Download or read book A Feasibility Study of CubeSat Architectures for Space Debris Removal from Low Earth Orbit written by Christopher P. Clark and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Results suggest that CubeSats are capable of capturing and deorbiting certain families of debris objects defined by mass and altitude, particularly objects with negligible rotational properties. Feasible CubeSat designs are discovered for all three of the deorbit methods. It is concluded that CubeSat-based debris removal is an area deserving of further exploration, as it could represent a uniquely cost-effective method for removing dangerous debris from low-earth orbit.

Download or read book Guidance Control and Docking for CubeSat based Active Debris Removal written by Mohamed Khalil Ben-Larbi and published by Cuvillier Verlag. This book was released on 2023-08-07 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While a paradigm shift in space industry has already started involving “mass production” of higher standardized, large distributed systems such as constellations, there are no effective solutions existing for the “mass removal” of satellites. Many indicators point to a further increase in the space traffic in Earth orbit in the near future, which could imply new dynamics in the evolution of the space debris environment. Even in case of diligent compliance with the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) mitigation guidelines, the growth in space traffic complicates its management and drastically increases the probability of accidents and system failures. NASA scientist Donald J. Kessler proposed a scenario in which the density of objects in low Earth orbit is high enough that collisions between objects could cause a cascade that renders space unusable for many generations. Therefore, a reliable and affordable capability of removing or servicing non-functional objects is essential to guarantee sustainable access to Earth orbit. Recently, the CubeSat design standard introduced a new class of cost-efficient small spacecraft and thereby offers a potential solution to the active debris removal (ADR) problem. The development of a novel “CubeSat-compatible” ADR technology has significant advantages such as the use of commercial off-the-shelf parts, reduced launch cost, and reduced design efforts. This thesis presents –in the frame of an ADR mission– an approach to advanced rendezvous and docking with non-cooperative targets via CubeSat. It covers the design process of simulation systems used for verification purposes, the ideation and implementation of novel guidance, control, and docking techniques, as well as their verification and evaluation. The outcome of this research is a series of validated software tools, processes, technical devices, and algorithms for automated approach and docking, that have been tested in simulation and with prototype hardware.

Download or read book Space Debris Peril written by Matteo Madi and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2020-11-10 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This book provides up-to-date knowledge of space debris and valuable insights on how to grapple with this issue from legal, technical, economical and societal aspects. I would strongly recommend that everyone who is working on space development and utilizations and even non-specialists once read this book and think over how human being should be faced with this issue." –Prof. Shinichi Nakasuka, University of Tokyo, Japan Space Debris Peril: Pathways to Opportunities takes readers through the wide spectrum of problems created by space debris – including technical, political, legal and socio-economical aspects – and suggests ways to mitigate its negative consequences and create new opportunities. With chapter contributions from authors at world-renowned universities, private or public entities, and research institutes active in the field of space debris mitigation, space policy and law, risk and resilience, liability and insurance, this book provides a comprehensive introduction to the subject helping the reader to grasp the whole picture of the current space debris remediation challenges. This book will be of interest to the scientific communities, policy makers, business developers, (re)insurers and international standards developers for space operations and orbital debris mitigation. Also, it should appeal to a broader audience among non-specialists in various sectors and the general public. Key features: Brings together interdisciplinary perspectives on the topic in one, cohesive book Chapter contributions from specialists in this interdisciplinary field from around the globe Up-to-date information with the latest developments

Download or read book A New Approach to Active Removal of Space Debris written by Houman Hakima and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As a result of human space activities for over sixty years, there exist numerous man-made debris objects in the Earth orbits. Such objects not only jeopardize current operations of important space assets, but can also seriously hinder future space missions through a potential chain reaction of colliding space debris. This research addresses mitigation and remediation of the space debris environment. The thesis entails research in four critical subject areas: i) characterization of the debris environment, ii) assessment of the active debris removal methods proposed in the literature, iii) detailed engineering of a novel removal concept using a CubeSat spacecraft, called Deorbiter CubeSat, for sizable debris objects in low-Earth orbit, and iv) design of attitude and orbit controllers for the proposed spacecraft. The research first develops a probabilistic method for the prioritization of debris objects to be consid- ered in near-future removal missions. Then, a comparative study and in-depth analysis is conducted on the removal methods proposed in the literature to investigate their viability, through a number of multi- criteria assessment techniques. A Monte Carlo analysis is used in the study to quantify the intrinsic uncertainty associated with the space debris population. Next, a new debris removal mission utilizing Deorbiter CubeSats is conceptualized, and the design of CubeSat subsystems is detailed. A mothership spacecraft carries and deploys a number of Deorbiter CubeSats into designated orbits near their target debris. Each CubeSat uses an eight-unit form factor, and consists of commercially-available components with substantial space heritage. The actual performance specifications of the components are used to examine the proposed space debris removal approach. Finally, control schemes are synthesized for the critical maneuvers in the mission, using a unilateral low-thrust propulsion and a three-axis reaction wheel systems onboard the CubeSat, namely, i) concurrent rendezvous and attitude synchronization maneuver for approaching and attaching to the debris, ii) detumbling maneuver for stabilizing the debris attitude motion, and iii) deorbiting maneuver for transferring the debris from its original orbit to a deorbit altitude along a time-optimal trajectory. Several numerical simulations verify and validate the proposed approach as well as the control schemes.

