流星体和碎片——航天器的微粒环境综述

介绍了流星体和碎片环境的特征和分布以及它们对航天器的影响和危害,并简单介绍了它们的探测方法和计算模式以及防护措施。     

空间碎片防护研究现状与国内发展建议

文章回顾了近期国外空间碎片防护领域的研究现状和热点问题;介绍了“十一五”期间国内空间碎片防护研究的若干进展;立足我国研究现状,通过对国内航天器防护工程需求分析,提出了未来我国空间碎片防护领域研究发展建议。     

航天器空间碎片超高速撞击防护的若干问题

空间碎片对航天器的超高速撞击损伤已受到国内外的普遍重视,如何使在轨航天器对空间碎片进行有效防护是航天器长寿命、高可靠安全运行的重要保障。文章概述了空间碎片环境现状、空间碎片超高速撞击危害以及国内外空间碎片防护的研究现状和趋势。重点介绍了航天器常用的Whipple防护结构及其各种衍生结构的防护性能和弹道极限方程（BLE）,评述了这些防护结构防护性能的优缺点。     

载人航天器空间碎片防护与减缓设计

为降低空间碎片撞击所带来的威胁,文章针对某载人航天器进行了空间碎片撞击风险分析,并设计了空间碎片专用防护结构,制定了轨道规避策略;同时针对重点设备进行钝化设计,并采用寿命末期有控离轨制动方案。以上措施可有效实现空间碎片减缓。     

克服地球轨道空间碎片的航天器防护结构几何规划设计

文章描述了一个用于航天器防护结构综合优化的独特方法——几何规划优化技术,以减小暴露于流星体和空间碎片超高速碰撞环境下的航天器防护结构系统的重量。空间碎片和流星体环境由广义加权目标函数的公式来定义。通过Wilkinson,Burch和Nysmith超高速碰撞预示模型说明几何规划的性能。表明遵循几何规划形式的超高速碰撞模型,可以进行综合非线性设计优化。     

空间碎片防护研究最新进展

空间碎片对在轨航天器的安全运行构成了严重威胁,对航天器的撞击事件频繁发生。随着空间碎片环境的日趋恶化,航天器的防护变得越来越重要。文章从空间碎片环境模型、撞击风险评估、航天器部件损伤、防护材料与结构的超高速撞击试验、撞击试验数据库建设、超高速发射设备、在轨撞击感知、机构间超高速发射设备交叉校验等方面对国内外空间碎片防护研究的进展进行了总结,并在此基础上给出我国未来空间碎片防护研究的发展建议。     

Modeling of Ejecta Produced upon Hypervelocity Impacts

Each time a debris particle or a meteoroid strikes a satellite in orbit, a great amount of secondary particles is ejected in the neighborhood of the impact site. This phenomenon is important in particular for brittle materials, such as those used for solar arrays or thermal control paint. The secondary particles that do not impact other parts of the spacecraft are added to the primary debris population and hence increase the small debris particle flux. We describe an ejecta production model that gives the size and the velocity distribution of ejected particles as a function of primary impact parameters. The model has been used to explain the discrepancy between measurements and modeling of impact crater distribution on the solar arrays of the EuReCa spacecraft.     

弹丸正撞击Whipple防护结构后墙的穿孔孔径研究

微流星体及空间碎片的超高速撞击对在轨航天器,特别是长期留轨的栽人航天器构成了严重的威胁,甚至可导致灾难性失效,为此航天器采用了各种Whipple类防护方案以提高其在轨生存能力。穿孔孔径是研究弹丸超高速撞击下航天器舱壁撞击损伤的重要参数之一。文章对目前所建立的Burch损伤经验公式与Schonberg—Williamsen穿孔经验公式进行了研究,比较了其各自特点;同时,基于上述模型提出了适用范围更广的弹丸超高速正撞击Whipple防护结构后墙的穿孔孔径经验公式,为航天器的灾难性失效分析提供有效的工具。     

Assessing the Impact Risk of Orbital Debris on Space Tethers

Tethers are being proposed for a growing number of space applications. However, they may be particularly vulnerable to orbital debris and meteoroid impacts. In order to provide useful reference data for tether systems design, detailed analytical and numerical computations were carried out to assess the average impact rate of artificial debris and meteoroids. The specific geometric properties of tethers as debris targets, when compared to typical satellites, are discussed, and the results obtained are presented in tabular form, as a function of debris size and tether diameter.The computations were carried out for six circular orbits, spanning three altitudes (600, 800 and 1000km) and two inclinations (30° and 50°). Tether diameters in between 1mm and 2cm and debris larger than 0.1mm were considered in the analysis. The collision risk of tethers with spacecraft and upper stages in orbit was estimated as well.In the debris interval and orbital regimes considered, artificial debris represent the dominant contributor to the impact rate. At 600km and in the 0.1–10mm size range, the meteoroid and orbital debris impact rates are still comparable; however, at higher altitudes and in the 1–10cm size range, meteoroids contribute 20–30 times less to the collision probability.The results obtained confirm that for single-strand tethers in low Earth orbit the probability to be severed by orbital debris and meteoroid impacts is quite significant, making necessary the adoption of innovative designs for long duration missions.     

