Session
Session 12: Advanced Technologies II
Abstract
In Q4 of 2017, Roccor of Longmont, Colorado was approached by an ESPA class spacecraft provider with the request to deliver a de-orbit sail within a six-month period. The 140kg spacecraft was to be placed in a circular ~750km, high inclination orbit and needed to deploy a drag device at the end-of-life with a surface area greater than 4m2. After a series of concept iterations with the customer, dual rectangular tip-roll sails were selected, each supported by a deployable High Strain Composite (HSC) boom and offset 45º from the spacecraft’s structure maximizing the cross-sectional area and aerodynamic stability. The rectangular sails, each measuring 4m x 0.5m, are named Roll-Out Composite, FCC Approved Life Limiting Deorbit Devices otherwise known as ROC-FALL. Their low-cost design boasts a simple and robust deployment mechanism utilizing few machined parts that is easily resettable to allow multiple deployment-cycle tests for mission assurance. This paper first provides a broad overview of the space debris problem and a summary of current technologies that are known for end-of-life satellite disposal. This paper then details the ROC-FALL design, and chronicles the recent flight build and lessons learned.
Planning for End-Of-Life Satellite Disposal; The Story of a High Strain Composite Tip-Rolled De-Orbit Sail
In Q4 of 2017, Roccor of Longmont, Colorado was approached by an ESPA class spacecraft provider with the request to deliver a de-orbit sail within a six-month period. The 140kg spacecraft was to be placed in a circular ~750km, high inclination orbit and needed to deploy a drag device at the end-of-life with a surface area greater than 4m2. After a series of concept iterations with the customer, dual rectangular tip-roll sails were selected, each supported by a deployable High Strain Composite (HSC) boom and offset 45º from the spacecraft’s structure maximizing the cross-sectional area and aerodynamic stability. The rectangular sails, each measuring 4m x 0.5m, are named Roll-Out Composite, FCC Approved Life Limiting Deorbit Devices otherwise known as ROC-FALL. Their low-cost design boasts a simple and robust deployment mechanism utilizing few machined parts that is easily resettable to allow multiple deployment-cycle tests for mission assurance. This paper first provides a broad overview of the space debris problem and a summary of current technologies that are known for end-of-life satellite disposal. This paper then details the ROC-FALL design, and chronicles the recent flight build and lessons learned.