Download or read book Space Debris written by Heiner Klinkrad and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2006-09-01 with total page 438 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The future evolution of the debris environment will be forecast on the basis of traffic models and possible hazard mitigation practices. The text shows how large trackable objects will have re-entry pinpointed and predictions made on related risk assessment for possible ground impact. Models will also be described for meteoroids which are also a prevailing risk.

Download or read book Conceptual Design of an Orbital Debris Collector written by National Aeronautics and Space Adm Nasa and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2018-11-07 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The current Lower Earth Orbit (LEO) environment has become overly crowded with space debris. An evaluation of types of debris is presented in order to determine which debris poses the greatest threat to operation in space, and would therefore provide a feasible target for removal. A target meeting these functional requirements was found in the Cosmos C-1B Rocket Body. These launchers are spent space transporters which constitute a very grave risk of collision and fragmentation in LEO. The motion and physical characteristics of these rocket bodies have determined the most feasible method of removal. The proposed Orbital Debris Collector (ODC) device is designed to attach to the Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle (OMV), which provides all propulsion, tracking, and power systems. The OMV/ODC combination, the Rocket Body Retrieval Vehicle (RBRV), will match orbits with the rocket body, use a spin table to match the rotational motion of the debris, capture it, despin it, and remove it from orbit by allowing it to fall into the Earth's atmosphere. A disposal analysis is presented to show how the debris will be deorbited into the Earth's atmosphere. The conceptual means of operation of a sample mission is described. Odonoghue, Peter (Editor) and Brenton, Brian and Chambers, Ernest and Schwind, Thomas and Swanhart, Christopher and Williams, Thomas Unspecified Center...

Download or read book Optimized Planning for a Multiple Space Debris Removal Mission written by Mikkel Joergensen and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Lower Earth orbits (LEO) have become the residence for a significant number of large space debris, most of which are defunct satellites and rocket upper stages. The said debris jeopardize regular spacecraft operations in LEO and act as sources of smaller debris as a result of collisions and degradation. To mitigate the adverse effects of space debris and to remediate the LEO region, active debris removal (ADR) missions have been proposed. A mission plan for de-orbiting multiple pieces of large space debris is formulated and evaluated. Within this mission plan, low thrust orbital manoeuvres are used to achieve the necessary orbital transfers by considering the trade-offs between fuel mass and mission time. For the proposed mission scenario, the debris re-enters Earth’s atmosphere in an uncontrolled fashion and as such, strategies for minimizing casualty risk as a result of debris re-entry are proposed. To reduce the fuel cost of accurate rendezvous with multiple pieces of space debris, optimized drift orbits for chaser transfers with large changes in right ascension of the ascending node (RAAN) are introduced. Each orbital manoeuvre considered is defined as a minimum-time orbital transfer, using low-thrust propulsion. The formulation and solution for an accurate motion plan is presented to execute multiple debris removal missions, by using point-to-point transfers. The point-to-point transfer is posed as a constrained non-linear optimal control problem. To demonstrate the capabilities of the formulation and the feasibility of the solutions, several sets of debris are introduced with different features. The outcomes are the transfer characteristics for the chaser to achieve the best possible trade-off between time and fuel for the multiple debris removal mission and the control input time histories required to achieve it.The analysis of the debris re-entry stage of the ADR mission vis a vis the parameters of the disposal orbit is also presented. More specifically, the deorbiting part of an ADR mission can be designed such that the parameters of the disposal orbit minimize the casualty risk of large debris re-entry. To analyse re-entry, the Debris Risk Assessment and Mitigation Analysis (DRAMA) software suite, developed by the European Space Agency, is the primary model employed. With respect to release conditions, once the debris is in the disposal orbit, the effect of introducing a small-magnitude impulse onto the debris at the release is studied, consequently showing that the casualty risk factor can be lowered. Furthermore, a high fidelity coupled orbital-attitude propagator is used to analyze the rotational state evolution of the debris between its release in the disposal orbit (at 200 km) and the onset of re-entry (assumed at 125 km altitude). The debris is released with various orientations, and the effects of the attitude state on the re-entry analysis are investigated"--

