Ground-based laser momentum transfer concept for debris collision avoidance. Issue 4 (December 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cordelli, Emiliano; Mira, Andrea Di; Flohrer, Tim; Setty, Srinivas; Zayer, Igor; Scharring, Stefan; Dreyer, Heiko; Wagner, Gerd; Kästel, Jürgen; Schafer, Ewan; Wagner, Paul; Riede, Wolfgang; Bamann, Christoph; Hugentobler, Urs; Lejba, Pawel; Suchodolski, Tomasz; Döberl, Egon; Weinzinger, Dietmar; Promper, Wolfgang
• Is Part Of: Journal of space safety engineering. Volume 9:Issue 4(2022)
• Page Start: 612
• Page End: 624
• Publication Date: 2022-12
• Subjects: Space debris -- Satellite laser ranging -- Laser momentum transfer -- Collision avoidance; ADR Active Debris Removal -- ADS-B Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast -- AEL Accessible Emission Limit -- AMR Area To Mass Ratio -- ANSI American National Standards Institute -- ASA Astrosysteme Austria -- ATC Air Traffic Control -- CA Collision Avoidance -- CBK-PAN Space Research Centre of Polish Academy of Sciences -- CR Collision Rate -- CW Continuous Wave -- DISCOS Database and Information System Characterising Objects in Space -- DLR German Aerospace Centre -- ECMWF European Centre of Medium-Range Weather Forecast -- ESA European Space Agency -- FAR False Alert Rate -- FLARM Traffic awareness and collision avoidance technology for General Aviation, light aircraft, and unmanned air vehicles -- FN False Negative -- FoV Field of View -- FP False Positive -- ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization -- IEC International Electrotechnical Commission -- ILRS International Laser Ranging Service -- IR Infrared -- LARAMOTIONS Laser Ranging and Momentum Transfer Systems Evolution Study -- LEO Low Earth Orbit -- LEN Large European Network -- LGS Laser Guide Star -- LMT Laser Momentum Transfer -- LoS Line of Sight -- LT Laser Tracking -- LTMT Laser Tracking and Momentum Transfer -- LTSim Laser Tracking Simulator -- LXN Large Extended Network -- MASTER Meteoroid and Space Debris Terrestrial Environment Reference -- MPE Maximum Permissible Exposure -- MT Momentum Transfer -- MTSim Momentum Transfer Simulator -- N/A Not Applicable / Not Available -- NOHA No Hazard Area -- OD Orbit Determination -- OOR Operational Orbital Regime -- PoC Probability of Collision -- PPE Personal Protective Equipment -- RSO Resident Space Object -- SBS Surveillance Broadcast Services -- SEN Small European Network -- SLR Satellite Laser Ranging -- SSA Space Situational Awareness -- TRL Technology Readiness Level -- TLE Two Line Elements -- TUM Technical University of Munich -- USSTRATCOM United States Strategic Command -- WBTB Whole-Beam Thermal Blooming -- XXN Extra-large Extended Network; Astronautics -- Periodicals; Space flight -- Periodicals; Space flight -- Safety measures -- Periodicals; Space flight -- Safety regulations -- Periodicals; Astronautics -- Safety measures -- Periodicals; Astronautics -- Safety regulations -- Periodicals; 629.4
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jsse.2022.07.004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2468-8967

Abstract

Abstract: Satellite laser ranging (SLR) is a well-established technology within the scientific community used since the early 1960s to precisely measure distances. The technology evolved in support of the geodetic research striving for high accuracy measurements which nowadays are achieved by means of high repetition, low energy pulse lasers used in combination with satellites equipped with retroreflectors. The achieved accuracy allowed not only for quality improvement of orbit determination products but also remote estimation of the attitude of the observed target. The SLR technique constitutes a highly accurate, relatively cheap alternative to radars for the tracking of orbiting targets. In the last decade, the successful tracking of resident space objects, not equipped with retroreflectors, made SLR a fundamental and appealing technique also in the space debris domain. In this study, we will introduce a possible step forward - thanks to the availability of commercial high power (> 10 kW) continuous wave (CW) lasers - which consists in the setup of a network of ground stations able to efficiently contribute to space debris collision avoidance manoeuvres in the low Earth orbit (LEO). This paper will summarize the achievements of a conceptual study on ground-based laser momentum transfer to LEO space debris performed by a consortium under the guidance of the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) in the frame of the ESA Space Safety Programme. The study was carried out approaching the problem from an astrodynamics, physical, technological and legal point of view. The required tracking precision and the fundamental physics of the laser momentum transfer (LMT) were studied to evaluate the achievable thrust on LEO debris objects with commercially available components. An astrodynamics analysis was carried out to assess the efficiency of the imposed thrust and the consequences on the probability of collision in LEO. In the paper we will report the outcomes of the study which allowed us to define: the requirements of a laser tracking and momentum transfer (LTMT) station, the minimum size of an LTMT network for LEO collision avoidance operation, the current technological challenges, and gaps to be filled before its implementation.