ESTIMATION OF THE POSSIBILITY OF USING ELECTRIC PROPULSION SYSTEMS FOR LARGE-SIZED ORBITAL DEBRIS POST-MISSION DISPOSAL

Abstract

The steady increase in the amount of large-sized orbital debris represents a substantial threat to satellite missions. Currently, many methods of cleaning near-Earth space with the use of various means based on various physical principles are considered. Out of them all, the active method using a rocket propulsion system is the most commonly implemented. Considering the high specific impulse, small size, and mass of electric propulsion systems, they are a particularly attractive choice as means of post-mission disposal. Despite their advantages, such systems have certain peculiarities that need to be considered in the process of designing and implementing modern post-mission disposal means. These peculiarities include the maximum time of a single firing of the electric propulsion system, the maximum time of the battery charging, and the time of operation of the control system. The purpose of this work is the determination the capabilities of the modern Hall thrusters ST-25 and ST-40 developed by Space Electric Thruster Systems in solving the problem of post-mission disposal of large-sized orbital debris from low-Earth orbits taking into account the limitations on the power supply system. To achieve this goal, methods of analysis, synthesis, comparison, and computer simulation were used. In the course of the carried-out research, the following problems were solved. A scheme for post-mission disposal of large-sized orbital debris from low-Earth orbit was developed with consideration of the use of an electric propulsion system. The dependence was determined of the minimum delta-v increment required for post-mission disposal of an object within 25 years on the initial altitude of the orbit and the ballistic coefficient of the orbital debris. The upper boundary of the combinations of masses of orbital debris, the altitude of the initial orbit, and the ballistic coefficient were determined, for which post-mission disposal from near-Earth orbits is possible with the use of electric propulsion systems. The obtained results can be used in solving problems of the development of modern means of active post-mission disposal of orbital debris with the use of Hall thrusters developed by Space Electric Thruster Systems