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Feasibility of using CubeSats and small detectors for in-situ space debris and cosmic dust flux measurement.

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Title: Feasibility of using CubeSats and small detectors for in-situ space debris and cosmic dust flux measurement.
Authors: Cornwell, Luke T.1 (AUTHOR) ltc7@kent.ac.uk, Burchell, Mark J.1 (AUTHOR), Wozniakiewicz, Penelope J.1 (AUTHOR) p.j.wozniakiewicz@kent.ac.uk
Source: Advances in Space Research. May2025, Vol. 75 Issue 9, p6944-6959. 16p.
Subjects: Cosmic dust, Space vehicles, Hazard mitigation, Orbits (Astronomy), Dust measurement, Space debris
Abstract: • The risk to spacecraft from impact damage by space debris is characterised by debris size and shown to peak at 1–10 mm. • Use of CubeSats to host impact detectors for 1 mm size debris is shown to be feasible and cost-effective. • The impact detector technologies available for use on CubeSats are summarised. Impacts on spacecraft by mm-sized debris in Earth orbit can have severe consequences including loss of a spacecraft and generation of more debris. This hazard and potential mitigation are discussed herein, and the risk of an impact (the product of flux and damage) is found vs. size. Reduction of the future flux of mm-sized debris by de-orbiting life-expired space vehicles, only reduces, not eliminates, this hazard. It is thus vital that the flux of mm-sized objects in orbit is well defined, but this requires on-orbit determination. To provide statistically meaningful debris flux data, large detection areas are traditionally required. CubeSats could host debris detectors, but only have small surface areas, and the data from many would be required. Accordingly, flux data from historic small space exposed surfaces are compared herein to MASTER flux model predictions, with good agreement for exposure times of just a few years, demonstrating a viable method to determine the debris flux. The cost of a network of CubeSat mounted impact detectors is also estimated found, and, for fleets of order 100 CubeSats, is comparable to the traditional single large satellite mounted instrument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database: Engineering Source
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Abstract:• The risk to spacecraft from impact damage by space debris is characterised by debris size and shown to peak at 1–10 mm. • Use of CubeSats to host impact detectors for 1 mm size debris is shown to be feasible and cost-effective. • The impact detector technologies available for use on CubeSats are summarised. Impacts on spacecraft by mm-sized debris in Earth orbit can have severe consequences including loss of a spacecraft and generation of more debris. This hazard and potential mitigation are discussed herein, and the risk of an impact (the product of flux and damage) is found vs. size. Reduction of the future flux of mm-sized debris by de-orbiting life-expired space vehicles, only reduces, not eliminates, this hazard. It is thus vital that the flux of mm-sized objects in orbit is well defined, but this requires on-orbit determination. To provide statistically meaningful debris flux data, large detection areas are traditionally required. CubeSats could host debris detectors, but only have small surface areas, and the data from many would be required. Accordingly, flux data from historic small space exposed surfaces are compared herein to MASTER flux model predictions, with good agreement for exposure times of just a few years, demonstrating a viable method to determine the debris flux. The cost of a network of CubeSat mounted impact detectors is also estimated found, and, for fleets of order 100 CubeSats, is comparable to the traditional single large satellite mounted instrument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:02731177
DOI:10.1016/j.asr.2024.06.058