ECOSYSTEM FOR NEAR-EARTH SPACE CONTROL: METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PERMANENT DEBRIS REMOVAL PLUS ENHANCED NATIONAL SECURITY CAPABILITIES by

Transcription

1 ECOSYSTEM FOR NEAR-EARTH SPACE CONTROL: METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PERMANENT DEBRIS REMOVAL PLUS ENHANCED NATIONAL SECURITY CAPABILITIES by Marshall H. Kaplan, PhD Chief Technology Officer Launchspace Technologies Corporation a presentation at 33 rd Space Symposium April 3, 2017

2 Why is the Removal of Orbital Debris Important? Orbital debris is the trash that the international space community left behind. Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 2

3 Why is the Removal of Orbital Debris Important? Orbital debris is the trash that the international space community left behind. The debris population is growing faster and faster. Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 2

4 Why is the Removal of Orbital Debris Important? Orbital debris is the trash that the international space community left behind. The debris population is growing faster and faster. Most of the debris is concentrated in low orbits, between 600 and 1,200 km. Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 2

5 Why is the Removal of Orbital Debris Important? Orbital debris is the trash that the international space community left behind. The debris population is growing faster and faster. Most of the debris is concentrated in low orbits, between 600 and 1,200 km. There are an estimated 100+ trillion debris pieces, most of which cannot be seen or tracked. Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 2

6 Why is the Removal of Orbital Debris Important? Orbital debris is the trash that the international space community left behind. The debris population is growing faster and faster. Most of the debris is concentrated in low orbits, between 600 and 1,200 km. There are an estimated 100+ trillion debris pieces, most of which cannot be seen or tracked. Every satellite and constellation operator is already concerned. Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 2

7 Why is the Removal of Orbital Debris Important? Orbital debris is the trash that the international space community left behind. The debris population is growing faster and faster. Most of the debris is concentrated in low orbits, between 600 and 1,200 km. There are an estimated 100+ trillion debris pieces, most of which cannot be seen or tracked. Every satellite and constellation operator is already concerned. Gridlock in low orbits could happen in a few years, and complete access to space could be denied for centuries. Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 2

8 Estimated Debris Population Profile Debris Population vs Size in LEO Circa 1997 Number of Objects Found in Near Earth Orbits Small debris that congests orbits and erodes satellites Size range for damaging satellites Large debris objects and satellites 1 mm 5 cm Diameter in Centimeters Data Source: NASA Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 3

9 The Real Debris Problem The debris problem has two distinct elements: collisions with operating satellites and the eventual orbital gridlock. Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 4

10 The Real Debris Problem The debris problem has two distinct elements: collisions with operating satellites and the eventual orbital gridlock. Most debris removal proposals focus only on removing individual, large debris items such as expired satellites and upper stages, but there are less than ten thousand of these objects. The cost and complexity of removing individual objects are extremely high. Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 4

11 The Real Debris Problem The debris problem has two distinct elements: collisions with operating satellites and the eventual orbital gridlock. Most debris removal proposals focus only on removing individual, large debris items such as expired satellites and upper stages, but there are less than ten thousand of these objects. The cost and complexity of removing individual objects are extremely high. The near Earth zone is large enough so that there has been only one known incident in which two satellites collided in the last 60 years. However, there have been thousands of recorded small debris hits on satellites. Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 4

12 The Real Debris Problem The debris problem has two distinct elements: collisions with operating satellites and the eventual orbital gridlock. Most debris removal proposals focus only on removing individual, large debris items such as expired satellites and upper stages, but there are less than ten thousand of these objects. The cost and complexity of removing individual objects are extremely high. The near Earth zone is large enough so that there has been only one known incident in which two satellites collided in the last 60 years. However, there have been thousands of recorded small debris hits on satellites. The population growth of small debris is unstable and will be the cause of any future gridlock. Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 4

13 The Real Debris Problem The debris problem has two distinct elements: collisions with operating satellites and the eventual orbital gridlock. Most debris removal proposals focus only on removing individual, large debris items such as expired satellites and upper stages, but there are less than ten thousand of these objects. The cost and complexity of removing individual objects are extremely high. The near Earth zone is large enough so that there has been only one known incident in which two satellites collided in the last 60 years. However, there have been thousands of recorded small debris hits on satellites. The population growth of small debris is unstable and will be the cause of any future gridlock. Clearly, the cause of both debris problems is the estimated 100+ trillion small debris pieces. Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 4

