Space debris mitigation in geosynchronous orbit

In order to preserve the geosynchronous region, the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) proposed and endorsed a re-orbiting strategy for spacecraft at the end-of-life: they should be disposed above the synchronous altitude and passivated, to reduce the risk of inadvertent explosions. The recommended perigee altitude of the disposal orbit took into account all relevant perturbations and was a function of the expected perturbing acceleration induced by solar radiation pressure. It was intended to prevent any further interference with a properly defined geostationary protected region.     

Impact effects from small size meteoroids and space debris

When the impact risk from meteoroids and orbital debris is assessed the main concern is usually structural damage. With their high impact velocities of typically 10–20 km/s millimeter or centimeter sized objects can puncture pressure vessels and other walls or lead to destruction of complete subsystems or even whole spacecraft. Fortunately chances of collisions with such larger objects are small (at least at present). However, particles in the size range 1–100 μm are far more abundant than larger objects and every orbiting spacecraft will encounter them with certainty. Every solar cell (8 cm² area) of the Hubble Space Telescope encountered on average 12 impacts during its 8.25 years of space exposure. Most were from micron sized particles.     

Frictional resistance of supercritical pressure RP-3 flowing in a vertically downward tube at constant heat fluxes

Based on the demands of compact heat exchangers and micro cooling channels applied for aviation thermal protection, the flow resistance characteristics of aviation kerosene RP-3 were experimentally studied in a vertically downward circular miniature tube with an inner diameter of 1.86 mm at supercritical pressures and constant heat fluxes. A long and short tube method was used to accurately calculate the frictional pressure drop, and experimental conditions are supercritical pressures of 4 MPa, mass flow rates of 2–4 g/s (i.e., mass fluxes of 736–1472 kg/(m²?s)), heat fluxes of 100–500 kW/m², and inlet temperatures of 373–673 K. Results show that the sharp variations of thermophysical properties, especially density, have significant influences on frictional resistances. Generally, the frictional pressure drop and the friction factor increase with increasing inlet temperatures, and this trend speeds up in the relatively high-temperature region. However, the friction factor has a sudden decline when the fuel outlet temperature exceeds the pseudo-critical temperature. The frictional pressure drop and the friction factor basically remain unchanged with increasing heat flux when the inlet temperature is relatively low, but increase quickly when the inlet temperature is relatively high. Besides, a larger mass flux yields a higher pressure drop but does not necessarily yield a higher friction factor. Finally, an empirical friction factor correlation is proposed and shows better predictive performance than those of previous models.     

The fast debris evolution model

The ‘particles-in-a-box’ (PIB) model introduced by Talent [Talent, D.L. Analytic model for orbital debris environmental management. J. Spacecraft Rocket, 29 (4), 508–513, 1992.] removed the need for computer-intensive Monte Carlo simulation to predict the gross characteristics of an evolving debris environment. The PIB model was described using a differential equation that allows the stability of the low Earth orbit (LEO) environment to be tested by a straightforward analysis of the equation’s coefficients. As part of an ongoing research effort to investigate more efficient approaches to evolutionary modelling and to develop a suite of educational tools, a new PIB model has been developed. The model, entitled Fast Debris Evolution (FADE), employs a first-order differential equation to describe the rate at which new objects ?10 cm are added and removed from the environment. Whilst Talent [Talent, D.L. Analytic model for orbital debris environmental management. J. Spacecraft Rocket, 29 (4), 508–513, 1992.] based the collision theory for the PIB approach on collisions between gas particles and adopted specific values for the parameters of the model from a number of references, the form and coefficients of the FADE model equations can be inferred from the outputs of future projections produced by high-fidelity models, such as the DAMAGE model.     

Spaceborne quantitative assessment of dissolved organic carbon fluxes in the Kara Sea

An advanced algorithm for retrieval of phytoplankton chlorophyll (CHL) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations from MERIS images of the Kara Sea is presented. The supply of DOC of terrestrial origin into the Kara Sea is numerically assessed from satellite data on DOC and historical records of river discharge rates. It exceeds the historical in situ values only by 25%. Satellite data on CHL were exploited for calculating the phytoplankton columnar biomass and the total phytoplankton biomass in the Kara Sea. Remote sensing and in situ data were used to calculate the value of the coefficient (K_PH) for calculation from phytoplankton biomass of autochthonous production of DOC. K_PH proved to be 142 ± 8 gC/gPH/month and exhibited only slight interannual variations. The coefficient K_PH was employed for the first time to evaluate the production of autochthonous DOC in the Kara Sea and to correct the value of the allochthonous DOC flux initially retrieved from space across the Kara Sea.     

