Space-based pulse laser removal of near-earth small debris

Abstract

The aim of this article is to reveal the dynamic response rules of removing near-earth small space debris using space-based pulse laser. A dynamic model of debris deorbit was established by space-based laser irradiation. For different area-mass ratio debris, the evolution process of debris deorbit was addressed in the process of orbital parameters with the number of laser pulses. The results indicated that the true anomaly, the major semi-axis of the debris and the action distance between the debris and the laser platform were gradually decreased with the increase of the number of laser pulses, but the eccentricity was rapidly increased with the increase of the number of laser pulses. Furthermore, the effect of debris deorbit was also analyzed when the debris entering into the best clearance windows. The optimal action angle was decreased with the increase of true anomaly, and the laser platform was within the available range of laser irradiation in the best window period. In a word, the results will provide efficient guidance to grasp the evolutionary process of clearance near-earth small debris by means of space-based pulse laser.