A Deployable Membrane Structure for De-Orbiting a Nano Satellite
- Paper number
IAC-07-B4.5.08
- Author
Prof. Yasuyuki Miyazaki, Nihon University, Japan
- Coauthor
Mr. Nobuaki Kinoshita, Nihon University, Japan
- Coauthor
Mr. Yuta Araki, Nihon University, Japan
- Coauthor
Mr. Takafumi Masuda, Nihon University, Japan
- Year
2007
- Abstract
Recently developing nano satellites is quite active in universities as well as the space agencies and the industries. There has been growing fears that the space debri will increase because nano satellites has long orbit life even though their mission life is short compared with large satellites. There are several de-orbiting methods as follows;
- orbit transfer by thrusters
- orbit decent by using aerodynamic drag device
- orbit decent by using electro-dynamic tether
- launch into very low earth orbit
However, the nano satellite can not always chose its injecting orbit because it is launched piggyback on large satellites. And generally, it has little budget of the weight and volume for the de-orbit system. Therefore, the thruster that is relatively weighty is not available so far, even though the micro thruster is under development. Thus the electro-dynamic tether and the aerodynamic drag device are possible solution for the de-orbit system for nano satellites. They have not, however, developed for practical use yet. The aerodynamic drag device necessitates a large area to receive the drag, so that the satellite should mount some deployable light structure that is stored in small volume when launched.
The combination of thin membranes and inflatable thin tubes can form various configuration with light weight. The technology for the inflatable membrane structure has been getting mature now. Thus the inflatable tube structure with thin membranes (ITM) is quite suitable for the aerodynamic drag device to de-orbiting a nano satellite.
In this paper, two types of the configuration of the inflatable aerodynamic drag device are considered, one of which is a balloon, and the other is a pyramidical ITM. The four side edges of the ITM are inflatable tubes, and the four side walls are thin membranes. The nano satellites are quite often injected into the sun-synchronous orbit with the altitude of 600-800km. The orbit analysis shows that the pyramidical ITM is more suitable for the drag device than the balloon when it is injected into such an orbit.
Under this preliminary study, the author propose a pyramidical ITM for the de-orbit of a nano satellite. The engineering model of the ITM is fabricated, and the result of the vacuum testing and the deployment testing under the gravity is presented, which shows the availability of the proposed ITM in space use. The proposed de-orbit system is available for typical nano satellite less than 10kg weight.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-07-B4.5.08.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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