Using NASA Standard Breakup Model to Describe Low-Velocity Impacts on Spacecraft

The applicability is examined of the hypervelocity collision model included in the NASA standard breakup model 2000 revision to low-velocity collisions possible in space, especially in the geosynchronous regime. The analytic method used in the standard breakup model is applied to experimental data from low-velocity impact experiments previously performed at Kyushu University at a velocity range less than 300 m/s. The projectiles and target specimens used were stainless steel balls and aluminum honeycomb sandwich panels with face sheets of carbon fiber reinforced plastic, respectively. It is concluded that the hypervelocity collision model in the standard breakup model can be applied to low-velocity collisions with some simple modifications

Methods for the Orbit Determination of a Tethered Satellite System by a Single Ground Station

In general, motion of orbital objects is following the Kepler\u27s law, and an orbit determination system in ground stations has the algorithm to analyze the Kepler\u27s motion. A tethered satellite system (TSS) is the representative future space system, and does not follow the conventional space dynamics. Therefore, new methods for the orbit determination of TSS are necessary. Reviewing the previous researches, the following three problems are considered in this paper. At first, the sensitivity that the length of tether and the librational motion influence observations, which are range, range rate, and direction, is researched. Secondly, the new filtering algorithm is proposed for the orbit determination of a TSS. Thirdly, the initial orbit determination of a TSS is proposed. After the considerations, it was made clear that observations of range and range rate can reflect the motion of a TSS, on the other hand, observations of direction are not effective for the detection of a TSS motion. Moreover, the new algorithm for the orbit determination of a TSS showed the excellent performance. When the motion of the center-of-mass is already known, methods of the initial determination of the length of tether, librational angle, and angular velocity were introduced, and the performance was proved

Methods for the Orbit Determination of a Tethered Satellite System by a Single Ground Station

In general, motion of orbital objects is following the Kepler's law, and an orbit determination system in ground stations has the algorithm to analyze the Kepler's motion. A tethered satellite system (TSS) is the representative future space system, and does not follow the conventional space dynamics. Therefore, new methods for the orbit determination of TSS are necessary. Reviewing the previous researches, the following three problems are considered in this paper. At first, the sensitivity that the length of tether and the librational motion influence observations, which are range, range rate, and direction, is researched. Secondly, the new filtering algorithm is proposed for the orbit determination of a TSS. Thirdly, the initial orbit determination of a TSS is proposed. After the considerations, it was made clear that observations of range and range rate can reflect the motion of a TSS, on the other hand, observations of direction are not effective for the detection of a TSS motion. Moreover, the new algorithm for the orbit determination of a TSS showed the excellent performance. When the motion of the center-of-mass is already known, methods of the initial determination of the length of tether, librational angle, and angular velocity were introduced, and the performance was proved

Using NASA Standard Breakup Model to Describe Low-Velocity Impacts on Spacecraft

The applicability is examined of the hypervelocity collision model included in the NASA standard breakup model 2000 revision to low-velocity collisions possible in space, especially in the geosynchronous regime. The analytic method used in the standard breakup model is applied to experimental data from low-velocity impact experiments previously performed at Kyushu University at a velocity range less than 300 m/s. The projectiles and target specimens used were stainless steel balls and aluminum honeycomb sandwich panels with face sheets of carbon fiber reinforced plastic, respectively. It is concluded that the hypervelocity collision model in the standard breakup model can be applied to low-velocity collisions with some simple modifications