Spacecraft re-entry strategies: Meeting debris mitigation and ground safety requirements

Ailor, William; Patera, Russell P.

doi:10.1243/09544100jaero199

Cited by 12 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 3 publications

(3 reference statements)

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“…As the number of objects orbiting the Earth continues to increase, the issue of debris, and consequently debris re-entering the atmosphere, can no longer be dismissed. Moreover, the damage generated by large pieces of debris could be dramatic if the objects reach populated areas (Ailor & Patera 2007). In order to prevent these kinds of negative consequences, various types of studies are being done.…”

Section: State Of the Artmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation of shock/shock interferences on the aerodynamics of a fragment in the wake of debris in a rarefied regime/at high altitude

Cardona,

Lago

2023

J. Fluid Mech.

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This work presents an experimental investigation focused on the analysis of aerodynamic properties between two interacting spheres in a supersonic rarefied flow. Atmospheric re-entries of space debris, whether natural or man-made, begin at altitude 120 km, and observations of historical re-entries have shown that fragmentation occurs between 90 and 50 km. The resulting fragments interact with each other, altering their own trajectories while traversing the different flow regimes between the free molecular and continuum regimes. This study focuses on the intermediate slip regime, where viscous effects of varying magnitude can influence the nature of the interactions of the shocks and modify them from the already known behaviour in the continuum regime. Specifically, this study examines how two spheres interact with each other upon re-entry into the atmosphere, focusing particularly on the six types of shock/shock interactions identified by Edney. The experiments were performed in the MARHy wind tunnel, in a steady Mach 4 laminar flow with static pressure 2.67 Pa. To highlight the differences between the six types of interferences, a variety of set-ups and devices were used: flow-field visualization, aerodynamic forces (through two diagnoses, aerodynamic balance and the swinging sphere technique) and wall pressure measurements. Results demonstrate the identification of differences according to the type of interference observed, showing in particular the viscous effect of rarefied flows by making a comparison with the continuum regime.

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Section: State Of the Artmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation of shock/shock interferences on the aerodynamics of a fragment in the wake of debris in a rarefied regime/at high altitude

Cardona,

Lago

2023

J. Fluid Mech.

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“…Figure 8 and Figure 9 illustrate the increase in orbit lifetime and increase in the total change in true anomaly given a variation in tswap. The initial conditions were a 300 km circular orbit and the initial tswap was 150,000 seconds (41.67 hours) with ballistic coefficients in units of m 2…”

Section: A Latitude Controllabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Spacecraft Deorbit Point Targeting Using Aerodynamic Drag

Omar¹,

Bevilacqua²,

Guglielmo³

et al. 2017

Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics

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“…No longer functioning orbiting satellites, parts or fragments of launcher rockets or spacecraft remain for decades in low earth orbit, widely used for space missions. Re-entry of spacecraft, unforeseen satellite disintegration, or ballistic missile interception can also produce debris due to the disruption and melting processes occurring in those cases [416,417]. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to study the risk of conjunctions in such dangerous orbits.…”

Section: Satellitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aeronautics and astronautics: Recent progress and future trends

Martínez‐Val

Pérez

2009

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part C:

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Aeronautics and astronautics are two closely related disciplines, sometimes found under the joint term aerospace, that have progressed at a formidable pace during the 20th century. Their impact on society is overwhelming. For example, the aeroplane, the core of aeronautics, has been identified as one of the three major inventions of that century. On its turn, satellites have paved the way for modern globalization. Major drivers leading this progress have changed from the classical motto ‘higher, further, faster’ to the current ‘more affordable, cleaner, quieter’, but safety has always been kept the undisputed number one. The underlying key factors for progress have been and still are excellence and co-operation. Both aeronautics and astronautics are multidisciplinary in nature and, accordingly, this review summarizes relevant advances and trends in pertinent fields: aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, and so on. All these fields are still very healthy and the 21st century will witness again a new era of astonishing aerospace developments.

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Spacecraft re-entry strategies: Meeting debris mitigation and ground safety requirements

Cited by 12 publications

References 3 publications

Investigation of shock/shock interferences on the aerodynamics of a fragment in the wake of debris in a rarefied regime/at high altitude

Investigation of shock/shock interferences on the aerodynamics of a fragment in the wake of debris in a rarefied regime/at high altitude

Spacecraft Deorbit Point Targeting Using Aerodynamic Drag

Aeronautics and astronautics: Recent progress and future trends

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