Cost-Effective Spacecraft Drag Sail for Satellite Reentry

As space exploration continues to progress, so do the difficulties posed by space debris. Space debris severely threatens satellites currently operating that provide essential services like communication and Global Positioning System (GPS). NASA and other authorities have instituted policies to limit space debris by mandating a maximum dwell time of 25 years for decommissioned satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO). Despite these regulations, space agencies and companies often have satellites that violate this rule due to mission longevity and cost-efficiency demands. Spacecraft drag sails are an emerging technology aimed at solving these challenges. When deployed, these devices increase the surface area of a satellite, increasing atmospheric drag force. This increased drag allows post-mission satellites to deorbit within NASA's time constraint. By analyzing the increased area and decreased ballistic coefficient of spacecraft with deployed drag sails, orbital models can calculate the predicted reentry time. This research aims to demonstrate the feasibility of using low-cost materials and designs in spacecraft drag sail technology to bring satellites in LEO below the 25-year reentry limit. It utilized two main software tools for analysis, the French Space Agency's STELA (Semi-Analytic Tool for End-of-Life Analysis) and NASA's DAS (Debris Assessment Software). Based on the initial cross-sectional area and mass of an LM-400, a basic medium-sized spacecraft, DAS predicts an orbital lifetime of 56 years at a 700 km apogee. Analyzing various area-to-mass ratios, the lifetime decreases as the ratio increases. It showed that a minimum ratio of 0.0201 m2/kg was needed to decrease the orbital lifetime of the LM-400 to less than 25 years. This research includes cost-efficient designs for the additional cross-sectional area needed to decrease the orbital lifetime of spacecraft in general.