Following ESA’s decision to set up a working group on Aeolus reentry at the Aladin workshop in February 2022, Airbus was involved in this working group aiming at defining the best strategy for Aeolus reentry in the evolving context of Space debris mitigation regulations.
This paper presents the overall contribution on this subject over the last 2 years, and covers the definition of a...
At the end of its mission lifetime, Aeolus was designed to reenter in an uncontrolled approach. Aeolus did not have to comply to ESA’s Space Debris Mitigation Policy, since its SRR was held before the entry into force of such Policy.
A Working Group was set up by ESA, involving ESA and industry experts, with the objective to explore alternative ways to reenter and reduce the casualty risk,...
CHEOPS (Characterizing ExOPlanet Satellite) is the first small class ESA mission dedicated to characterizing exoplanets known to be orbiting nearby bright stars. CHEOPS telescope allows for high precision observations using the transient method, enabling the scientific community to determine the planets’ size and density accurately and to derive their structure and composition. CHEOPS is in a...
Of the record 180 rocket launches in 2022, 129 resulted in a rocket body being abandoned in orbit to eventually reenter the atmosphere days, weeks or years later. These uncontrolled reentries create a risk of casualty to people on the ground, at sea and in aircraft. Also in 2022, numerous pieces of large rocket debris from major launchers – including SpaceX Falcon-9 and Chinese Long-March...
Ariane 6 is the future large European Launcher launched from the Guiana Space Center (CSG). Besides, Ariane 6 launcher program corresponds to the first full application of the French Space Operations Act (FSOA) from the beginning of an European Launch System development. ESA Space Debris Mitigations Policy is also applicable to Ariane 6 development program.
The presentation will summarize the...
The growing population of objects in orbit and the accumulation of space debris over the past decades make it necessary to develop activities and initiatives focused on space debris removal. The first and most fundamental role of Space Surveillance & Tracking (SST) in those space debris removal activities is evident, enabling knowledge and prediction of object orbits and their associated...
** CNN4NEOOD Abstract Proposal for Clean Space Industry Days**
Application of Artificial Intelligence in space domains is gaining prominent interest due the increasing demand for services and in-orbit satellites number, with a consequent increasing number of proximity operations and the need to mitigate the risks posed by space debris, and non-cooperative targets. The goal is to provide a...
This presentation will review the progress made by SPACEO in the field of inflatable drag devices, which are a crucial technology for the de-orbiting of satellites.
SPACEO identified and tested a range of materials tailored for the unique demands of the space environment. These materials exhibit characteristics such as extreme durability, lightness, and resistance to harsh space...
As one of the most promising end-of-life disposal solutions, solid propulsion for direct deorbitation is under development in Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Aviation and polish partners for ESA. The presented work is split into two activities, one describing a Solid Rocket Motor Engineering Model Development and second concerning a dedicated Thrust Vector Control System concept....
The upcoming changes in policy and regulation concerning the European launcher and space industry are going to have a range of consequences on the mission and system design, particularly on dual launches and on ESA missions.
Now that the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is adopting new rules to address the growing risk of "space junk" or abandoned satellites, rockets and other...
At the end of their active phases satellites have to be removed from their operational orbits and passivated in order to avoid the creation of debris and thus secure the use of these orbits for active and future satellites. As part of the Clean Space / CleanSat activities ArianeGroup extended its portfolio with the following components / technologies that will be presented:
- A SMA (Shape...
Addressing the pressing need for space debris mitigation, and thanks to ESA ARTES funding, Argotec and ABSL jointly developed a novel End-of-Life management system optimized for small-satellites constellations: the first technology demonstrator has been developed and is known as European Reconfigurable Battery Unplugging System (EReBUS).
The project delved into the development of...
The ADEO-N subsystem is the smallest of a scalable drag augmentation device family ADEO that uses the residual Earth atmosphere present in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to passively de-orbit small satellites. For the de-orbit manoeuvre a large surface is deployed which multiplies the drag effective surface of the satellite significantly. Thereby the drag force is increased, causing accelerated decay...
Recent long-term simulations of the space environment extrapolating the current launch rate under present space debris mitigation measures suggests that the space environment will become unstable, leading to an exponential increase of the collision rate. The analysis of the extrapolation scenarios defines an acceptable level of risk (i.e., an orbital capacity) that is compatible with a stable...
According to the market predictions, more than 18 thousand small satellites will be launched in orbit in the next 10 years. The advances in satellite system miniaturization, together with the lower costs of manufacturing and testing, make them an attractive option for many applications such as global connectivity and Earth imaging.
Within the ESA Zero Debris approach, more stringent...
The proliferation of space debris has become an escalating crisis, yearning an urgent need for comprehensive mitigation strategies. One prominent strategy for space debris mitigation involves the deliberate planning of space missions and post-mission disposal ensuring re-entry of spacecrafts into Earth's atmosphere. To ensure effective disposal, re-entry predictions through advanced...
As the realm of space exploration continues to progress, the need to ensure the secure and sustainable operation of spacecraft during end-of-life re-entry has become increasingly critical. To meet this challenge, aerospace engineers are employing specific methodologies and tools for meticulous analysis. Among these tools, the Debris Risk Assessment and Mitigation Analysis (DRAMA) has emerged...
