scholarly journals Aerogels Materials as Space Debris Collectors

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thierry Woignier ◽  
Laurent Duffours ◽  
Pascale Colombel ◽  
Christian Durin
Keyword(s):  
Space Debris ◽  
Silica Aerogels ◽  
Low Earth Orbit ◽  
Base Catalysis ◽  
Space Environment ◽  
Internal Stresses ◽  
Material Degradation ◽  
Synthesis Parameters ◽  
First Results ◽  
Key Parameter

Material degradation due to the specific space environment becomes a key parameter for space missions. The use of large surface of brittle materials on satellites can produce, if impacted by hypervelocity particles, ejected volumes of mater 100 times higher than the impacting one. The presented work is devoted to the use of silica aerogels as passive detectors. Aerogels have been exposed to the low earth orbit of the ISS for 18 months. The study describes the aerogels process and the choice of synthesis parameters in such a way to get expected features in terms of porosity, mechanical properties, internal stresses, and transparency. Low-density aerogels (0.09 g·cm−3) have been prepared. The control of transparency necessary to see and identify particles and fragments collected is obtained using a base catalysis during gel synthesis. After return to earth, the aerogels samples have been observed using optical microscopy to detect and quantify craters on the exposed surface. First results obtained on a small part of the aerogels indicate a large number of debris collected in the materials.

scholarly journals Space Debris Removal under Spatial Grasp Technology

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 16
Author(s):  
Peter Simon Sapaty
Keyword(s):  
Space Debris ◽  
Low Earth Orbit ◽  
Space Environment ◽  
Satellite Constellations ◽  
Distributed Resources ◽  
Debris Removal ◽  
Combined Solution ◽  
Directed Energy ◽  
Minimum Interaction ◽  
High Level

The threats of space debris are enormously high, which are increasing due to launch of multi-satellite constellations, especially in low-Earth orbit, with millions of pieces of junk there. Different passive and active debris removal methods are being developed like self-deorbiting of used satellites, drag sails, mechanical grasps, tethers and nets, also directed energy, lasers including. Space junk is the responsibility of the whole mankind, and the problem of managing space debris is both the international challenge and the opportunity to preserve the space environment for future space exploration missions. The paper shows how self-organized constellation networks of deorbiting satellites can organize multiple cleaning operations autonomously under the developed Spatial Grasp Technology (SGT), with cooperative involvement of the whole network and minimum interaction with costly ground antennas and stations. It also offers a unique solution where most dangerous junk items can themselves be treated as active virtual-physical items freely moving through terrestrial and celestial environments and ultimately finding, by their own initiative, the proper cleaning satellites. This can effectively organize the global junk management and removal problem, where the active junk items can keep initiative of self-removal for any time needed and using any distributed resources. A combined solution is also offered with initial global search for approximate satellite-debris matching, after which the junk is delegated its own initiative to find the absolute match by traveling around the globe as far and as long as required. The paper shows and explains different practical cleaning scenarios in the high-level Spatial Grasp Language (as key element of SGT) and possibilities of quick implementation of the approach.

Investigation on Sustained Discharge of Satellite’s Power Harness Due to Plasma from Space Debris Impact

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuki Mando ◽  
Koji Tanaka ◽  
Takayuki Hirai ◽  
Shirou Kawakita ◽  
Masumi Higashide ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Space Debris ◽  
Internal Resistance ◽  
Low Earth Orbit ◽  
Hypervelocity Impact ◽  
Space Environment ◽  
Earth Orbit ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Solar Arrays ◽  
Sustained Discharge ◽  
Circuit Configuration

Abstract Space debris travels at a velocity of 7-8 km/s in low Earth orbit (LEO) and at 3 km/s in geostationary Earth orbit (GEO). An impact between space debris and spacecraft will result in tremendous damage. In particular, particles less than 1mm in diameter pose a risk of causing permanent sustained discharge (PSD). PSD may affect a satellite’s power system. The effect on solar arrays has been well-studied given their large area, but the effect on the bundle of a satellite’s wire harness (called the power harness) has yet to be clarified, even though the power harness is usually exposed to the space environment without protection. We conducted hypervelocity impact experiments using a two-stage light gas gun, and investigated the risk resulting in PSD from hypervelocity impacts of particles less than 1mm in size. In addition, we compared two kinds of circuit configurations: a more realistic circuit configuration with internal resistance and a circuit configuration without it, so as to investigate whether internal resistance affects the occurrence of PSD. Stainless steel and aluminum oxide projectiles measuring from 0.3 to 1 mm in diameter were gun-accelerated up to 7.16 km/s. Targets entailed a three-layered power harness under a simulated power condition of typical satellites operating in LEO or GEO. As a result, 11 of 28 shots resulted in PSD. With the more realistic circuit configuration we could not confirm any results regarding PSD. We thus found that PSD is less likely to occur in a more realistic circuit configuration.

