Accession Number:
ADA235257
Title:
The Effects of Space Debris on Solar Propulsion
Descriptive Note:
Final rept. Jun-Jul 1990
Corporate Author:
PHILLIPS LAB EDWARDS AFB CA
Personal Author(s):
Report Date:
1991-03-01
Pagination or Media Count:
37.0
Abstract:
This research sought to determine the impact of space debris on solar propulsion for orbital transfer missions from low Earth Orbit LEO to Geosynchronous Earth Orbit GEO. Orbital debris is a major concern because the present solar propulsion development calls for two 40 X 30 meter inflatable concentrators which present a large area for space debris impact. The initial questions to be researched were 1 How much extra inflationary gas will be required to make up for meteoroid and artificial space debris leaks and 2 What is the probability of a catastrophic collision with the concentrators Numerous debris models and many assumptions were used to calculate answers for these questions, but overall the inflatable reflectors were judged to be a plausible concept. It is plausible in that the amount of helium inflatent needed to keep the concentrators rigid is an acceptable weight 12 lbm. Also the probability of a catastrophic collision for a 40 day mission is minimal 0.1. Further research and computer simulation is needed to better define the man-made debris distribution for elliptical transfer orbits due to their constant changing altitude.
Descriptors:
- *SPACECRAFT DEBRIS
- *SOLAR COLLECTORS
- DEBRIS
- EARTH ORBITS
- SPACE ENVIRONMENTS
- MODELS
- DISTRIBUTION
- MISSIONS
- MANMADE
- HELIUM
- CATASTROPHIC CONDITIONS
- INFLATABLE STRUCTURES
- SPACE MISSIONS
- REFLECTORS
- COLLISIONS
- SYNCHRONOUS SATELLITES
- TRANSFER TRAJECTORIES
- SPACE PROPULSION
- IMPACT
- COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
- ORBITS
Subject Categories:
- Unmanned Spacecraft