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Long-term effects of satellite megaconstellations on the debris environment in low earth orbit
Hardy, Brian Patrick
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/108004
Description
- Title
- Long-term effects of satellite megaconstellations on the debris environment in low earth orbit
- Author(s)
- Hardy, Brian Patrick
- Issue Date
- 2020-05-11
- Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
- Ho, Koki
- Department of Study
- Aerospace Engineering
- Discipline
- Aerospace Engineering
- Degree Granting Institution
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Degree Name
- M.S.
- Degree Level
- Thesis
- Date of Ingest
- 2020-08-26T21:54:56Z
- Keyword(s)
- space debris
- megaconstellations
- active debris removal
- Abstract
- This thesis examines the potential long-term impacts of satellite megaconstellations in Low Earth Orbit, with a focus on how post-mission disposal rates for megaconstellations will affect their contributions to orbital debris over the next 150 years. A new, medium-fidelity simulation for modeling orbital debris is developed and described, and several test cases are run with SpaceX’s Starlink megaconstellation and varying success rates for post-mission disposal. In cases where Starlink’s post-mission disposal rate is insufficient to prevent debris growth, varying amounts of active debris removal are explored as a potential mitigation measure. It is shown that LEO debris levels will grow at almost double their baseline rate if Starlink meets only the minimum regulatory requirements for post-mission disposal, and even relatively high rates of active debris removal cannot always return the LEO environment to its non-megaconstellation baseline. Still, the potential exists to minimize the debris-generating effects of large megaconstellations like Starlink if post-mission disposal rates of 95% or better can be achieved.
- Graduation Semester
- 2020-05
- Type of Resource
- Thesis
- Permalink
- http://hdl.handle.net/2142/108004
- Copyright and License Information
- Copyright 2020 Brian Hardy
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Graduate Dissertations and Theses at Illinois PRIMARY
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