scholarly journals Implementation of a Cryogenic Facility for Space Debris Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 948
Author(s):  
Paulo Gordo ◽  
Tiago Frederico ◽  
Rui Melicio ◽  
António Amorim
Keyword(s):  
Space Debris ◽  
Vacuum Ultraviolet ◽  
European Space Agency ◽  
Space Missions ◽  
Low Earth Orbit ◽  
Material Degradation ◽  
Pressure Sensitive Adhesive ◽  
Material Evaluation ◽  
Space Agency ◽  
Earth Orbits

This paper has resulted from a continued study of spacecraft material degradation and space debris formation. The design and implementation of a thermal vacuum cycling cryogenic facility for the evaluation of space debris generation at a low Earth orbit (LEO) is presented. The facility used for spacecraft external material evaluation is described, and some of the obtained results are presented. The infrastructure was developed in the framework of a study for the European Space Agency (ESA). The main purpose of the cryogenic facility is to simulate the LEO spacecraft environment, namely thermal cycling and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) irradiation to simulate the spacecraft material degradation and the generation of space debris. In a previous work, some results under LEO test conditions showed the effectiveness of the cryogenic facility for material evaluation, namely: the degradation of satellite paints with a change in their thermo-optical properties, leading to the emission of cover flakes; the degradation of the pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) used to glue Velcro’s to the spacecraft, and to glue multilayer insulation (MLI) to the spacecraft’s. The paint flakes generated are space debris. Hence, in a scenario of space missions where a spacecraft has lost the thermal shielding capability, the failure of PSA tape and the loss of Velcro properties may contribute to the release of the full MLI blanket, contributing to the generation of space debris that presents a growing threat to space missions in the main Earth orbits.

scholarly journals The Interaction between the LEO Satellite Constellation and the Space Debris Environment

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (20) ◽  
pp. 9490
Author(s):  
Shuyi Ren ◽  
Xiaohua Yang ◽  
Ronglan Wang ◽  
Siqing Liu ◽  
Xiaojing Sun
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Success Rate ◽  
Space Debris ◽  
Low Earth Orbit ◽  
Space Environment ◽  
Risk Level ◽  
Collision Risk ◽  
Orbital Parameters ◽  
Space Objects ◽  
The Impact

The wide application of satellite constellations in the field of space-based global communications and remote sensing has led to a substantial increase in small-satellite launch plans, a sharp increase in the density of space objects in low-Earth orbit (LEO), and a reduction in available orbit and frequency resources. This will further aggravate the trend of deterioration of the space debris environment. Taking the Starlink constellation as an example, this paper describes the influence of the constellation from the environmental debris flux of the satellite, the evaluation of the number of evasion maneuvers, the change of risk level, the success rate of post mission disposal (PMD) and the growth rate of space objects. The simulation results show that the collision risk of the Starlink constellation is related to the orbital parameters, and the higher success rate of post-mission disposal (PMD) can reduce the collision risk of the constellation. The large constellations increases the growth rate of space objects, and even if all the satellites are disposed of after the mission, the impact of constellations on the space environment can not be offset.

scholarly journals The Effect of Low Earth Orbit Atomic Oxygen Exposure on Phenylphosphine Oxide-Containing Polymers

2000 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
John W Connell
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Atomic Oxygen ◽  
Low Earth Orbit ◽  
Space Environment ◽  
Earth Orbit ◽  
Cooperative Effort ◽  
Flight Experiment ◽  
Oxygen Exposure ◽  
Atomic Oxygen Exposure ◽  
Phenylphosphine Oxide

