Abstract
Space-energy driven laser-ablation debris removal is a feasible way to address the worsening space debris environment. Energy analysis is crucial for the design and run of a space-energy driven laser-ablation debris removal system. This study details the energy analysis of a space-energy driven laser-ablation debris removal system as affected by laser energy, frequency and range. The results show that the laser irradiation time and energy efficiency are decreased with increases in the laser energy and frequency, and the energy efficiency in the case of different planes is significantly lower than that in the case of coplanar. However, laser range has no effect on the perigee changing and energy efficiency. The results can effectively guide the removal scheme design and evaluation.
Highlights
By the end of January 2021, the total weight of space debris had reached 8400 tons, with 128 million debris with a size of 0.1–1 cm, about 90,000 debris with a size of 1–10 cm and34,000 debris with a size greater than 10 cm [1]
Taking the space debris with the perigee of with 800 km, located in the densest distribution of space debris, as an example, the removal process and influence of the key parameters of the system on the energy efficiency were studied from two different running planes
It is assumed that the velocity increment of laser ablation pointed to the direction of space debris along the removal platform without considering the influence of orbital perturbation
Summary
By the end of January 2021, the total weight of space debris had reached 8400 tons, with 128 million debris with a size of 0.1–1 cm, about 90,000 debris with a size of 1–10 cm and34,000 debris with a size greater than 10 cm [1]. Among the currently proposed active debris removal technologies [9,10], space-energy driven laser-ablation debris removal technology has attracted extensive attention because of its wide removal range, fast response speed, adaptability to multiple scale debris and high cost-effectiveness ratio. This method has high requirements for lasers and mainly involves the problems of laser energy storage, instantaneous release and rapid heat dissipation. The perigee of space debris is reduced under the irradiation of high-energy laser and the space debris falls into the atmosphere to be removed
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