Speaker
Description
With increasing use of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, the space debris mitigation requirements for their disposal become more and more rigorous, necessitating development of novel technology to ensure satellite’s complete demise during re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. Design for Demise (D4D) is a design philosophy aimed at minimizing the risk posed by space debris during uncontrolled re-entries of spacecraft and satellites. One promising D4D approach that has gained traction in recent years is the early disintegration of the satellite during re-entry, by exposing previously shielded components to aerodynamic heating, thereby improving their likelihood of complete demise. An enabler of such an approach is the reformed design of mechanical joints holding exterior structural panels together, which are designed to release the panels from the spacecraft at high altitudes during re-entry.
Airbus Defence and Space has spearheaded the development and validation of sandwich panel inserts designed to facilitate the passive separation of satellite structural elements. These inserts incorporate a soldered interface that weakens upon re-entry, causing the insert to split into two parts, thereby detaching the connected components. These components may include structural panels or equipment attached to the satellite's structure. A similar concept has already been qualified for use on the Sentinel-1 C&D satellite, which employs a similar soldered connection within the brackets that secure the SAR Antenna to the spacecraft.
This study details the manufacturing and testing methodology established to demonstrate the potential of a dedicated demisable insert design for future LEO satellite missions. A consistent manufacturing process has been demonstrated, along with reliable Quality Assurance (QA) procedures for the internal soldered surfaces. Tensile and release testing was conducted on the inserts, confirming their mechanical integrity and suitability as replacements for traditional inserts in future LEO satellites, where separation functionality is required.