Thin films of phenylphosphine oxide-containing polymers were exposed to low Earth orbit aboard a space shuttle flight (STS-85) as part of flight experiment designated Evaluation of Space Environment and Effects on Materials (ESEM). This flight experiment was a cooperative effort between the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA). The thin-film samples described herein were part of an atomic oxygen exposure (AOE) experiment and were exposed to primarily atomic oxygen (∼1×1019 atoms cm−2). The thin-film samples consisted of three phosphine oxide-containing polymers (arylene ether, benzimidazole and imide). Based on post-flight analyses using atomic force microscopy, x-ray photo-electron spectroscopy and weight loss data, it was found that the exposure of these materials to atomic oxygen (AO) produces a phosphorus oxide layer on the surface of the samples. Earlier work has shown that this layer provides a barrier towards further attack by AO. Consequently, these materials do not exhibit linear erosion rates which is in contrast with most organic polymers. Qualitatively, the results obtained from these analyses compare favourably with those obtained from samples exposed to AO and/or an oxygen plasma in ground-based exposure experiments. The results of the low Earth orbit AO exposure on these materials will be compared with those of ground-based exposure to AO.

scholarly journals The affect of the space environment on the survival ofHalorubrum chaoviatorandSynechococcus(Nägeli): data from the Space Experiment OSMO on EXPOSE-R

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. L. Mancinelli
Keyword(s):  
Survival Rate ◽  
Uv Radiation ◽  
Molecular Probes ◽  
Low Earth Orbit ◽  
Space Environment ◽  
Dust Particles ◽  
Most Probable Number ◽  
Earth Orbit ◽  
Probable Number ◽  
Space Vacuum

AbstractWe have shown using ESA's Biopan facility flown in Earth orbit that when exposed to the space environment for 2 weeks the survival rate ofSynechococcus(Nägeli), a halophilic cyanobacterium isolated from the evaporitic gypsum–halite crusts that form along the marine intertidal, andHalorubrum chaoviatora member of the Halobacteriaceae isolated from an evaporitic NaCl crystal obtained from a salt evaporation pond, were higher than all other test organisms exceptBacillusspores. These results led to the EXPOSE-R mission to extend and refine these experiments as part of the experimental package for the external platform space exposure facility on the ISS. The experiment was flown in February 2009 and the organisms were exposed to low-Earth orbit for nearly 2 years. Samples were either exposed to solar ultraviolet (UV)-radiation (λ > 110 nm or λ > 200 nm, cosmic radiation (dosage range 225–320 mGy), or kept in darkness shielded from solar UV-radiation. Half of each of the UV-radiation exposed samples and dark samples were exposed to space vacuum and half kept at 105pascals in argon. Duplicate samples were kept in the laboratory to serve as unexposed controls. Ground simulation control experiments were also performed. After retrieval, organism viability was tested using Molecular Probes Live–Dead Bac-Lite stain and by their reproduction capability. Samples kept in the dark, but exposed to space vacuum had a 90 ± 5% survival rate compared to the ground controls. Samples exposed to full UV-radiation for over a year were bleached and although results from Molecular Probes Live–Dead stain suggested ~10% survival, the data indicate that no survival was detected using cell growth and division using the most probable number method. Those samples exposed to attenuated UV-radiation exhibited limited survival. Results from of this study are relevant to understanding adaptation and evolution of life, the future of life beyond earth, the potential for interplanetary transfer of viable microbes via meteorites and dust particles as well as spacecraft, and the physiology of halophiles.

scholarly journals The Ad Hoc Back-End of the BIRALET Radar to Measure Slant-Range and Doppler Shift of Resident Space Objects

Electronics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 577
Author(s):  
Luca Schirru ◽  
Tonino Pisanu ◽  
Angelo Podda
Keyword(s):  
Doppler Shift ◽  
Space Debris ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Low Earth Orbit ◽  
Slant Range ◽  
Radar Systems ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Space Objects ◽  
Resident Space Objects ◽  
Potential Issue

Space debris is a term for all human-made objects orbiting the Earth or reentering the atmosphere. The population of space debris is continuously growing and it represents a potential issue for active satellites and spacecraft. New collisions and fragmentation could exponentially increase the amount of debris and so the level of risk represented by these objects. The principal technique used for the debris monitoring, in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) between 200 km and 2000 km of altitude, is based on radar systems. The BIRALET system represents one of the main Italian radars involved in resident space objects observations. It is a bi-static radar, which operates in the P-band at 410–415 MHz, that uses the Sardinia Radio Telescope as receiver. In this paper, a detailed description of the new ad hoc back-end developed for the BIRALET radar, with the aim to perform slant-range and Doppler shift measurements, is presented. The new system was successfully tested in several validation measurement campaigns, the results of which are reported and discussed.

