Aerospace Technic and Technology

The article deals with the feasibility of aerodynamic compensator application in the scheme of the so-called noncontact method of space debris removal on the low near-earth orbits without mechanical contact of the spacecraft and space debris. Previously, in relation to one of the technologies for implementing such method of collection, referred to as "the shepherd with an ion beam", its modification was proposed, which consists in replacing the compensating electro jet engine with an aerodynamic compensator. The original compensating engine serves to compensate the reactive power of the main electric jet engine, which torch ion flow has a “braking” effect on the space debris. The idea of modifying the technology was to save the cost of an expensive working jet engine and reduce the starting mass of the shepherd’s spacecraft. However, this assumption was not sufficiently substantiated. The analysis of the feasibility of aerodynamic compensator application is made on the basis of calculating the mass of the working medium and the amount of electrical energy saved due to its application. The above mentioned calculation of the saved mass of the working fluid is made applying a number of simplifying assumptions. As a result of the analysis, it was determined that the expediency of aerodynamic compensator applying is not obvious, considering the mass of the compensator and the complexity of the design of the spacecraft. At the same time, if in one mission of the shepherd’s spacecraft will presuppose to carry out several space debris removal on the orbit, then the application of an aerodynamic compensator become justified. The direction of further research involves a more detailed analysis of the feasibility of aerodynamic compensator application, including the elaboration of the compensator design, its mid-area control method, and simulation of the orbital and relative motion of the shepherd – space debris, consider the disturbing factors and the relative motion control algorithm

shepherd spacecraft; space debris object; collection on the orbit; noncontact removal scheme; aerodynamic compensator; feasibility of application

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