University of Alaska Fairbanks scientists are taking part in the US government’s efforts to design satellites and instruments that can detect small space debris up to a centimeter.
Small space fragments that cannot be detected from the ground now can damage satellites and other spacecraft in low Earth orbit.
The idea is to equip future satellites that are essential to communication systems.
Determine the collision distance of small space fragments
Most universe fragments travel at high speeds of 17,500 mph. A 1cm object traveling at that speed has the same impact energy as a small explosive object such as a hand-ren bullet.
Space debris comes in many shapes and sizes, consisting of abolished satellites, rocket stages, fragments from collisions, and other human-made objects that no longer serve their purpose.
Professor Paul Bernhard, a research professor at the UAF Institute of Geophysics, and his colleagues at the University of Calgary, Canada, have devised a method for determining the distance of a small object from a satellite or spacecraft and the angle of its approach.
This method is based on the discovery that objects within orbit create waves as they pass naturally occurring plasma damage (known as stripes) that occur along the Earth’s magnetic field lines.
On-board sensing and magnetic wave fields
Bernhardt and colleagues are developing equipment that uses this method. He is also designing a satellite that carries the instrument for this first test called Space Debris Hunter.
“The whole satellite is dedicated to detecting debris of space from the ground,” he said.
The orientation of small universe debris is determined by an onboard sensor that simultaneously measures the fields of electrical and magnetic waves to detect signals emitted from electrical objects.
Individual sensors record changes in signal frequency over time. Analysis of these data is used to determine the orientation and distance of the cosmic fragments and to reveal their location.
Bernhardt explained: “Some measurements of this type are sufficient to predict future pathways for debris. That’s the new science we are exploring.”
This knowledge allows satellites to move away from the path of debris. Therefore, operators in the StarLink system take more than 20,000 collision avoidance measures per year.
A broader effort to tackle the problem of small space debris
This work is part of a broader US government effort to track debris in space. This is based on work supported in part by the Director of the National Intelligence Bureau, Office of Intelligence Research Project Activities.
It was carried out in collaboration with contractor Blue Halo on the IARPA Space Debris Identification and Tracking Program.
The US debris tracking program estimates that more than 100 million objects exceed one millimeter of Earth orbit, but less than 1% of space debris that can cause mission-ending damage will be tracked.
Because of these factors, there is growing interest in tracking the fragments of the universe.
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