Mission analysis for CubeSat deorbiting using a micro-thrust thin-layer cathode arc thruster

使用微推力薄层阴极电弧推进器进行立方体卫星脱轨任务分析

• 批准号: 2906067
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Southampton
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2020 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2906067
• 关键词: Mission; analysis; CubeSat; deorbiting; using

This PhD project aims to carry out the mission analysis for a novel standalone deorbiting propulsion system, known as ALl- printed Propulsion System (ALPS), using printed electronics and thin-layer vacuum arc thruster technology and to innovate a micropropulsion system for nano- / micro-satellites.Recent advances in CubeSats offer the potential to achieve space activities including high-quality Earth observation at a tenth, if not even cheaper, the cost of a traditional satellite. The increased demands on CubeSats and their abilities have led to the important new need of post-mission disposal mechanism to ensure failsafe and timely deorbit. Despite the proliferation of CubeSats, they have high failure rates due to their low costs and their fast development cycle. The average failure rate of CubeSats is higher than 55%, which is almost twice higher than double the rate of larger satellites, and some of CubeSats are not following the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) guidelines for post mission disposal, which is recommends a residual orbit lifetime to be no longer than 25 years. A robust and low-cost propulsion system, therefore, is required to provide the ability to conduct post-mission disposal of CubeSats thus enabling new missions and ultimately supporting the development of LEO space commerce.The project is proposing a new concept of a micropropulsion system, called a ALl-printed Propulsion System (ALPS), to enable failsafe and timely deorbit and to provide a spacecraft-independent, safe, and timely deorbit capability. The ALPS concept is unexplored and leverages advances in embedded flexible electronics, thin film energy storage, and printing technologies. A flexible thin-film is printed with a complete standalone propulsion system: an array of vacuum arc thrusters using metallic ink propellant are printed directly on the surface of the film. Supporting subsystems are embedded in the film or printed on the surface as required, including high-energy-density micro-lithium ion batteries and communication (antenna/receiver) and control electronics. The resulting independent micropropulsion system produces small amounts of thrust, with potentially limited ability regarding pointing but excellent thrust magnitude control. The challenge is to identify operational modes which allow the satellite to safely deorbit given the restrictions of the system.

该博士学位项目旨在使用印刷的电子设备和薄层真空弧推进器技术进行新的独立解析推进系统（称为全印刷推进系统（ALPS））进行任务分析，并为纳米 - / / / /微型 - 卫星。立方体的进步提供了实现太空活动的潜力，包括高质量的地球观察，即使甚至便宜，甚至便宜的是传统卫星的成本。对立方体及其能力的需求不断提高，导致了在MASS处处理机制的重要新需求，以确保故障安全和及时的Deorbit。尽管立方体的扩散，但由于其成本较低和快速开发周期，它们的失败率很高。立方体的平均故障率高于55％，几乎是较大卫星的两倍的两倍，而某些立方体则不遵循机构间空间碎片协调委员会（IADC）的任务处置指南，该指南的指南建议剩余的轨道寿命不超过25年。因此，需要一个健壮且低成本的推进系统，以提供进行立方体的误解后处理能力，从而实现新的任务并最终支持Leo太空商务的发展。该项目提出了一个新概念， ，称为全印刷的推进系统（ALP），以实现故障安全和及时的脱口机，并提供与航天器无关，安全且及时的Deorbit能力。阿尔卑斯山概念未开发，并利用嵌入式柔性电子设备，薄膜储能和印刷技术的进步。使用完整的独立推进系统打印了柔性薄膜：使用金属墨水推进剂的一系列真空弧推进器直接印在膜表面上。支撑子系统嵌入膜中或根据需要印刷在表面上，包括高能密度的微锂离子电池和通信（天线/接收器）和控制电子设备。由此产生的独立微型刺激系统产生少量推力，在指向但出色的推力幅度控制方面具有有限的能力。面临的挑战是确定操作模式，这些操作模式使卫星可以在系统的限制下安全地脱毛。