Simulation of the Braking Process of a Nanosatellite Using an Electrodynamic Tether System

Abstract

The problem of modeling the braking process of a nanosatellite using a current-conducting tether is considered. The task is related to the actual problem of removing nanosatellites from space that have exhausted their life without the use of jet engines. The interaction of the conducting current of the tether with the magnetic field of the Earth leads to the appearance of the ampere (Lorentz) force that provides braking of the system and a steeper trajectory of the nanosatellite entry into the dense layers of the atmosphere. Modeling and analysis of the braking system is carried out in two models: the model for a straight tether and the model with distributed parameters where the tether is represented by a set of material points. Comparison of the considered equations of motion of the system in terms of estimating the increments of the orbital parameters of the system is considered. The relative influence of aerodynamic forces and ampere forces on the braking process of the system is estimated by the method of mathematical modeling. As an example, a numerical simulation of an electrodynamic tether system motion with a bare tether in the earth's magnetic field is considered.