Collision Risk Mitigation in Geostationary Orbit

The short- and long-term effects of spacecraft explosions, as a function of the end-of-life re-orbit altitude above the geostationary orbit (GEO), were analyzed in terms of their additional contribution to the debris flux in the GEO ring. The simulated debris clouds were propagated for 72yrs, taking into account all the relevant orbital perturbations.The results obtained show that 6–7 additional explosions in GEO would be sufficient, in the long term, to double the current collision risk with sizable objects in GEO. Unfortunately, even if spacecraft were to re-orbit between 300 and 500km above GEO, this would not significantly improve the situation. In fact, an altitude increase of at least 2000km would have to be adopted to reduce by one order of magnitude the long-term risk of collision among geostationary satellites and explosion fragments. The optimal debris mitigation strategy should be a compromise between the reliability and effectiveness of spacecraft end-of-life passivation, the re-orbit altitude and the acceptable debris background in the GEO ring. However, for as long as the re-orbit altitudes currently used are less than 500km above GEO, new spacecraft explosions must be avoided in order to preserve the geostationary environment over the long term.     

Track-While-Scan Algorithm in a Clutter Environment

A track-while scan (TWS) algorithm is developed for targets in a clutter environment. The problem has been studied using only the position measurements [1, 5-8], but the simulation results have not been satisfactory. Modern processing techniques (FFT processor) ) in air traffic control and surveillance radar receivers provide both position and radial velocity. The radial velocity measurement may be conveniently used in the target-track correlation process, which will reduce the association ambiguity in the clutter environment. t. In the clear environment the algorithm using the position and radial velocity measurements has been treated in [3, 4]. A TWS algorithm, using both position and radial velocity measurements for targets in a clutter environment, is presented here. The algorithm obtained is nonlinear and adaptive. In order to evaluate the improvement due to radial velocity measurement a simulation has been performed on a digital computer. The algorithm was run with and without radial velocity measurements to compare its performances. An improvement was noted especially when the target path included an accelerated portion.     

Dynamical evolution of high area-to-mass ratio debris released into GPS orbits

A large set of simulations, including all the relevant perturbations, was carried out to investigate the long-term dynamical evolution of fictitious high area-to-mass ratio (A/M) objects released, with a negligible velocity variation, in each of the six orbital planes used by Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites. As with similar objects discovered in near synchronous trajectories, long lifetime orbits, with mean motions of about 2 revolutions per day, were found possible for debris characterized by extremely high area-to-mass ratios. Often the lifetime exceeds 100 years up to A/M ∼ 45 m²/kg, decreasing rapidly to a few months above such a threshold. However, the details of the evolution, which are conditioned by the complex interplay of solar radiation pressure and geopotential plus luni-solar resonances, depend on the initial conditions. Different behaviors are thus possible. In any case, objects like those discovered in synchronous orbits, with A/M as high as 20–40 m²/kg, could also survive in this orbital regime, with semi-major axes close to the semi-synchronous values, with maximum eccentricities between 0.3 and 0.7, and with significant orbit pole precessions (faster and wider for increasing values of A/M), leading to inclinations between 30° and more than 90°.     

Benefits and risks of using electrodynamic tethers to de-orbit spacecraft

By using electrodynamic drag to greatly increase the orbital decay rate, an electrodynamic space tether can remove spent or dysfunctional spacecraft from low Earth orbit (LEO) rapidly and safely. Moreover, the low mass requirements of such tether devices make them highly advantageous compared to conventional rocket-based de-orbit systems. However, a tether system is much more vulnerable to space debris impacts than a typical spacecraft and its design must be proved to be safe up to a certain confidence level before being adopted for potential applications. To assess space debris related concerns, in March 2001 a new task (Action Item 19.1) on the “Potential Benefits and Risks of Using Electrodynamic Tethers for End-of-life De-orbit of LEO Spacecraft” was defined by the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC). Two tests were proposed to compute the fatal impact rate of meteoroids and orbital debris on space tethers in circular orbits, at different altitudes and inclinations, as a function of the tether diameter to assess the survival probability of an electrodynamic tether system during typical de-orbiting missions. IADC members from three agencies, the Italian Space Agency (ASI), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), participated in the study and different computational approaches were specifically developed within the framework of the IADC task. This paper summarizes the content of the IADC AI 19.1 Final Report. In particular, it introduces the potential benefits and risks of using tethers in space, it describes the assumptions made in the study plan, it compares and discusses the results obtained by ASI, JAXA and NASA for the two tests proposed. Some general conclusions and recommendations are finally extrapolated from this massive and intensive piece of research.     

Impact of the time span selected to calibrate the ballistic parameter on spacecraft re-entry predictions

The trajectory modeling of satellites that are re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere, as a result of natural orbital decay, has always been a challenging task. Residual lifetime estimations and re-entry predictions are affected by substantial uncertainties, associated with atmospheric density models, with the forecasts of the relevant solar and geomagnetic activity indices and with tracking data, which for uncontrolled re-entries are usually sparse and not particularly accurate. Furthermore, modeling the aerodynamic forces that act on low altitude satellites is a formidable task, especially for objects of a complex shape and unknown attitude evolution.     

