Space Debris: Types and Mitigation Methods
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Anshul KhandelwalSpace Debris: Types and Mitigation Methods
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Anshul Khandelwal- Introduction
- Outline
- Categorization of Debris
- Types of Orbits
- Historical Collisions
- Statistics on Space Debris
- Impact of Debris
- Distribution of Space Debris
- Detecting Space Debris
- Tracking and Measurement
- Mitigation of Space Debris
- Conclusion
- References
Outline
• Introduction
• Types of Orbits
• Sources of Debris
• Tracking and Measurement
of Debris.
• Mitigation of Space Debris.
• Conclusion.
Source: [Link]
Space Debris
Space Debris
Defunct objects in space
• Unused satellites & rocket stages
• Fragments from explosions &
collisions
• Released object (tools etc.)
• Slag of solid-fueled rockets
• … and other sources of small
particles
Source:[Link]
Categorization :
• Category I (<1cm) - They can make significant damage to
vulnerable parts of a satellite.
• Category II (1-10cm) - They tend to seriously damage or destroy a
satellite in a collision.
• Category III (>10cm) – They may completely destroy a satellite in a
collision and can be tracked easily.
About 50 Years of Space Flight
• Almost 5,000 rockets launched
• More than 6,000 satellites placed in orbit
• About 1,000 active satellites today
(that’s 7% of known objects in orbit)
TYPES OF ORBIT
• Low Earth Orbit.
• Medium Earth Orbit.
• Geostationary Orbit.
• High Earth Orbit.
Lower Orbit
300 – 2000 km
Geostationary Orbit
≈36,000 km
Space Debris
February 2009:
Collision
Iridium-33 &
Kosmos-2251
January 2007:
FengYun-1C
SOURCE: [Link]
[Link]
Space Debris
Fengyun-1C debris one month Iridium-33 & Kosmos-2251:
after its disintegration Debris fields after 50 minutes
Source:[Link] Source:[Link]
16,300 Objects in Catalogue
SOURCE: [Link]
29,000 Objects Larger than 10 cm
SOURCE: [Link]
750,000 Objects Larger than 1 cm
SOURCE: [Link]
150M Objects Larger than 1 mm
SOURCE: [Link]
Impact
Laboratory Impact Aluminum Sphere / Block
SOURCE:[Link]
Impact
Real Debris Object on a Satellite Solar Panel
SOURCE:[Link]
Distribution of Space Debris
Many Earth Observation
Satellites (e.g., Envisat)
TerraSAR-X
ISS
Source: NASA Orbital Debris Quarterly News 2/2012
ttps://[Link]/Space_Station/status/621646793571479556
[Link]
Detecting Space Debris
Optical Radar Laser
Sources: FhG FHR, AIUB, ESA
TRACKING AND MEASUREMENT
OF SPACE DEBRIS
Tracking of Space Debris-
Radio waves have been recently used. These waves are
transmitted into space and they bounce off of space junk back to
the origin that will detect and track the object.
Some of the modules used were:
LDEF(Long Duration Exposure Facility) satellite
EURECA(European Retrievable Carrier)
Operational Collision Avoidance
Global network for monitoring the geostationary ring
SOURCE: [Link]
Object Identification with Optical Measurements
SOURCE: [Link]
Mitigation of Space Debris
“CLEARANCE OF SPACE DEBRIS”
DIFFERENT METHODS
• Tug-like satellites
• Electro dynamic tethers
• LASER beam
• Solar Sail
• Collectors
SOURCE: [Link]
Tug- like satellite
• The tug like satellites drag the debris to a safe altitude in
order for it to burn up in the atmosphere .
• It creates an electron emission to create a difference in
potential between the debris as negative and itself as
positive .
• The satellite then uses its own thrusters to propel itself
along with the debris to a safer orbit .
ELECTRO DYNAMIC TETHERS
• One of the latest
developments in the space
junk removal program is
that of the introduction of
the electrodynamics tether.
• This is a conducting wire
i.e., several tens of
kilometers in length and is
controlled by a spacecraft.
LASER BEAM
• By using a highly intense laser beam we can slow down
the debris thereby allowing it to reenter earth’s
atmosphere.
• With continued application the debris will eventually
decrease their altitude enough to become subject to
atmospheric drag.
• Mainly the LASER based techniques are two types.
1. Ground based LASER technique.
2. Space based LASER technique.
SOLAR SAIL
• The solar sail uses the
pressure from sunlight to
navigate an object, just like a
naval sail uses wind.
• This way debris can be
navigated out of orbit and
burn into atmosphere
SOURCE: [Link]
COLLECTOR SATELLITE
• The most commonly used
collector satellite is the
Sling Sat.
• It has two extended arms
which collect the debris as
it is in motion.
SOURCE: [Link]
IMPLEMENTATION
• Tether was launched on Feb
28,2014 as a secondary
payload aboard an H-2A
rocket.
• CLEANSPACE is a 3 year
project, began on 1st June
2011
• NASA tested LASER broom
capable of removing Debris in
the path of ISS on the space
shuttle mission in 2003.
SOURCE: [Link]
Contd…
• An early prototype of L’Garde
solar sail is evaluated at the
NASA in November 2014.
• TAMU Space sweeper with
Sling-sat was developed by
scientists at Texas A&M.
SOLAR SAIL
SOURCE: [Link]
CONCLUSION
More Research and development
Guidelines by IADC- Inter Agency Space Debris
Coordination Committee
Implementation.
References-:
• Andrew M. Bradley , Lawrence M. Wein Space Debris:Assessing risk
and responsibility 0273-1177,2009.
• King-hele, D. Theory of Satellite Orbits in an Atmosphere. Blackie,
Glascow and London, 1964.
• Prasad, M.Y.S. Technical and legl issues surrounding space debris –
India’s position in the UN. Space Policy 21, 243-249, 2005.
• Perman, R., Ma, Y., McGilvray, J., Common, M. Natural Resource and
Environmental Economics, third ed Pearson Education Ltd. Harlow,
UK, 2003.
Thank You!
Questions?
Measurement of Space Debris
• Returned hardware of space debris is a valuable source of
information of the environment .
• Close examination of its surfaces allows an analysis of the
directional distribution and composition of the debris flux .
• Some of the modules used were :
• LDEF (Long duration exposure facility ) satellite
• EURECA ( European Retrievable carrier )
• STS-61 Endeavour
• STS-109 Columbia
