| Popis: |
The rapid growth of the orbital debris population poses an increasing threat to military, commercial, and civilian science spacecraft in Earth orbit. NASA, the DoD, ESA, and other organizations have begun to respond to this problem by imposing requirements for debris mitigation upon new space systems. These requirements specify that spacecraft at end-oflife be disposed of by either atmospheric re-entry within 25 years, maneuver to a higher storage orbit, or direct retrieval. For most satellites operating in low Earth orbit (LEO), atmospheric re-entry is the most viable option. To provide a cost-effective means for satellite operators to comply with the 25-year post-mission orbital lifetime restriction, Tethers Unlimited is developing a lightweight de-orbit module called the “Terminator Tape ™ ”. The Terminator Tape is a small module that bolts onto any side of a spacecraft during satellite integration. At the completion of the satellite’s mission, the satellite will activate the Terminator Tape module. The module will then deploy a several-hundred-meter length of thin conducting tape. This tape will not only significantly enhance the aerodynamic drag experienced by the system, but will also generate electrodynamic drag forces through passive interactions with the Earth’s magnetic field and conducting ionospheric plasma, de-orbiting the satellite within 25 years. Two modules are currently in development, one sized for microsatellites operating at altitudes of less than 900 km, and the other sized for CubeSats. In this paper, we will present design overviews and concept of operations for both modules, as well as analyses of deorbit of satellites using these modules. |
