What occurs if a satellite is lost? Significant progress has been made by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern in comprehending the unpredictable behavior of retired satellites orbiting the planet.
In space, a satellite’s operational life ends at the beginning of an unpredictable tumbling journey around the planet, unlike on Earth, where death brings about stillness.
The ESA’s Clean Space initiative, which aims to remove these possible hazards from satellite orbits, is challenged by this celestial dance of dormant satellites.
To effectively capture and remove the object from space, the initiative’s Active Debris Removal (ADR) strategy needs exact knowledge of the object’s orientation and movement. These movements are unpredictable, so a more thorough comprehension of the underlying forces is required.
During the course of two years, the project used a combination of optical, laser ranging, and radar observations to carefully monitor over 20 objects.
The “In-Orbit Tumbling Analysis” computer model, which aims to forecast the attitude motion of non-operational satellites soon after they go out of service, was the focus of these efforts.v
The research findings indicate that multiple factors are involved in the tumbling of satellites. A satellite’s post-mission behavior can be affected by a variety of factors, including atmospheric drag, gravity gradients, outgassing, fuel leaks, solar radiation pressure, micrometeoroid impacts, and even the movement of any fuel that may still be inside. Eddy currents are created when internal magnetic fields interact with Earth’s magnetosphere.
One of the main conclusions showed that eddy currents and gravity gradients have the greatest impact on lower orbit satellites. On the other hand, people in higher geostationary orbits—particularly those with massive solar arrays—are more vulnerable to the slow-moving but steady pressure of solar radiation.
For ADR operations to be successful, it is essential to comprehend these intricate dynamics.
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