14 The Real Debris Problem The debris problem has two distinct elements: collisions with operating satellites and the eventual orbital gridlock. Most debris removal proposals focus only on removing individual, large debris items such as expired satellites and upper stages, but there are less than ten thousand of these objects. The cost and complexity of removing individual objects are extremely high. The near Earth zone is large enough so that there has been only one known incident in which two satellites collided in the last 60 years. However, there have been thousands of recorded small debris hits on satellites. The population growth of small debris is unstable and will be the cause of any future gridlock. Clearly, the cause of both debris problems is the estimated 100+ trillion small debris pieces. Until now, there have been no serious proposals that address the removal of small debris. Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 4

15 LEO Debris Distribution Plus Planned Constellations LEO debris objects of most concern to satellite operators reside in the altitude range from ~600 km to ~1,200 km pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp Courtesy: Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 5

16 LEO Debris Distribution Plus Planned Constellations LEO debris objects of most concern to satellite operators reside in the altitude range from ~600 km to ~1,200 km Several thousand new satellites are planned for launch into LEO in the next few years, causing an accelerated debris population buildup. pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp Courtesy: Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 5

17 LEO Debris Distribution Plus Planned Constellations LEO debris objects of most concern to satellite operators reside in the altitude range from ~600 km to ~1,200 km Several thousand new satellites are planned for launch into LEO in the next few years, causing an accelerated debris population buildup. Future LEO satellite safety is in jeopardy while the small debris population is not controlled. pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp Courtesy: Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 5

18 LEO Debris Distribution Plus Planned Constellations LEO debris objects of most concern to satellite operators reside in the altitude range from ~600 km to ~1,200 km Several thousand new satellites are planned for launch into LEO in the next few years, causing an accelerated debris population buildup. Future LEO satellite safety is in jeopardy while the small debris population is not controlled. Needed: a realistic debris control architecture with a commitment for implementation! Launchspace Technologies Corporation pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp Courtesy: 33 rd Space Symposium 5

19 A Realistic Debris Removal Architecture The debris that must be removed is too small to track and cannot be collected on an individual basis. Courtesy of a.i. solutions Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 6

20 A Realistic Debris Removal Architecture The debris that must be removed is too small to track and cannot be collected on an individual basis. Thus, instead of trying to chase individual debris objects for collection, a better approach is to let the debris come to a collector. Courtesy of a.i. solutions Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 6

21 A Realistic Debris Removal Architecture The debris that must be removed is too small to track and cannot be collected on an individual basis. Thus, instead of trying to chase individual debris objects for collection, a better approach is to let the debris come to a collector. This solution requires the placement of collection devices in the path of small debris objects. Courtesy of a.i. solutions Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 6

22 A Realistic Debris Removal Architecture The debris that must be removed is too small to track and cannot be collected on an individual basis. Thus, instead of trying to chase individual debris objects for collection, a better approach is to let the debris come to a collector. This solution requires the placement of collection devices in the path of small debris objects. These collectors would, in fact, be impact devices that can absorb or slow down debris objects. Courtesy of a.i. solutions Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 6

23 A Realistic Debris Removal Architecture The debris that must be removed is too small to track and cannot be collected on an individual basis. Thus, instead of trying to chase individual debris objects for collection, a better approach is to let the debris come to a collector. This solution requires the placement of collection devices in the path of small debris objects. These collectors would, in fact, be impact devices that can absorb or slow down debris objects. A complete solution will require a constellation of impact devices placed in orbits with altitudes that correspond to the highest density zones of small debris objects. Courtesy of a.i. solutions Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 6

24 A Realistic Debris Removal Architecture The debris that must be removed is too small to track and cannot be collected on an individual basis. Thus, instead of trying to chase individual debris objects for collection, a better approach is to let the debris come to a collector. This solution requires the placement of collection devices in the path of small debris objects. These collectors would, in fact, be impact devices that can absorb or slow down debris objects. A complete solution will require a constellation of impact devices placed in orbits with altitudes that correspond to the highest density zones of small debris objects. These impact devices will have to be maneuverable in order to avoid active satellites and large debris objects. Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium Courtesy of a.i. solutions 6

25 Concept of Operation for Wholesale Debris Collection All debris collection operations are in the equatorial plane. This diagram shows the Earth and the two boundary equatorial debris field limits of interest, i.e., 600 km and 1,200 km. 600 km 1,200 km Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 7

26 Concept of Operation for Wholesale Debris Collection This diagram shows a few examples of active satellites in orbits that coincide with the high density debris zone as they cross the equator. 600 km 1,200 km Nomenclature: = Active Satellites to be avoided Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 7