Electromagnetic-launch-based method for cost-efficient space debris removal

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 94-106
Author(s):  
Chongyuan Hou ◽  
Yuan Yang ◽  
Yikang Yang ◽  
Kaizhong Yang ◽  
Xiao Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Space Debris ◽  
Orbit Space ◽  
Low Earth Orbit ◽  
Research Progress ◽  
Area Of Interest ◽  
Electromagnetic Launch ◽  
Debris Removal ◽  
Significant Research ◽  
Electromagnetic Launcher ◽  
Cost Efficient

AbstractThe increase in space debris orbiting Earth is a critical problem for future space missions. Space debris removal has thus become an area of interest, and significant research progress is being made in this field. However, the exorbitant cost of space debris removal missions is a major concern for commercial space companies. We therefore propose the debris removal using electromagnetic launcher (DREL) system, a ground-based electromagnetic launch system (railgun), for space debris removal missions. The DREL system has three components: a ground-based electromagnetic launcher (GEML), suborbital vehicle (SOV), and mass of micrometer-scale dust (MSD) particles. The average cost of removing a piece of low-earth orbit space debris using DREL was found to be approximately USD 160,000. The DREL method is thus shown to be economical; the total cost to remove more than 2,000 pieces of debris in a cluster was only approximately USD 400 million, compared to the millions of dollars required to remove just one or two pieces of debris using a conventional space debris removal mission. By using DREL, the cost of entering space is negligible, thereby enabling countries to remove their space debris in an affordable manner.

Debris/Micrometeoroid Impacts and Synergistic Effects on Spacecraft Materials

MRS Bulletin ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Grossman ◽  
I. Gouzman ◽  
R. Verker
Keyword(s):  
Space Debris ◽  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Degradation Mechanism ◽  
Space Environment ◽  
Materials Properties ◽  
Gas Gun ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Space Activity ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Debris Impact

AbstractIn the last 40 years, the increased space activity created a new form of space environment of hypervelocity objects—space debris—that have no functional use. The space debris, together with naturally occurring ultrahigh velocity meteoroids, presents a significant hazard to spacecraft. Collision with space debris or meteoroids might result in disfunction of external units such as solar cells, affecting materials properties, contaminating optical devices, or destroying satellites. The collision normally results in the formation of additional debris, increasing the hazard for future missions. The hypervelocity debris effect is studied by retrieving materials from space or by using ground simulation facilities. Simulation facilities, which include the light gas gun and Laser Driven Flyer methods, are used for studying the materials degradation due to debris impact. The impact effect could be accelerated when occurring simultaneously with other space environment components, such as atomic oxygen, ultraviolet, or x-ray radiation. Understanding the degradation mechanism might help in developing materials that will withstand the increasing hazard from the space debris, allowing for longer space missions. The large increase in space debris population and the associated risk to space activity requires significant measures to mitigate this hazard. Most current efforts are being devoted to prevention of collisions by keeping track of the larger debris and avoiding formation of new debris.

Could future COP talks help to de-junk near-earth space?

Soundings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 78 (78) ◽  
pp. 81-85
Author(s):  
Susmita Mohanty
Keyword(s):  
Space Debris ◽  
Outer Space ◽  
Low Earth Orbit ◽  
Observation Data ◽  
Earth Space ◽  
Near Earth Space ◽  
Earth Environment ◽  
Outer Space Treaty ◽  
Earth Observation Data ◽  
Earth’S Climate

Space debris has reached alarming proportions and is growing at a frightening pace, because of the expanding number of satellites circulating in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), designed to increase global Internet coverage and provide earth observation data. LEO satellites are now being launched in mega-constellations, including by Elon Musk's company SpaceX. It is time to completely overhaul the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which was not designed to deal with current problems. The COP forum should therefore include the near-earth environment within its concept of the earth's climate, enabling the UN to acknowledge, as a collective, the growing menace of human-made debris in near-earth space, and, in partnership with the UN-Outer Space Affairs Office (UN-OOSA), call for a new declaration on LEO.

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