Emergency Deorbit Device for Satellite Bus Failure
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge lies in deorbiting a satellite effectively when its satellite bus malfunctions, as thrusters, which control the satellite's attitude and orbit, cease to function, making it impossible to actively deorbit the satellite, leading to potential debris in orbit.
Innovation Solution
An emergency deorbit device is introduced, comprising a solid rocket motor, spin thruster, reception unit, detection unit, activation device, power supply, safety device, and state detector, which allows for independent operation regardless of the satellite bus's condition, enabling deorbiting by generating thrust and spinning the satellite to stabilize its attitude.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If thrusters are used for controlling satellite attitude and orbit, then the satellite can maintain its orbit and orientation, but the thrusters cannot be activated when the satellite bus malfunctions, making deorbiting impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The emergency deorbit device is segmented into independent functional modules: a propulsion module with solid rocket motor, a power supply module with battery, and a control module. This segmentation allows the deorbit system to operate independently without requiring the satellite bus, resolving the contradiction between reliability of deorbit capability and device complexity dependency.
Solution Approach 2:
The emergency deorbit device is designed as a self-contained system that carries its own power supply and propulsion components. The system serves itself by using the battery to power the solid rocket motor without external assistance from the satellite bus, enabling autonomous deorbit operation when the satellite bus fails.
2Duration of action of moving object
If the satellite bus is designed to function for the entire satellite life, then the satellite can operate for its designed lifespan, but the satellite cannot be deorbed when the satellite bus malfunctions
Solution Approach 1:
The emergency deorbit device is installed on the satellite before the satellite bus may malfunction. The solid rocket motor, power supply, and control components are pre-configured and ready for immediate activation. This preliminary preparation ensures that when the satellite bus fails during operation, the deorbit function can be activated without delay, resolving the contradiction between long operational life and reliable deorbit capability.
3Reliability
If a solid rocket motor is used for emergency deorbit, then the deorbit can be achieved independently of the satellite bus, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The emergency deorbit device extracts only the essential functions needed for deorbiting: a solid rocket motor for propulsion, a battery for power, and minimal control components. By taking out only these critical elements and excluding unnecessary satellite bus components, the system achieves independent deorbit operation while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables reliable deorbiting of satellites, regardless of their operational status, ensuring they do not become debris, by using a solid rocket motor and spin thruster to generate thrust and stabilize the satellite's attitude, thus overcoming the limitation of malfunctioning thrusters.
Implementation Method 1
a solid rocket motor, spin thruster, reception unit, detection unit, activation device, power supply, safety device, and state detector, which allows for independent operation regardless of the satellite bus's condition, enabling deorbiting by generating thrust
Implementation Method 2
enabling deorbiting by generating thrust and spinning the satellite to stabilize its attitude
Data Source
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AI summary
An emergency deorbit device 10 provided in a satellite 100 flying on an orbit around the earth includes a propulsion module 27 generating thrust for separating the satellite 100 from the orbit, a reception unit 31 receiving a repeat signal repeatedly sent at an interval from an sending unit 21 of a satellite bus 3 in the satellite 100, a detection unit 33 outputting a detection signal when the reception unit 31 does not receive the repeat signal in a set time period or when the reception unit 31 receives a deorbit command from the sending unit 21 or from an outside of the satellite, an activation device 35 performing, in response to the detection signal, processing for activating the propulsion module 27, and a power supply device 37 provided separately from a power supply device 15 of the satellite bus 3 and supplying electric power to the reception unit 31, the detection unit 33, and the activation device 35.