Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory ran a major simulation study. Scientists used supercomputers to test one million possible satellite orbits between Earth and the Moon. They call this region cislunar space.
The team employed two powerful machines named Quartz and Ruby. These supercomputers completed the task in just three days. The simulation used 1.6 million CPU hours in total. That equals about 182 years on a single processor. Parallel processing made the speed possible.
Researchers avoided any assumptions. They explored a wide range of starting conditions. Lead author Travis Yeager explained the approach. He said the team pretended they knew nothing about cislunar orbits beforehand. This method ensured unbiased results.
The simulation tracked each orbit for six years. Fewer than 10% stayed stable the entire time. Only about 9.7% remained usable. This still gave 97,000 stable orbits. Future missions can choose from these reliable paths.
Low Earth orbit faces serious limits already. Experts estimate around 100,000 satellites as the safe maximum. Beyond that, collision risks rise sharply. A chain reaction could make the region unusable.
Cislunar space offers much more room. The study shows thousands of stable options exist. Even unstable orbits provide valuable data. They help scientists understand chaotic dynamics in this region.
This work solves real placement challenges. Satellites beyond low Earth orbit need careful planning. The simulation identifies workable routes for future missions. It supports lunar exploration and space infrastructure growth.
The findings open new possibilities. Agencies and companies gain clear guidance. They can now select stable orbits with confidence. Cislunar development moves forward faster as a result.
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