MITIGATION OF ORBITING SPACE DEBRIS BY MOMENTUM EXCHANGE WITH DRAG-INDUCING PARTICLES

MITIGATION OF ORBITING SPACE DEBRIS BY MOMENTUM EXCHANGE WITH DRAG-INDUCING PARTICLES

A cloud of small to medium-sized space debris is mitigated by releasing drag-reducing particles into the cloud from a dispenser vehicle, causing the particles to collide or otherwise interact with, and thereby exchange momentum with, the debris particles, reducing the orbiting velocity of the debris...

Ausführliche Beschreibung

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Bibliographische Detailangaben
Hauptverfasser: SOTA CHARLES, HORKIN PHILIP R, MASSE ROBERT K, PATTERSON DAVID P, KING DAVID Q, CARPENTER CHRISTIAN B, BAGSHAW ROBERT H
Format: Patent
Sprache:eng
Schlagworte:
AIRCRAFT
ARRANGEMENTS OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSIONTRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
AVIATION
COSMONAUTICS
EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT
FLYING SUITS
PARACHUTES
PERFORMING OPERATIONS
TRANSPORTING
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Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:A cloud of small to medium-sized space debris is mitigated by releasing drag-reducing particles into the cloud from a dispenser vehicle, causing the particles to collide or otherwise interact with, and thereby exchange momentum with, the debris particles, reducing the orbiting velocity of the debris to a degree sufficient to cause the debris to de-orbit, or to accelerate the de-orbiting of the debris, to Earth. Certain embodiments also include a shepherd vehicle containing systems for identifying and tracking the debris cloud and for coalescing the debris cloud to increase the particles density in the cloud.