滚动姿态对阳光与卫星向阳面夹角的影响分析

采用理论分析方法分析了卫星绕滚动轴滚动后,卫星向阳面与阳光的夹角的变化情况,用热分析工程软件NEVADA的数值计算反推结果,对理论分析结果进行了验证。分析结果表明：卫星姿态绕滚动轴滚动后,阳光与卫星向阳面的夹角相对于β角在不同纬度的变化趋势将不同,但在轨道周期内将发生周期性变化;随着滚动角的增大,该夹角的变化幅度也将增大。研究成果对卫星外热流分析具有参考意义。     

非均匀速度来流条件下液体射流喷雾特性

实验研究了非均匀速度来流条件下液体横向射流喷雾特性.实验利用多孔板实现速度的不均匀,应用片光照相得到喷雾中心截面照片,使用相位多普勒粒子分析仪(PDPA)测量液滴的直径和速度.实验结果表明:在非均匀速度来流中,射流的弯曲和破碎机理有所不同,导致穿透深度和雾化特性发生改变.与均匀速度来流相比,正速度梯度来流时射流穿透深度...     

基于聚偏二氟乙烯(PVDF)压电薄膜的密封舱壁穿孔损伤识别技术

日益恶化的空间碎片环境将严重威胁空间站及航天员的在轨安全。文章基于聚偏二氟乙烯（polyvinylidene fluoride,PVDF）压电薄膜设计了一种密封舱壁穿孔损伤识别技术方案,用于识别空间碎片超高速撞击对航天器密封舱壁造成的损伤模式,可为航天员合理选择应急措施提供依据。首先,发射超高速弹丸穿透铝合金靶板以模拟密封舱壁被击穿损伤的情况,形成的碎片云撞击PVDF压电薄膜探头,利用信号采集设备获取高速撞击引起的去极化效应信号,识别该信号的频率特征;其次,对PVDF压电薄膜探头及其支撑结构进行敲击试验,模拟在轨运行时因碰撞产生的干扰信号,掌握此类干扰信号的频率特征。试验结果表明,当系统采样频率为20 MHz时：1）所获得的探头去极化效应信号具有极为陡峭的上升沿,且上升沿的时长为亚μs量级;2）去极化效应信号主要由1 MHz以下的信号组成,但也包含少量的3～10 MHz高频成分;3）敲击探头及其支撑结构所产生的干扰信号频率在20 kHz以下。可根据频率差异进行两种信号的识别。     

Enhancement and Validation of the IDES Orbital Debris Environment Model

Orbital debris environment models are essential in predicting the characteristics of the entire debris environment, especially for altitude and size regimes where measurement data is sparse. Most models are also used to assess mission collision risk. The IDES (Integrated Debris Evolution Suite) simulation model has recently been upgraded by including a new sodium–potassium liquid coolant droplet source model and a new historical launch database. These and other features of IDES are described in detail. The accuracy of the IDES model is evaluated over a wide range of debris sizes by comparing model predictions to three major types of debris measurement data in low Earth orbit. For the large-size debris population, the model is compared with the spatial density distribution of the United States (US) Space Command Catalog. A radar simulation model is employed to predict the detection rates of mid-size debris in the field of view of the US Haystack radar. Finally, the small-size impact flux relative to a surface of the retrieved Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) spacecraft is predicted. At sub-millimetre sizes, the model currently under-predicts the debris environment encountered at low altitudes by approximately an order of magnitude. This is because other small-size debris sources, such as paint flakes have not yet been characterised. Due to the model enhancements, IDES exhibits good accuracy when predicting the debris environment at decimetre and centimetre sizes. Therefore, the validated initial conditions and the high fidelity future traffic model enables IDES to make long-term debris environment projections with more confidence.     

空间碎片质量分布模型建模方法研究

利用空间碎片环境演化模型的建模思想，对碎片环境建模的过程进行了分析与研究，通过分析1999年以前空间环境中碎片产生，衰减及在未来时间中的演化因素，建立了质量分布模型，并利用可得到的碎片数据进行了仿真研究，所得结果可供有关研究人员参考。