Speaker
Description
The exponential growth of orbital debris in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) has reached a critical threshold, demanding more efficient Active Debris Removal (ADR) strategies than ever foreseen before. This paper introduces a very novel ADR concept that leverages the dynamical properties of natural de-orbiting corridors: resonant orbital regions where the coupled effects of Solar Radiation Pressure (SRP), Earth’s oblateness, and lunisolar perturbations, can naturally amplify eccentricity, and thus drastically accelerate atmospheric re-entry. It must be underlined that unlike the majority of resonance-based disposal studies, this work incorporates an additional, often overlooked resonance driven by lunisolar forces, shown to play a role as decisive as the other better known de-orbiting corridors.
Instead of performing costly classical perigee-lowering maneuvers, the proposed method aims at inserting debris (and not satellites for post mission removal like previous studies on natural resonances) into these resonant corridors via a carefully optimized impulsive ∆V . Then follows the deployment of an Area-Enhancing Device (AED), such as a drag or solar sail, to magnify the perturbative effects. In contrast to previous studies, which frequently model perigee-lowering as a direct ballistic re-entry, this work provides this time a fair and realistic comparison by optimizing both strategies under equal AED-assisted conditions. Besides, the proposed ADR framework would follow a multi-target approach in order to maximize operational efficiency.
A major contribution of this research is the development of a dedicated computational tool capable of determining, for any object in LEO, the optimal ∆V and corresponding maneuver strategy required to meet the 25-year post-maneuver lifetime criterion through AED assistance. For the first time, the “tips” of each resonance/corridor are precisely characterized across the full range of intitial eccentricities—identifying the exact boundary above which debris inserted into a corridor will fail to meet the 25-year requirement. This new capability directly increases the fidelity of ∆V budgeting and reveals relevant resonance exploitation possibilities that earlier studies could not capture.
Candidate debris are selected from the Space-Track catalog based on AED-compatibility and potential compliance with disposal regulations. Their long-term evolution is propagated using a high-fidelity semi-analytical model (Orekit DSST) ensuring accuracy. While perigee lowering remains the most cost-effective solution in many cases, this study shows that for a non-negligible subset of debris, insertion into natural de-orbiting corridors can provide lower ∆V with significantly reduced re-entry times.
Finally this study establishes a new class of hybrid ADR strategies that merge orbital mechanics, perturbation exploitation, and multi-target optimization—paving the way for scalable, cost-effective debris remediation campaigns in LEO.