Session
Technical Session I: The Horizon
Abstract
As the number of objects in Earth orbit grows, the international satellite community faces a growing problem associated with orbital debris and space collision avoidance. In September 2007, the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) recommended that satellites de-orbit within 25 years after the completion of their mission, or within 30 years of launch if they cannot be parked in less dense (“graveyard”) orbits. Governments around the world are introducing procedures to implement the recommendations of the IADC, and consequently, this requirement poses a significant programmatic risk for new space missions, especially those requiring rapid, responsive, short missions in low Earth orbit. Unfortunately for nano- and microsatellites—which are ideally suited for responsive, short missions—no mature de orbiting technology currently exists that is suitable for a wide range of missions and orbits. The CanX-7 (Canadian Advanced Nanosatellite eXperiment-7) mission aims to accomplish a successful demonstration of a low-cost, passive nano- and microsatellite de-orbiting device. Currently under development at the University of Toronto’s Space Flight Laboratory, CanX-7 will employ a lightweight, compact, modular deployable drag sail to de-orbit a demonstrator nanosatellite. The sail design is highly compact, and a variant of this sail can fit onto even the smallest “cubesat”-based platforms. In order to facilitate acceptance and use by the industry, the sail is specifically designed to be minimally intrusive to the operational mission of the hosting satellite. CanX-7 will demonstrate the drag sail’s ability to meet the requirements of the IADC and enable future missions to proceed without delays. A summary of the CanX-7 mission is presented along with the lifetime analysis and innovative features of the sail that make it attractive to future missions – missions that need de-orbiting assistance but that are sensitive to the risk and resource requirements associated with incorporating a de-orbiting device.
Presentation Slides
The Canadian Advanced Nanospace eXperiment 7 (CanX-7) Demonstration Mission: De-Orbiting Nano- and Microspacecraft
As the number of objects in Earth orbit grows, the international satellite community faces a growing problem associated with orbital debris and space collision avoidance. In September 2007, the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) recommended that satellites de-orbit within 25 years after the completion of their mission, or within 30 years of launch if they cannot be parked in less dense (“graveyard”) orbits. Governments around the world are introducing procedures to implement the recommendations of the IADC, and consequently, this requirement poses a significant programmatic risk for new space missions, especially those requiring rapid, responsive, short missions in low Earth orbit. Unfortunately for nano- and microsatellites—which are ideally suited for responsive, short missions—no mature de orbiting technology currently exists that is suitable for a wide range of missions and orbits. The CanX-7 (Canadian Advanced Nanosatellite eXperiment-7) mission aims to accomplish a successful demonstration of a low-cost, passive nano- and microsatellite de-orbiting device. Currently under development at the University of Toronto’s Space Flight Laboratory, CanX-7 will employ a lightweight, compact, modular deployable drag sail to de-orbit a demonstrator nanosatellite. The sail design is highly compact, and a variant of this sail can fit onto even the smallest “cubesat”-based platforms. In order to facilitate acceptance and use by the industry, the sail is specifically designed to be minimally intrusive to the operational mission of the hosting satellite. CanX-7 will demonstrate the drag sail’s ability to meet the requirements of the IADC and enable future missions to proceed without delays. A summary of the CanX-7 mission is presented along with the lifetime analysis and innovative features of the sail that make it attractive to future missions – missions that need de-orbiting assistance but that are sensitive to the risk and resource requirements associated with incorporating a de-orbiting device.
