit of a Payload[45]
  • Spacecraft Propulsion Devices and Systems with Microwave Excitation[46][44]
  • Optics and Structure for Space Applications[47][48]
  • Spacecraft Structures and Mechanisms[49]
  • Spacecraft Thermal and Fluid Management Systems[50]
  • Systems and Methods for Radiant Gas Dynamic Mining of Permafrost for Propellant Extraction[51]
  • System and Method for Creating, Processing, and Distributing Images That Serve as Portals Enabling Communication With Persons Who Have Interacted With the Images[52][53]
  • Authentication and Validation of Smartphone Imagery[54][55][56]
  • Cross Talk Reduction in a Bidirectional Optoelectronic Device[57]
  • Web Application Hybrid Structure and Methods for Building and Operating a Web Application Hybrid Structure[58]
  • Penetrometer Including a Hammer and an Automated Actuator Weight-Supported by an Anvil Through the Hammer[59]

References

  1. ^ a b Hall, Loura (11 June 2019). "Mini Bee Prototype to Demonstrate the Apis Mission Architecture". NASA.
  2. ^ Hall, Loura (5 April 2017). "Optical Mining of Asteroids, Moons, and Planets". NASA.
  3. ^ a b c d Hall, Loura (8 April 2019). "Lunar-Polar Propellant Mining Outpost (LPMO)". NASA.
  4. ^ "WGSBN Bulletin" (PDF). IAU: WG Small Body Nomenclature.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Joel Sercel, Ph.D." Acton University.
  6. ^ a b "Feb 15, 2017". Center for Lunar & Asteroid Surface Science.
  7. ^ Sercel, Joel Christopher (1993). An experimental and theoretical study of the ECR plasma engine (phd). California Institute of Technology. doi:10.7907/PDWR-J354.
  8. ^ Kakuda, Roy; Sercel, Joel; Lee, Wayne (1 January 1995). "Small body rendezvous mission using solar electric ion propulsion: Low cost mission approach and technology requirements". Acta Astronautica. 35: 657–666. Bibcode:1995AcAau..35..657K. doi:10.1016/0094-5765(94)00233-C.
  9. ^ Read "The Role of Experimentation Campaigns in the Air Force Innovation Life Cycle" at NAP.edu. 2016. doi:10.17226/23676. ISBN 978-0-309-45112-3.
  10. ^ Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) Formulation Assessment and Support Team (FAST) Final Report NASA
  11. ^ "Team".
  12. ^ "Vision". TransAstra Corporation.
  13. ^ Ward, Dan. "ASTEROID MINING VIABLE, AFFORDABLE, AND SOON" (PDF).
  14. ^ Sercel, Joel C.; Peterson, Craig E.; French, James R.; Longman, Anthony; Love, Stanley G.; Shishko, Robert (March 2018). "Stepping stones: Economic analysis of space transportation supplied from NEO resources". 2018 IEEE Aerospace Conference. pp. 1–21. doi:10.1109/AERO.2018.8396702. ISBN 978-1-5386-2014-4. S2CID 49601021.
  15. ^ "Team". TransAstra Corporation.
  16. ^ "Apis™ Flight Systems". TransAstra Corporation. Archived from the original on 2021-06-08. Retrieved 2021-07-19.
  17. ^ September 2015, Leonard David 18 (18 September 2015). "Asteroid-Mining Plan Would Bake Water Out of Bagged-Up Space Rocks". Space.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  18. ^ "Mining Thousands of Tons of Space Ice with Queen Bee". The Space Resource.
  19. ^ "Optical Mining™". TransAstra Corporation.
  20. ^ June 2019, Elizabeth Howell 13 (13 June 2019). "NASA Eyes Wild Space Tech Ideas to Mine the Moon (and Asteroids, Too!)". Space.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  21. ^ Dorminey, Bruce. "Turning Near-Earth Asteroids Into Strategically-Placed Fuel Dumps". Forbes.
  22. ^ "NASA Invests in Tech Concepts Aimed at Exploring Lunar Craters, Mining Asteroids". LPIB. 23 July 2019.
  23. ^ "Space Propulsion". TransAstra Corporation.
  24. ^ "5 Top Smart Propulsion Solutions Impacting Space Transportation". StartUs Insights. 22 December 2020.
  25. ^ "Sutter Asteroid Survey". TransAstra Corporation.
  26. ^ Sercel, Joel C. "Sutter Survey: A Space Mission Roadmap to Finding Thousands of Asteroids For Space Resource Utilization".