梯度波纹夹层防护结构超高速碰撞特性仿真研究

文章基于空间碎片被动防护需求,提出了一种梯度波纹夹层防护结构,并对其超高速碰撞过程及形成碎片云的特性进行了仿真分析。仿真结果表明,相比于Whipple结构,在梯度波纹夹层结构中冲击波的卸载方式更复杂,更有利于空间碎片的破碎;碰撞速度在5~20 km/s时,碎片云的膨胀半角先增大后减小;夹层结构中前置波纹板对撞击动能中不可逆功的吸收量和吸收占比最大。研究结果对空间碎片被动防护结构的设计具有一定的参考价值。     

Effect of Multi-wall System Composition on Survivability for Spacecraft Impacted by Orbital Debris

Long-duration spacecraft in low earth orbit such as the International Space Station (ISS) are highly susceptible to high-speed impacts by pieces of debris from past earth-orbiting missions. Among the hazards that accompany the penetration of a pressurized manned spacecraft are critical crack propagation in the module wall, crew hypoxia, and uncontrolled thrust due to air rushing out of the module wall hole. A Monte Carlo simulation tool was used to determine the effect of spacecraft wall construction on the survivability of ISS modules and crew following an orbital debris penetration. The simulation results indicate that enhanced shield wall designs (i.e., multi-wall systems with heavier inner bumpers) always lead to higher overall survivability of the station and crew due to an overwhelming decrease in likelihood of module penetration. The results of the simulations also indicate that changes in crew operations, equipment locations, and operation procedures can significantly reduce the likelihood of crew or station loss following an orbital debris penetration.     

航天器可靠性与空间特殊环境试验

文章论述了环境试验对航天器可靠性的重要作用,重点介绍了原子氧、空间辐照粒子、等离子体与带电、空间碎片等特殊环境及其效应对航天器寿命及可靠性的影响,并对开展航天器长寿命、高可靠环境试验技术研究提出一些建议。     

A space based radar on a micro-satellite for in-situ detection of small orbital debris

The increase in the number of satellites in the Near Earth Orbit is exponential. The consequent increase in pollution of the orbital environment is of growing concern to the international community. There are currently only two observation systems available for measurement of orbital debris. Ground based radar and telescopes can detect objects larger than about 7 cm. Passive space based systems provide an accurate statistical estimation of flux for debris smaller than about 0.1 mm in size. Consequently, there is no way of obtaining information about debris in the millimeter-size range. Considering that the relative speed between objects in space is commonly in the km/s range, millimeter sized debris carry enough energy to be deadly to astronauts or to totally destroy the functioning of any satellite. Then National space agencies have recommended launching orbital spacecraft carrying debris detection experiments for gaining a better understanding of small debris.CNES (the French Space Agency) is developing a new family of micro-satellites, that will make possible to put into orbit a totally new system of radar that could measure in-situ flux of debris. We present results of this system analysis, which would cumulate the advantages of both ground-based radar and in orbit passive experiments.The proposed method for detection is quite original and allows the radar to act like a band-pass filter with respect to the debris diameter. The optimum frequency is shown to be in the Ka-band. Two points are critical in the definition of the radar: the average power available and the false alarm probability in the detection criterion. Therefore, we present a special receiver chain in order to optimize the signal-to-noise ratio. The estimate of the radial velocity through Doppler frequency measurement may be used to discriminate orbital debris from meteoroids. This system could be built today using an existing Continuous Wave amplifier. Several hundreds of objects per year could be detected yielding an accurate statistical estimation.The orbital debris radar would be a major contribution to our knowledge of millimeter sized debris. This experiment would contribute to making the current models more accurate at all inclinations. The micro-satellite concept would make the orbital debris radar mission cheap enough for considering a constellation of such satellites.     

Optical orbital debris spotter

The number of man-made debris objects orbiting the Earth, or orbital debris, is alarmingly increasing, resulting in the increased probability of degradation, damage, or destruction of operating spacecraft. In part, small objects (<10 cm) in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) are of concern because they are abundant and difficult to track or even to detect on a routine basis. Due to the increasing debris population it is reasonable to assume that improved capabilities for on-orbit damage attribution, in addition to increased capabilities to detect and track small objects are needed. Here we present a sensor concept to detect small debris with sizes between approximately 1.0 and 0.01 cm in the vicinity of a host spacecraft for near real time damage attribution and characterization of dense debris fields and potentially to provide additional data to existing debris models.     

