Acta Astronautica ( IF 3.5 ) Pub Date : 2021-05-03 , DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.04.041 Thorben Löffler , Jonas Burgdorf , Sabine Klinkner
After the successful establishment of the NewSpace sector in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO), it is only a matter of time before commercial systems seek to access the lower Medium Earth Orbit (MEO). A cost-efficient way is to perform orbit-raising strategies using a propulsion system onboard the spacecraft. However, lower cost and time-to-market are often prioritised to the detriment of system reliability, which leads to heightened risk of producing space debris. In this paper, orbit raising strategies are analysed with the goal of fail-safe compliance with the European Code of Conduct for Space Debris Mitigation (ECOC), which demands a de-orbit within 25 years after the space system’s operational phase. The used data is based on orbit propagation and re-entry extrapolation tools of NASA and ESA. ROMEO, a satellite mission of the University of Stuttgart for technology demonstration and a research platform in MEO, proposed to launch in 2024, is used as an exemplary mission for the simulations. As part of the project, a strategy was developed which maximises the lifetime of the satellite, and eliminates the potential of it ending up as long-term space debris. Thus, the risks behind using technology demonstrations and commercial systems are reduced, and a first step to a more affordable access to MEO is established.
中文翻译:
提高成本的进入策略,以经济高效的方式进入中低地球轨道而又不冒空间碎片的危险
在低地球轨道(LEO)中成功建立NewSpace部门之后,商业系统寻求进入较低的中地球轨道(MEO)只是时间问题。一种经济有效的方法是使用航天器上的推进系统执行升轨策略。但是,降低成本和缩短上市时间通常会优先考虑损害系统可靠性,这会增加产生空间碎片的风险。在本文中,对提升轨道的策略进行了分析,其目标是确保安全遵守欧洲空间碎片缓解行为准则(ECOC),该准则要求在太空系统运行阶段后的25年内取消轨道运行。使用的数据基于NASA和ESA的轨道传播和重入外推工具。ROMEO,斯图加特大学(University of Stuttgart)的卫星任务用于技术演示,MEO的研究平台(拟于2024年发射)被用作模拟任务的典范。作为该项目的一部分,开发了一种策略,该策略可以最大程度地延长卫星的使用寿命,并消除其可能会成为长期空间碎片的可能性。因此,降低了使用技术演示和商业系统的风险,并确立了以更经济的方式访问MEO的第一步。