Implementing materials fragmentation in the Life Cycle Assessment of orbital spacecraft

Abstract

Space debris are a primary environmental concern for the sustainability of space mission activities. When considering terrestrial applications, the Life Cycle Assessment represents a widely standardised technique for estimating the environmental impacts of human activities; however, its implementation in the space-related value chain is still in an early stage. In this study, the implications of two alternative materials in the development of a CubeSat structural bus are investigated with reference to the well-established categories for the Life Cycle Impact Assessment. Moreover, the potential impact of these materials on the orbital environment is quantified by the evaluation of the number of generated fragments upon collision for different significant low Earth orbits. The results of this study allow to quantify the impact of alternative design solutions for space systems on the terrestrial environment as well as the degradation of the orbital resources as a result of the space debris generation.