绳系卫星系统交会对接的应用与设计

文章介绍了绳系系统交会对接这项新技术在空间中的应用。主要包括:空间站利用系绳与航天器交会对接,实现为空间站提供各种供给;利用绳系系统与空间碎片对接,可回收或转移空间碎片,保护空间环境;利用一级或多级的绳系系统组成轨道转移系统,实现向地球同步轨道或火星轨道上转移和运送有效载荷。文章还介绍了绳系交会对接系统的设计,包括系统的一般控制方法和算法以及系统的结构设计。随着各项相关技术的发展,绳系卫星系统交会对接将发挥更大作用。     

Modelling of Ejecta as a Space Debris Source

When a micro-debris or a micrometeoroid impacts a spacecraft surface, a large number of secondary particles, called ejecta, are produced. These particles can contribute to a modification of the debris environment: either locally by the occurrence of secondary impacts on the components of complex and large space structures, or at great distance by the formation of a population of small orbital debris. This paper describes firstly, the ejecta overall production, and secondly, the lifetime and the orbital evolution of the particles. Finally the repartition of ejecta in LEO is computed. Some results describing the population as a function of size and altitude are presented.     

Tethers and debris mitigation

In recent years, the use of tethers has been proposed for reduction of space debris either through momentum transfer or use of electrodynamic effects. Tethers have been shown to at least theoretically allow for quick, elegant and cost-effective deorbit of defunct satellites or spent stages. On the other hand, the large risk that tethers themselves may pose to other satellites in orbit has been recognized as well. The large collision area of tethers, combined with operational hazards and meteoroid risk may result in a large orbital exposure. For example, in 1997, the ESA/Dutch 35-km tether deployment of YES from TEAMSAT was inhibited after an analysis of the collision risk for the case the tether operation would fail. The question rises how these two points of view compare to eachother. This paper intends to highlight a representative selection of the proposed tether applications while taking into account the added risks caused by the tethers themselves.Typical applications from recent literature will be briefly described, such as an Ariane 502 spent stage re-entry from GTO and the concept of deboost of defunct satellites by interaction of a conductive tether with the Earth magnetic field.Mass savings of the tethered sytems versus conventional equivalents will be evaluated.Based on a crude risk analysis, involving elements such as mission complexity, dynamic stability, meteoroid risk and orbital life time, a general outline of limiting factors can be given for the various applications. Special attention is reserved for implementation of mechanisms that help reduce this tether risk, such as the DUtether (Tether Degradable by Ultraviolet), utilization of airdrag and solar pressure, the effect of residual current in bare tethers, tether retrieval etc.It is proposed how a net tether-induced mitigation can be compared to that of conventional alternatives, i.e. deboost by rocket engine or a completely passive approach.This comparison is put in the perspective of an ever-increasing occupation of the space environment.It is concluded that tethers can in fact help mitigate the debris risk and that for each application a useful niche can be defined. It is argued that eliminating pollution directly after use of the precious resource of space is not only good custom, but also an important way to make the risk of debris controllable and independent of future trends. Although tethers may have large exposure in terms of area-time product, they deliver a quick cleaning service that may be appreciated by the future users of space.     

Investigation of national policy shifts to impact orbital debris environments

Low earth orbit has become increasingly congested as the satellite population has grown over the past few decades, making orbital debris a major concern for the operational stability of space assets. This congestion was highlighted by the collision of the Iridium 33 and Cosmos 2251 satellites in 2009. This paper addresses the current state of orbital debris regulation in the United States and asks what might be done through policy change to mitigate risks in the orbital debris environment. A brief discussion of the nature of orbital debris addresses the major contributing factors including size classes, locations of population concentrations, projected satellite populations, and current challenges presented in using post-mission active debris removal to mitigate orbital debris. An overview of the current orbital debris regulatory structure of the United States reveals the fragmented nature of having six regulating bodies providing varying levels of oversight to their markets. A closer look into the regulatory policy of these agencies shows that, while they all take direction from The U.S. Government Orbital Debris Mitigation Standard Practices, this policy is a guideline with no real penalty for non-compliance. Various policy solutions to the orbital debris problem are presented, ranging from a business as usual approach to a consolidated regulation system which would encourage spacecraft operator compliance. The positive aspects of these options are presented as themes that would comprise an effective policy shift towards successful LEO conservation. Potential economic and physical limitations to this policy approach are also addressed.     

激光驱动微小碎片对石英玻璃撞击损伤效应试验研究

空间碎片撞击对航天器表面材料性能具有很重要的影响。文章从碎片对材料撞击作用角度出发,使用激光驱动飞片技术对光学玻璃进行了撞击试验研究。为了便于对撞击损伤机理的研究和效应评价,开展了单次撞击试验和多次撞击试验,并对这些试验进行了测试分析。试验表明:高速飞片与撞击靶损伤处有很好的对应关系,且高速飞片撞击对石英玻璃表面造成了损伤结构,进而导致光透过率下降。     

球形气囊的超高速撞击损伤特性试验与仿真研究

低成本、可自主展开的气球卫星是未来卫星技术的应用方向之一,而日益增多的空间碎片是低轨航天器,包括气球卫星所面临的主要威胁之一.为满足气球卫星的生存力分析以及在轨被撞击产生空间碎片的评估需求,开展球形气囊超高速撞击试验与仿真研究,获得了不同材质气囊的撞击损伤特性,并初步揭示弹丸贯穿球形气囊过程的破坏细节以及碎片云团特性,...