Lichens survive in space: results from the 2005 LICHENS experiment

This experiment was aimed at establishing, for the first time, the survival capability of lichens exposed to space conditions. In particular, the damaging effect of various wavelengths of extraterrestrial solar UV radiation was studied. The lichens used were the bipolar species Rhizocarpon geographicum and Xanthoria elegans, which were collected above 2000 m in the mountains of central Spain and as endolithic communities inhabiting granites in the Antarctic Dry Valleys. Lichens were exposed to space in the BIOPAN-5 facility of the European Space Agency; BIOPAN-5 is located on the outer shell of the Earth-orbiting FOTON-M2 Russian satellite. The lichen samples were launched from Baikonur by a Soyuz rocket on May 31, 2005, and were returned to Earth after 16 days in space, at which time they were tested for survival. Chlorophyll fluorescence was used for the measurement of photosynthetic parameters. Scanning electron microscopy in back-scattered mode, low temperature scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were used to study the organization and composition of both symbionts. Confocal laser scanning microscopy, in combination with the use of specific fluorescent probes, allowed for the assessment of the physiological state of the cells. All exposed lichens, regardless of the optical filters used, showed nearly the same photosynthetic activity after the flight as measured before the flight. Likewise, the multimicroscopy approach revealed no detectable ultrastructural changes in most of the algal and fungal cells of the lichen thalli, though a greater proportion of cells in the flight samples had compromised membranes, as revealed by the LIVE/DEAD BacLight Bacterial Viability Kit. These findings indicate that most lichenized fungal and algal cells can survive in space after full exposure to massive UV and cosmic radiation, conditions proven to be lethal to bacteria and other microorganisms. The lichen upper cortex seems to provide adequate protection against solar radiation. Moreover, after extreme dehydration induced by high vacuum, the lichens proved to be able to recover, in full, their metabolic activity within 24 hours.     

Orbital evolution of the first upper stages used for the new European and Chinese navigation satellite systems

The solutions adopted for the disposal of the upper stages used to put in orbit the first satellites of the new European (Galileo) and Chinese (Beidou) navigation constellations were analyzed. The orbit evolution of the rocket bodies was modeled for 200 years, taking into account all relevant perturbations, and the chosen disposal options were evaluated in terms of their long-term consequences for the debris environment. The results obtained, when applicable, were also discussed in the context of the eccentricity instability problem, pointed out in previous studies. In addition, the long-term evolution of the fragments resulting from a Beidou rocket body breakup, and of simulated high area-to-mass ratio objects released in the disposal orbits of the first two Galileo upper stages, was investigated.Eight out of ten Beidou upper stages were found to have an orbital lifetime <25 years and the other two resulted in a dwell time of approximately 6 years below 2000 km. It was also found that the perigee heights of the two upper stages used to deploy the first Galileo test spacecraft will remain more than 169 km above the constellation nominal altitude, never crossing the existing or planned navigation systems. In spite of an inclination resonance possibly leading to the exponential growth of the eccentricity over several decades, the optimal choice of the disposal orbital elements was able to prevent such an outcome, by maintaining the orbit nearly circular. Therefore, the upper stage disposal strategies used so far for Beidou and Galileo have generally been quite successful in averting the long-term interference of such rocket bodies with the navigation constellations, provided that accidental breakups are prevented.     

Assessing the Risk of Orbital Debris Impact

A Space Debris Impact Risk Analysis Tool (SDIRAT) was developed and implemented to assess the orbital debris impact risk on a specified target in Earth orbit, in terms of flux, relative velocity, impact velocity, direction of the incoming particles, debris mass and diameter. Based on a deterministic approach, SDIRAT uses a realistic orbital debris population where each representative particle is identified by its rectangular coordinates (position and velocity) at a reference epoch. Using this information, some geometrical algorithms were developed and implemented to evaluate the contribution of each particle to the incoming flux. The position of the particle with respect to a specified target drives the selection criteria to reject, or select, it as a possible projectile. On the other hand, the relative velocity vector can be used to estimate the impact direction of the incoming flux. SDIRAT was conceived as a general tool for a variety of scenarios, such as low circular and elliptical orbits, up to the geosynchronous ring. This paper presents some examples of possible applications, including the computation of the incoming debris flux on SAX (low Earth orbit), SIRIO (geosynchronous orbit) and the IRIS upper stage (elliptical orbit). Other applications assess the impact risk for the Soviet Radar Ocean Reconnaissance Satellites Cosmos 1900 and Cosmos 1932.     

Polarization Effect on Multipath for Extended Targets

The results of a theoretical investigation of the influence of polarization on multipath are presented. First, the case of a point target is examined and it is confirmed that the multipath effect tends to vanish for rough sea and small grazing angles. Models of a buoy and of a large ship are then introduced and it is shown that, for targets that are extended in height, the multipath effect for vertical and horizontal polarization is substantially the same.