Download or read book New Solutions for the Space Debris Problem written by Joseph N. Pelton and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-05-06 with total page 102 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Addressing a pressing issue in space policy, Pelton explores the new forms of technology that are being developed to actively remove the defunct space objects from orbit and analyzes their implications in the existing regime of international space law and public international law. This authoritative review covers the due diligence guidelines that nations are using to minimize the generation of new debris, mandates to de-orbit satellites at end of life, and innovative endeavours to remove non-functional satellites, upper stage rockets and other large debris from orbit under new institutional, financial and regulatory guidelines. Commercial space services currently exceed 100 billion USD business per annum, but the alarming proliferation in the population of orbital debris in low, medium and geosynchronous satellite orbits poses a serious threat to all kinds of space assets and applications. There is a graver concern that the existing space debris will begin to collide in a cascading manner, generating further debris, which is known as the Kessler Syndrome. Scientific analysis has indicated an urgent need to perform space debris remediation through active removal of debris and on-orbit satellite servicing.

Download or read book Active Space Debris Removal Using Capture and Ejection written by Jonathan William Missel and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Low Earth Orbit is over-cluttered with rogue objects that threaten existing technological assets and interfere with allocating new ones. Traditional satellite missions are not efficient enough to collect an appreciable amount of debris due to the high cost of orbit transfers. Many alternate proposals are politically controversial, costly, or dependent on undeveloped technology. This dissertation attempts to solve the problem by introducing a new mission architecture, Space Sweeper, and bespoke hardware, Sling-Sat, that sequentially captures and ejects debris plastically. Resulting momentum exchanges are exploited to aid in subsequent orbit transfers, thus saving fuel. Sling-Sat is a spinning satellite that captures debris at the ends of adjustable-length arms. Arm length controls the angular rate to achieve a desired tangential ejection speed. Timing the release exacts the ejection angle. This process redirects debris to burn up in the atmosphere, or reduce its lifetime, by lowering its perigee. This dissertation establishes feasibility of principles fundamental to the proposed concept. Hardware is conceptualized to accommodate Space Sweeper's specialized needs. Mathematical models are built for the purpose of analysis and simulation. A kinematic analysis investigates system demands and long-term behavior resulting from repeated debris interaction. A successful approach to enforce debris capture is established through optimal control techniques. A study of orbital parameters and their response to debris interactions builds an intuition for missions of this nature. Finally, a J2-compliant technique for path optimization is demonstrated. The results strongly support feasibility of the proposed mission. The electronic version of this dissertation is accessible from http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/149391

Download or read book Study of Optimization Methods for Space Debris Removal in Low Earth Orbits written by Ehsan Sadegui and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The develpment of the Master Thesis will include the following tasks:1- Brief review of policies and regulations of Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee. 2- Study of Orbital Debris Measurements such as ground based radars, optical based telescopes and space-basedtelescopes.3- Study and discussion of the methods for mitigation and remediation of space debris to reduce the risk to the current fleet spacecrafts 4- Study and developement of Debris Removal optimization models to find the optimal trajectory that minimizes fuel consumption. 5 - Generation and developement of optimization algorithmes for Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) for active space debris removal.

Download or read book Orbital Debris Environment for Spacecraft Designed to Operate in Low Earth Orbit written by Donald J. Kessler and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The orbital debris environment model contained in this report is intended to be used by the spacecraft community for the design and operation of spacecraft in low Earth orbit. This environment, when combined with material dependent impact tests and spacecraft failure analysis, is intended to be used to evaluate spacecraft vulnerability, reliability, and shielding requirements. The environment represents a compromise between existing data to measure the environment, modeling of these data to predict the future environment, the uncertainty in both measurements and modeling, and the need to describe the environment so that various options concerning spacecraft design and operations can be easily evaluated.

