Space Debris Mitigation

Transcription

1 Space Debris Mitigation The CleanSpace One Project Volker Gass, Claude Nicollier, Anton Ivanov, Muriel Richard Swiss Space Center 27 March 2012 Ref. SSC-CSO-1-0-Generic Presentation pptx

2 Context (1/4) AGI - NASA ESA video 2

3 Orbital debris categories Class Very small Small Medium Large Debris size < 1mm 1 mm 1 cm 1 cm 10 cm > 10 cm Mitigation methods Number in Low Earth Orbit (< 2000 km altitude) Shielding Shielding None (avoidance maneuvers) None (avoidance maneuvers) Several millions ~ ~ Tracking and catalogue No ground tracking possible No ground tracking possible No civilian ground tracking Tracked and catalogued [R1]: NASA-ESA catalogs 3

4 Debris origins Table 2-2: Debris origins and resulting debris size. Radar Catalogue objects may be Rocket upper stages, nonfunctional satellites, explosion fragments, fairings and adapters, collision fragments, etc... [R2] m m m 1 mm 1 cm 10 cm 1 m 10 m Radar Catalogue Al 2 O 3 Dust Ejecta Meteoroids Paint Part Fragmentation Debris Sodium-Potassium-Droplets Slag Particles Clusters [R2]: H. Klinkrad - Space Debris: Models and Risk Analysis Springer 2006

5 Context (2/4) Credit: NASA, J.C. Liou, 2011 [3] Object s size > 10 cm [R3] Liou, J.C., An active debris removal parametric study for LEO environment remediation. Advances in Space Research, 2011

6 Context (3/4) To avoid Kessler Syndrome, meaning orbital debris collision cascading effect, international recognition* of the need to remove 5-15 large objects per year starting 2020 Remove mass: solve long term problem Remove small: solve residual risk Practical: attack the problem with the greatest risk (still to be defined) Highly international problem Most Rendezvous and Proximity Operation (RPO) technologies are high Technology Readiness Level (TRL) for rendezvous with cooperative objects. They are low TRL for rendezvous with NON-Cooperative objects. * NASA-DARPA conference, Chantilly VA, December 2009

7 Context (4/4) Swiss Space Center launched SwissCube, the first Swiss student satellite, in September 2009 CubeSat family (10 x 10 x 10 cm3, 1 kg) SwissCube is not compliant 25-year re-entry guideline After the launch, started research to develop technologies for Orbital Debris Removal of Non- Cooperative Debris (under a program called Clean-mE ) Low level funding CONCLUSION: research and development most efficient when targeted to a concrete application => Birth of CleanSpace One project 7

8 Clean-mE areas of research Areas of strength with current Swiss Space Center partners: All integrated in a System Formation flying Momentum matching Momentum reduction Intelligent robotics and control Bio-inspired robotics ADCS System Capture System C GROUND Surveillance and interventions TM/TC Com OBC Autonomous Image/Video Data Processing Unit Vision System DEBRIS Autonomous control system GN&C System Approach Rendezvous Formation flying Radar/Lidar Data Processing Unit Radar /Lidar Low mass radars Vision system and on-board processing 8

9 CleanSpace One project Objectives The objectives of the CleanSpace One project are to: 1. Increase awareness, responsibility in regard to orbital debris and educate young people; 2. Demonstrate technologies related to Orbital Debris Removal; 3. De-orbit a known and politically acceptable debris. 9

10 CleanSpace One NanoSat CleanSpace One NanoSat Remove 1 debris (> 10 cm, < 1m) Based on a CubeSat 3U platform as preliminary assumption Technologies to be demonstrated: RPO: long and short range detection system Capture and storage system Micro-propulsion Controlled re-entry VEGA or PSLV, launch ~ Critical technologies provided by partner institutions (open to international cooperation). Satellite platform designed by students. Operations performed by students in partnership with larger and professional institutions 10

11 CleanSpace One Project Schedule CleanSpace One is a 5 year project: PHASE 0 (2012) : private/public funding and partner securing PHASE 1 ( ) : months of studies and preliminary design Trade-off and selection of design and technologies Evaluation of cost, debris target and launch options PHASE 2 ( ): development and tests of flight model PHASE 3 ( ): launch and flight operations 11

12 Conclusions The Swiss Space Center and its academic partners have started the development of critical and innovative technologies needed for Orbital Debris Removal The Swiss Space Center provides an efficient frame for supervising research and tailoring it to space applicable demonstrators Swiss Space Center s plans are meant to be in line with European space agencies and industries Currently funded at very low level, efforts have been focused toward understanding issues Low TRL funding is crucial now to achieve the development of a demonstrator before