The very dynamic nature of space flight activity, in combination with a progressive growth in space debris, requires associated space debris mitigation standards and practices to co-evolve. Similarly, there is a strong need for the development of tools to assess and verify compliance with those standards and derived requirements for specific satellite missions. The Debris Mitigation Facility...
The ESA SCORED activity aims to establish a comprehensive database of approved material and component models for use in destructive re-entry (DRE) and hypervelocity impact (HVI) simulations. As its primary output, the project will deliver a repository of model definitions that can be accessed by both ESA personnel and third-parties using a web-browser and processes to be used when constructing...
ADMATIS LTD. joined to ESA Clean Space initiative in 2018 in PEMSUN project to perform feasibility study of passive navigation aids capable to function in VNIR and TIR spectra. Based on the first promising results continuation projects included the full development and manufacturing of Markers Supporting Navigation (MSN project) in 50 to 5m and 5 to 0m ranges, respectively. Markers are...
Due to the multiplication of private actors in the space adventure, France has adopted in 2008 the French Space Operation Act (FSOA), which establish a national regime of authorization and supervision for space activities. Then, the Technical Regulations has clearly addressed the concepts of safety and sustainability of space activities, including the safety of people and property. Within this...
MICE (Mechanical Interface for Capture at End-of-Life) is a single-part passive interface designed for enabling the capture and de-orbiting of satellites at their End-of-Life or in premature malfunction by a Servicing Spacecraft in case the satellites cannot be deorbited by themselves.
MICE has been developed under several ESA contracts by a consortium led by GMV, in charge of system-level...
When simulating space debris during atmospheric entry, the thermal environment is often modelled using heat flux correlations, with the resultant thermal loads being averaged over simplified representations of spacecraft (complex compound shapes composed of geometric primitives). Although this procedure is computationally efficient, the application of averaged heat fluxes to such compound...
To limit the risk of cascading collisions, we will need active debris removal missions to retrieve satellites that die before they can be deorbited. It is well understood that sudden fatal failures can cause a dead satellite to tumble uncontrollably, but even properly decommissioned satellites may start tumbling spontaneously from solar radiation pressure torque buildup, making capture...
Fiber reinforced plastics (FRPs) have previously been considered demisable because of their organic nature and the fact that they would be able to burn at ground conditions. However, entry flight simulations revealed that this assumption was overly optimistic. Instead of quickly burning away, fiber reinforced composites typically behave similar to the materials used in ablative thermal...
ESA under the umbrella of the Clean Space Initiative has promoted complementary activities in view of Active Debris Removal (ADR) missions.
One of the main challenges driving the complexity of the rendezvous and capture of a debris is its rotational state. In-orbit observations of defunct satellites do not show an ideal Gravity Gradient capture, but instead large angular rates letting the...
With the number of LEO satellites also increases the need for a demisable tanks in case of an uncontrolled reentry. Simulations have shown that it is not enough to only melt the aluminum liner during the reentry if market relevant tank sizes of around 40L and 150bar operating pressure are considered. The composite of the vessel must degrade to a high extent so that an impact to ground does not...
Abstract
In the latest years ESA has taken a proactive role in the area of Active Debris Removal (ADR) by preparing the new generation of Earth Observation satellites for a potential removal as part of their End-of-Life management. In this respect, the six Copernicus Sentinel Expansion Missions have adopted the Design for Removal Interface Requirements Document produced by ESA and are...
Design for Demise has become an increasingly important subject over the last years. Primarily to achieve compliant uncontrolled re-entries but with the updated regulations potentially also for future controlled re-entries.
Several recent projects have shown that one important method to improve the demise behaviour can be an early fragmentation of the spacecraft structure or an active...
The demisability of optical payloads is challenging due to the high performance materials used. Two high ground risk aspects, glass materials used in lenses and mirrors, and titanium bipods, were tested and carefully modelled in this work.
A number of previous works have attempted to assess the demisability of glass materials, in particular Zerodur, although little material demise testing has...
After more than two decades years of experimental and numerical simulation of the demise of materials and components during the entry flight, our knowledge on the phenomena involved in this destructive process and correct modelling thereof is still quite limited. There are many unknowns regarding the behaviour of the various materials and material categories and huge uncertainties. It is...
The work presents the achievements of DRACO (Destructive Re-entry Assessment Container Object) during phases A-B1. This ESA mission aims to enhance the understanding of the multi-disciplinary physics governing the destructive re-entry of a LEO-representative small satellite.
Several trade-offs have been conducted during these phases, including mission and system architecture, mission...
Controlling the levels of space debris has become a greater focus of the industry given the volume of spacecraft expected to be launched in the foreseeable future. The re-entry of spacecraft into the Earth’s atmosphere can contain fragments which are able to survive the loads and heat experienced during re-entry into the atmosphere. These same fragments will also have a probability to cause...
As the number of satellites and space debris continues to grow, this project will support the development of an advanced automated AI-powered platform to monitor, operate, and protect Canadian air space and space assets. The gateway to space domain awareness (SDA) is understanding orbital mechanics and being able to predict and track the motion of resident space objects (RSOs). Prediction and...
At a time when the number of satellites in orbit is increasing and with the rise of mega-constellations, ensuring effective satellite end-of-life (EOL) operations has become crucial. However, these operations can often be challenging due to need of consecutive manoeuvres and continuous satellite monitoring. In addition, there may be periods of missing data and manoeuvres may contain...
