Speaker
Description
The ever-growing use of low Earth orbit has made space debris mitigation a key driver in the design of modern space missions. As orbital environments become increasingly congested, spacecraft must be developed not only to fulfil their missions, but also to ensure that, valuable orbital regimes remain accessible for all.
This work studies the application of SDM requirements and their impact on mission design, during the consolidation phase of the SIRIUS SCOUT mission. SIRIUS is conceived as a low Earth orbit Earth observation satellite that will deliver thermal infrared data for the study of Urban Heat Islands and their effects on microclimates in European cities,
The analyses performed address several core areas, as structured within the mission’s Space Debris Mitigation Plan. These include:
- The minimization of released mission-related objects,
- The mitigation of on-orbit break-up risks due to internal system failures.
- The mitigation of on-orbit break-up risks due to impacts from surrounding debris.
- The mitigation of collision risk, through the implementation of orbital safety measures, such as additional delta-v margins, the use of conjunction assessment services, and the capability to plan and execute avoidance maneuvers within short response times.
Together, these elements contribute to safe and reliable operations in an increasingly crowded orbital regime.
Additionally, End-of-life disposal is treated as a critical aspect of mission compliance:
- The use of drag augmentation devices is assessed in terms of their impact on orbital lifetime and their role in supporting post-mission disposal requirements.
- In parallel, passivation strategies are defined to minimize the risk of post-mission break-up, including irreversible disconnection mechanisms and other measures to eliminate stored energy.
- Re-entry considerations are also addressed, with a focus on identifying components that may survive atmospheric demise, as well as evaluating the implications of hazardous materials and spacecraft brightness in the context of dark and quiet sky initiatives.
Finally, key future steps for maturing the compliance to Debris Mitigation Requirements are outlined, including brightness assessment, early identification and commissioning strategies, and further refinement of the system design.
Overall, SIRIUS serves as an example of how SDM requirements are addressed since the early stages of mission development, to ensure compliance in support long-term space sustainability.