27 Concept of Operation for Wholesale Debris Collection This diagram shows a few examples of active satellites in orbits that coincide with the high density debris zone as they cross the equator, plus a small debris object as it crosses the equator. 600 km 1,200 km Nomenclature: = Active Satellites to be avoided = Debris Object of less than 5 cm in size Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 7

28 Concept of Operation for Wholesale Debris Collection This diagram shows a conceptual debris collection operation. Depicted is one Debris Collection Unit in a slightly elliptical equatorial planeorbit,asitsweepsupdebris while avoiding large objects and active satellites. A complete constellation of these units can permanently protect near Earth space activities. 600 km 1,200 km Nomenclature: = Active Satellites to be avoided = Debris Object of less than 5 cm in size = Debris Collector Orbit Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 7

29 An Ecosystem for Near Earth Space Control Once you commit to an equatorial network of debris collectors: Incorporate SSA sensors for data collection, because the best place to collect such data is in LEO at the equator. Courtesy of a.i. solutions Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 8

30 An Ecosystem for Near Earth Space Control Once you commit to an equatorial network of debris collectors: Incorporate SSA sensors for data collection, because the best place to collect such data is in LEO at the equator. Incorporate space traffic management monitors and a precision satellite conjunction warning system. Courtesy of a.i. solutions Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 8

31 An Ecosystem for Near Earth Space Control Once you commit to an equatorial network of debris collectors: Incorporate SSA sensors for data collection, because the best place to collect such data is in LEO at the equator. Incorporate space traffic management monitors and a precision satellite conjunction warning system. Incorporate selective debris collection operations to enable individual constellation protection services. Courtesy of a.i. solutions Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 8

32 An Ecosystem for Near Earth Space Control Once you commit to an equatorial network of debris collectors: Incorporate SSA sensors for data collection, because the best place to collect such data is in LEO at the equator. Incorporate space traffic management monitors and a precision satellite conjunction warning system. Incorporate selective debris collection operations to enable individual constellation protection services. Effect cost savings by reducing the ground based sensing infrastructure. Courtesy of a.i. solutions Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 8

33 An Ecosystem for Near Earth Space Control Once you commit to an equatorial network of debris collectors: Incorporate SSA sensors for data collection, because the best place to collect such data is in LEO at the equator. Incorporate space traffic management monitors and a precision satellite conjunction warning system. Incorporate selective debris collection operations to enable individual constellation protection services. Effect cost savings by reducing the ground based sensing infrastructure. Since all maneuvers are in a single plane, add servicing and refueling capabilities that require only in plane maneuvers. Courtesy of a.i. solutions Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 8

34 An Ecosystem for Near Earth Space Control Once you commit to an equatorial network of debris collectors: Incorporate SSA sensors for data collection, because the best place to collect such data is in LEO at the equator. Incorporate space traffic management monitors and a precision satellite conjunction warning system. Incorporate selective debris collection operations to enable individual constellation protection services. Effect cost savings by reducing the ground based sensing infrastructure. Since all maneuvers are in a single plane, add servicing and refueling capabilities that require only in plane maneuvers. And continue to expand applications such as. Courtesy of a.i. solutions Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 8

35 Conclusions The Launchspace Technologies approach effectively turns the debris problem inside out by targeting the most dangerous small debris objects instead of the least dangerous large debris items. Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 9

36 Conclusions The Launchspace Technologies approach effectively turns the debris problem inside out by targeting the most dangerous small debris objects instead of the least dangerous large debris items. Instead of collecting individual large debris objects at high cost and complexity, this approach offers a simple wholesale way to remove dangerous small debris while avoiding trackable large objects. Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 9

37 Conclusions The Launchspace Technologies approach effectively turns the debris problem inside out by targeting the most dangerous small debris objects instead of the least dangerous large debris items. Instead of collecting individual large debris objects at high cost and complexity, this approach offers a simple wholesale way to remove dangerous small debris while avoiding trackable large objects. This solution is simple, cost effective and permanently stabilizes debris levels in near Earth space. Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 9

38 Conclusions The Launchspace Technologies approach effectively turns the debris problem inside out by targeting the most dangerous small debris objects instead of the least dangerous large debris items. Instead of collecting individual large debris objects at high cost and complexity, this approach offers a simple wholesale way to remove dangerous small debris while avoiding trackable large objects. This solution is simple, cost effective and permanently stabilizes debris levels in near Earth space. This space based infrastructure for debris removal offers the basic elements upon which to build a near Earth space environmental ecosystem. Launchspace Technologies Corporation 33 rd Space Symposium 9

39 Thank you! Marshall Kaplan Launchspace Technologies Corporation rd Space Symposium