Download or read book Debris Removal from Low Earth Orbit written by Stephen E. Hobbs and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 67 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Final Design of a Space Debris Removal System written by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-07-17 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The objective is the removal of medium sized orbital debris in low Earth orbits. The design incorporates a transfer vehicle and a netting vehicle to capture the medium size debris. The system is based near an operational space station located at 28.5 degrees inclination and 400 km altitude. The system uses ground based tracking to determine the location of a satellite breakup or debris cloud. This data is unloaded to the transfer vehicle, and the transfer vehicle proceeds to rendezvous with the debris at a lower altitude parking orbit. Next, the netting vehicle is deployed, tracks the targeted debris, and captures it. After expending the available nets, the netting vehicle returns to the transfer vehicle for a new netting module and continues to capture more debris in the target area. Once all the netting modules are expended, the transfer vehicle returns to the space station's orbit, where it is resupplied with new netting modules from a space shuttle load. The new modules are launched by the shuttle from the ground, and the expended modules are taken back to Earth for removal of the captured debris, refueling, and repacking of the nets. Once the netting modules are refurbished, they are taken back into orbit for reuse. In a typical mission, the system has the ability to capture 50 pieces of orbital debris. One mission will take about six months. The system is designed to allow for a 30 degree inclination change on the outgoing and incoming trips of the transfer vehicle. Carlson, Erika and Casali, Steve and Chambers, Don and Geissler, Garner and Lalich, Andrew and Leipold, Manfred and Mach, Richard and Parry, John and Weems, Foley Unspecified Center CLEANING; DEBRIS; DEPLOYMENT; EARTH ORBITS; NETS; SPACE DEBRIS; SPACE STATIONS; LOADS (FORCES); LOW EARTH ORBITS; MODULES; PARKING ORBITS; POSITION (LOCATION); REFUELING; SPACE SHUTTLES; SPACECRAFT BREAKUP...

Download or read book Orbital Debris Mitigation Techniques written by American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Technical Committee on the Legal Aspects of Aeronautics and Astronautics and published by AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics). This book was released on 1992 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This AIAA special report addresses the minimization of the orbital debris hazard from an interdisciplinary perspective. It reviews a broad range of existing and proposed debris mitigation techniques and presents the results of an AIAA survey of industry and government. It discusses a number of important economic issues associated with orbital debris and provides a first-order economic assessment of the mitigation techniques. Finally, the report describes the existing regulatory framework and addresses several options for implementing those techniques, both nationally and internationally.

Download or read book Automated Rendezvous and Docking of Spacecraft written by Wigbert Fehse and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2003-11-13 with total page 517 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The definitive reference for space engineers on rendezvous and docking/berthing (RVD/B) related issues, this book answers key questions such as: How does the docking vehicle accurately approach the target spacecraft? What technology is needed aboard the spacecraft to perform automatic rendezvous and docking, and what systems are required by ground control to supervise this process? How can the proper functioning of all rendezvous-related equipment, systems and operations be verified before launch? The book provides an overview of the major issues governing approach and mating strategies, and system concepts for rendezvous and docking/berthing. These issues are described and explained such that aerospace engineers, students and even newcomers to the field can acquire a basic understanding of RVD/B. The author would like to extend his thanks to Dr Shufan Wu, GNC specialist and translator of the book's Chinese edition, for his help in the compilation of these important errata.

Download or read book Space Elevator Survivability Space Debris Mitigation written by Cathy Swan and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2011 with total page 77 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Project ORION written by and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 342 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: About 100,000 pieces of 1- to 10-cm debris in low-Earth orbit are too small to track reliably but large enough to cripple or destroy spacecraft. The ORION team studied the feasibility of removing the debris with ground-based laser impulses. Photoablation experiments were surveyed and applied to likely debris materials. Laser intensities needed for debris orbit modification call for pulses on the order of 10kJ or continuous wave lasers on the order of 1 MW. Adaptive optics are necessary to correct for atmospheric turbulence. Wavelength and pulse duration windows were found that limit beam degradation due to nonlinear atmospheric processes. Debris can be detected and located to within about 10 microrads with existing radar and passive optical technology. Fine targeting would be accomplished with laser illumination, which might also be used for detection. Bistatic detection with communications satellites may also be possible. We recommend that existing technology be used to demonstrate the concept at a loss of about $20 million. We calculate that an installation to clear altitudes up to 800 km of 1- to 10-cm debris over 2 years of operation would cost about $80 million. Clearing altitudes up to 1,500 km would take about 3 years and cost about $160 millio