  27. ^ "Radiant Gas Dynamic Mining™". TransAstra Corporation.
  28. ^ Strauss, Mark. "Miners on the Moon". Air & Space Magazine.
  29. ^ "Lunar Power Generation". TransAstra Corporation.
  30. ^ "Breakthrough mission architecture for mining lunar polar ice". Space Settlement Progress. 22 April 2020.
  31. ^ "Solar Towers For Lunar Energy and Microwave Moon Mining | NextBigFuture.com". 23 September 2020. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  32. ^ Hall, Loura (8 April 2015). "NIAC Studies". NASA.
  33. ^ Hall, Loura (7 May 2015). "APIS (Asteroid Provided In-Situ Supplies): 100MT Of Water from a Singl". NASA.
  34. ^ Hall, Loura (5 April 2017). "Sutter: Breakthrough Telescope Innovation for Asteroid Survey Missions". NASA.
  35. ^ Hall, Loura (5 April 2017). "Optical Mining of Asteroids, Moons, and Planets". NASA.
  36. ^ Sercel, Joel C.; Peterson, Craig; Longman, Anthony (April 27, 2021). "United States Patent: 10989443 - Systems and methods for obtaining energy in shadowed regions".
  37. ^ Hummelt, Jason; Sercel, Joel; Mainwaring, Philip; Small, James; Parman, Matthew (February 2, 2021). "United States Patent: 10910198 - Spacecraft propulsion devices and systems with microwave excitation".
  38. ^ Leonard, Jon N.; Staker, Matthew W.; Gille, Robert P.; Sercel, Joel C.; Davis, Jeffery S.; Bailey, Claude A. (July 2, 2019). "United States Patent: 10339283 - System and method for creating, processing, and distributing images that serve as portals enabling communication with persons who have interacted with the images".
  39. ^ Leonard, Jon N.; Staker, Matthew W.; Gille, Robert P.; Sercel, Joel C.; Davis, Jeffery S.; Bailey, Claude A. (March 27, 2018). "United States Patent: 9928352 - System and method for creating, processing, and distributing images that serve as portals enabling communication with persons who have interacted with the images".
  40. ^ Leonard, Jon N.; Staker, Matthew W.; Gille, Robert P.; Sercel, Joel C.; Davis, Jeffery S. (July 10, 2018). "United States Patent: 10019774 - Authentication and validation of smartphone imagery".
  41. ^ Leonard, Jon N.; Staker, Matthew W.; Gille, Robert P.; Sercel, Joel C.; Davis, Jeffery S. (July 10, 2018). "United States Patent: 10019773 - Authentication and validation of smartphone imagery".
  42. ^ Leonard, Jon N.; Staker, Matthew W.; Gille, Robert P.; Sercel, Joel C.; Davis, Jeffery S. (February 28, 2017). "United States Patent: 9582843 - Authentication and validation of smartphone imagery".
  43. ^ Ruiz, Araceli; Sercel, Peter C.; Paslaski, Joel S.; Wyss, Rolf A. (November 3, 2015). "United States Patent: 9178622 - Cross-talk reduction in a bidirectional optoelectronic device".
  44. ^ a b "United States Patent Application: 0210197989". appft.uspto.gov.
  45. ^ "United States Patent Application: 0210197987". appft.uspto.gov.
  46. ^ "United States Patent Application: 0210183624". appft.uspto.gov.
  47. ^ "United States Patent Application: 0210033309". appft.uspto.gov.
  48. ^ "United States Patent Application: 0180051914". appft.uspto.gov.
  49. ^ "United States Patent Application: 0200290755". appft.uspto.gov.
  50. ^ "United States Patent Application: 0200283174". appft.uspto.gov.
  51. ^ "United States Patent Application: 0200240267". appft.uspto.gov.
  52. ^ "United States Patent Application: 0180157810". appft.uspto.gov.
  53. ^ "United States Patent Application: 0160070892". appft.uspto.gov.
  54. ^ "United States Patent Application: 0170140492". appft.uspto.gov.
  55. ^ "United States Patent Application: 0170140490". appft.uspto.gov.
  56. ^ "United States Patent Application: 0140049653". appft.uspto.gov.
  57. ^ "United States Patent Application: 0140328600". appft.uspto.gov.
  58. ^ "United States Patent Application: 0080320381". appft.uspto.gov.
  59. ^ "United States Patent Application: 0080307863". appft.uspto.gov.
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