Development and Feasibility of Expendable Spacecraft Payloads for Active Orbital Debris Removal
Abstract
Currently, there are over a thousand large-scale objects in low earth orbit composed of derelict satellites and spent rocket parts that have no means of de-orbiting on their own within a reasonable amount of time andare constantly posing the threat of collision with active spacecraft or other large-scale debris. In the event of collision, these objects have the potential to generate millions of kilograms of dangerous small-scale debris,which is much more difficult to track or to remove. If unchecked, this could lead to a cascade effect of debris generation that would render low earth orbits unusable for active satellites and pose a deadly risk to crewed spaceflight. The focus of this study was to motivate development of an Active Debris Removal spacecraft by reviewing existing technologies, selecting a capture and de-orbit method, and to design and test active debris removal payloads for integration into a commercial-off-the-shelf CubeSat platform. These payloads were thenmodeled against various real-world derelict objects in order to determine their effectiveness as a potential solution to the orbital debris problem. The harpoon capture method developed in this research was validated as a viable proof of concept, and an electrodynamic tether design was analyzed and determined to be a highly effective method for removing large pieces of orbital debris. This is the first in a series of research projects leading toward an eventual flight mission.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2023
- Accession Number
- AD1224958
Entities
People
- Connor G Chroman
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School