Hybrid removal of end-of-life geosynchronous satellites using solar radiation pressure and impulsive thrusts

Abstract

This paper proposes an analytical solution of removing end-of-life GEO satellites to the GEO graveyard region using solar radiation pressure (SRP) and impulsive thrusts. The dynamic model of a GEO satellite equipped with a solar sail is first built upon the magnitude comparisons of different accelerations exerted on the satellite. Then the dynamic system is constructed based on the Gauss’s Variation of Parameter (VOP) equations, and linearized along a nominal trajectory. Control angles of the sail and impulsive thrust vectors are generated using the proposed optimal hybrid disturbance-accommodation tracking maneuvers. Simulations indicate that, to remove a satellite in 360 days using only SRP with the proposed method, a minimal area-to-mass (A/M) ratio of 0.13 m2/kg is required. When the A/M ratio of spacecraft is smaller than the minimal value, impulsive thrusts are applied to assist the removal process. For a satellite with an A/M ratio of 0.1 m2/kg, a total impulse of 10.5 m/s is required.