Orbital elements discretization method to calculate spatial density and flux

Abstract

The purpose of a space debris environment engineering model is the realistic description of the man-made particulate environment surrounding the Earth and risk assessment for defined target orbits. This paper provides an orbital elements discretization method for deriving spatial density and flux using data sources whose orbital elements are known (e.g., two-line elements (TLE) data). The method converts the original data equivalently into a new data format, the new data are look upon as “quiescent particle with a certain velocity”, which means the new data are static relative to inertial space, their velocity are treated only as an attribute. We calculate spatial density and flux regarding the TLEs as the only data source, the magnitude and tendency of the results are consistent with the previously published papers. Finally, we consider the prospects of applying the technique to data sources whose orbital elements are indeterminate.