Investigation and comparison between new satellite impact test results and NASA standard breakup model

Abstract

This paper summarizes two new satellite impact tests conducted in order to investigate on the outcome of low-and hyper-velocity impacts on two identical target satellites. The first experiment was performed at a low velocity of 1.5 km/s using a 40-gram aluminum alloy sphere, whereas the second experiment was performed at a hyper-velocity of 4.4 km/s using a 4-gram aluminum alloy sphere by two-stage light gas gun in Kyushu Institute of Technology. To date, approximately 1,500 fragments from each impact test have been collected for detailed analysis. Each piece was analyzed based on the method used in the NASA Standard Breakup Model 2000 revision. The detailed analysis will conclude: 1) the similarity in mass distribution of fragments between lowand hyper-velocity impacts encourages the development of a general-purpose distribution model applicable for a wide impact velocity range, and 2) the difference in area-to-mass ratio distribution between the impact experiments and the NASA standard breakup model suggests to describe the area-to-mass ratio by a bi-normal distribution.

Debris cloud of India anti-satellite test to Microsat-R satellite

“…The size distribution of debris can be expressed in mass using the power-law equation ( Johnson et al. .2001 ; Liou et al., 2002 ; Sakuraba et al., 2008 ) where is the number of debris weight larger than . is the total mass of debris, is the correction factor which is set to be 0.78 in Sakuraba et al.…”

“…The size distribution of debris can be expressed in mass using the power-law equation (Johnson et al .2001;Liou et al, 2002;Sakuraba et al, 2008)…”

“…where N debris is the number of debris weight larger than M f . M tot is the total mass of debris, α is the correction factor which is set to be 0.78 in Sakuraba et al (2008). The breakup model may have large error relative to the real test (Liu et al, 2012).…”

“…,  is the correction factor which is set to be 0.78 inSakuraba et al (2008). The breakup model may have large error relative to the real test(Liu et al 2012).…”

Numerical Simulation of Double Hypervelocity Impacts on the Satellite Propellant Tank with Baffle Protection

“…More than two hundred blasts or impacts of orbiting spacecrafts have happened since the first earth satellite launch in 1957 [1]. The gradually spreading space debris with an average velocity of about 10km/s has caused serious threat to the spacecrafts and astronauts [2].…”