Can the Orbital Debris Disease Be Cured Using Lasers?
Ground-based high-power lasers are, in principle, able to de-orbit any kind of space debris object from the low Earth orbit (LEO) by remotely inducing laser-ablative momentum. However, the assessment of efficiency and operational safety depends on many factors, like atmospheric constraints or the ri...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Aerospace |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/10/7/633 |
| _version_ | 1797590753504919552 |
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| author | Stefan Scharring Jürgen Kästel |
| author_facet | Stefan Scharring Jürgen Kästel |
| author_sort | Stefan Scharring |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ground-based high-power lasers are, in principle, able to de-orbit any kind of space debris object from the low Earth orbit (LEO) by remotely inducing laser-ablative momentum. However, the assessment of efficiency and operational safety depends on many factors, like atmospheric constraints or the risk of debris disintegration during irradiation. We analyze laser momentum for a great variety of target geometries and sizes and—for the first time in a large-scale simulation—include thermal constraints in the laser irradiation configuration. Using a coherently coupled 100 kJ laser system at 1030 nm wavelength and a 5 ns pulse duration in an optimized pointing elevation angle range, the pulse frequency should amount to less than 10 Hz to prevent fragment meltdown. For mechanically intact payloads or rocket bodies, repetition rates should be even lower. Small debris fragments sized between 10 and 40 cm can be de-orbited by employing around 100 to 400 station passes with head-on irradiation, while objects exceeding 2 m typically require far more than 1000 irradiations for de-orbit. Hence, laser-based debris removal cannot be considered a prime space sustainability measure to tackle the highest-risk large debris, yet it can provide the remediation of a multitude of small-sized debris using small networks of globally distributed laser sites. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:24:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e779ad87c2cf446d92a404a2672ca3fb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2226-4310 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:24:58Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Aerospace |
| spelling | doaj.art-e779ad87c2cf446d92a404a2672ca3fb2023-11-18T17:51:03ZengMDPI AGAerospace2226-43102023-07-0110763310.3390/aerospace10070633Can the Orbital Debris Disease Be Cured Using Lasers?Stefan Scharring0Jürgen Kästel1Institute of Technical Physics, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Pfaffenwaldring 38–40, 70569 Stuttgart, GermanyInstitute of Technical Physics, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Pfaffenwaldring 38–40, 70569 Stuttgart, GermanyGround-based high-power lasers are, in principle, able to de-orbit any kind of space debris object from the low Earth orbit (LEO) by remotely inducing laser-ablative momentum. However, the assessment of efficiency and operational safety depends on many factors, like atmospheric constraints or the risk of debris disintegration during irradiation. We analyze laser momentum for a great variety of target geometries and sizes and—for the first time in a large-scale simulation—include thermal constraints in the laser irradiation configuration. Using a coherently coupled 100 kJ laser system at 1030 nm wavelength and a 5 ns pulse duration in an optimized pointing elevation angle range, the pulse frequency should amount to less than 10 Hz to prevent fragment meltdown. For mechanically intact payloads or rocket bodies, repetition rates should be even lower. Small debris fragments sized between 10 and 40 cm can be de-orbited by employing around 100 to 400 station passes with head-on irradiation, while objects exceeding 2 m typically require far more than 1000 irradiations for de-orbit. Hence, laser-based debris removal cannot be considered a prime space sustainability measure to tackle the highest-risk large debris, yet it can provide the remediation of a multitude of small-sized debris using small networks of globally distributed laser sites.https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/10/7/633space debrisspace sustainabilityKessler syndromedebris removalhigh-energy laserslaser pulse repetition rate |
| spellingShingle | Stefan Scharring Jürgen Kästel Can the Orbital Debris Disease Be Cured Using Lasers? Aerospace space debris space sustainability Kessler syndrome debris removal high-energy lasers laser pulse repetition rate |
| title | Can the Orbital Debris Disease Be Cured Using Lasers? |
| title_full | Can the Orbital Debris Disease Be Cured Using Lasers? |
| title_fullStr | Can the Orbital Debris Disease Be Cured Using Lasers? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Can the Orbital Debris Disease Be Cured Using Lasers? |
| title_short | Can the Orbital Debris Disease Be Cured Using Lasers? |
| title_sort | can the orbital debris disease be cured using lasers |
| topic | space debris space sustainability Kessler syndrome debris removal high-energy lasers laser pulse repetition rate |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/10/7/633 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT stefanscharring cantheorbitaldebrisdiseasebecuredusinglasers AT jurgenkastel cantheorbitaldebrisdiseasebecuredusinglasers |