RU2708407C1 - Method for elimination of spacecraft left from working orbits into dense layers of atmosphere, and device for fragmentation of spacecrafts in dense layers of atmosphere - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: astronautics.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to space engineering, namely to methods and devices for cleaning near-earth space from space garbage, and can be used for destruction of spacecrafts (SC) in dense layers of atmosphere. In liquidation, modular spacecraft ceases to exist in dense atmospheric layers as an integral unit from the on-board control unit. Modules are connected by rigid connections, under each of which there are pyrocartridges. Pyrocartridges are connected in autonomous electric circuit, which also includes separate low-capacity accumulator battery, which can be recharged from main power sources on board of spacecraft. High-temperature sensors are used to dispense from the liquidation on-board control unit at the required moment of a command for one-time explosion of pyrocartridges. Unit and network, except for high temperature sensors, have heat protection.

EFFECT: achieving completeness of combustion.

2 cl, 2 dwg

Description

The invention relates to the field of space technology, and in particular to methods and devices for cleaning near-Earth space from space debris and can be used to destroy spacecraft (SC) in dense layers of the atmosphere.

Due to the acute problem of space debris (CM) in the coming years, the requirement to equip all spacecraft with abstraction systems will become one of the norms of international law and will be included in the standards of the aerospace departments of all countries of the world. In 2003, on behalf of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), the Inter-Agency Coordination Committee on CM prepared, and in 2007, the UN General Assembly approved a list of measures aimed at limiting man-made space debris. The proposals include a 25-year restriction on the maximum lifetime of low-orbit spacecraft that have exhausted their resources and the transfer of geostationary spacecraft to burial orbits. Low-orbit spacecraft will necessarily lead away from working orbits into dense layers of the atmosphere. In principle, there are withdrawal methods based on the interaction of free charge carriers in the spacecraft cable systems, and they are already undergoing full-scale tests. Soon, a precedent will be created for the real disposal of the spacecraft that has spent its active life. But long before this time, attention should be paid to the problem of the environmentally friendly termination of the physical existence of spacecraft. And not just spacecraft. Already today, the spent stages of launch vehicles (LV), although they fall in predetermined regions of the Earth, but:

- fuel residues pollute water areas and territories;

- any abnormal situation with the launch of the spacecraft leads to the fact that the spent parts of the launch vehicle, both separately from the payload and with the payload, fall into off-site landing sites. It is unacceptable.

Spent spacecraft in dense atmospheric layers will burn up, but the most massive parts of the spacecraft and parts located in the internal sectors of the spacecraft can and do reach the Earth's surface. It is too late to control spacecraft in dense atmospheric layers: for the final stage of spacecraft existence, an unacceptably large thrust impulse and an unacceptably small time for maneuvering may be required.

The process of satellite entry into the atmosphere is a rather complicated process, where most of the variables are variables, namely: mass, atmosphere density, spacecraft fall rate. There is a problem of accounting for the energy spent on heating the air in contact with the satellite, energy for the entrainment of satellite material, light and sound energies. It should also be noted that the aerodynamic properties of the spacecraft are poorly predicted, and the atmospheric model for the ballistic descent of the spacecraft is very approximate. No powerful computer technology can not determine the place of the fall of specific fragments, stretching for many kilometers across the horizon. However, we can definitely say that the main energy will be spent on heating the air flowing around the satellite, which leads to a lack of energy and, as a result, to incomplete combustion of the spacecraft. On the other hand, the area of contact of the satellite with the atmosphere is an important factor, therefore, for more complete combustion, it is necessary to increase the area of contact with the atmosphere.

There are methods that can be considered analogues of this invention, for example, the invention RU 2092409 C1, RU 2204508 C1. However, these methods are designed to deal with spent spacecraft in the orbits of near space, and this leads to an increase in space debris in these orbits. Of course, this space debris will burn out over time, but it will not happen soon. Such methods cannot be taken as analogues. It is necessary to deal with the elimination of spacecraft in dense layers of the atmosphere. Although these inventions meet the criterion of "industrial applicability", it is unlikely when they will be implemented.

A device is known for destroying large spacecraft (RU 116466 U1), characterized in that a cumulative detonating elongated charge (DPS) with a detonator, an igniter and an anti-tampering protection mechanism associated with the activation system is installed on the inner surface of the spacecraft hull in predetermined places. This technical solution is taken as a prototype of the method and device. The prototype represents a project of a device that ensures the separation of spacecraft into specific fragments that burn in dense layers of the atmosphere.

In order to prevent unauthorized operation of the remote sensing system, a safety mechanism is installed with a pyro cartridge and a piston blocking in the initial position the channel between the detonator and the igniter. The number of DLDs and their location depends on the required fragment sizes.

The device operates as follows: At the command of the liquidation on-board control unit (the activation system in the original prototype), the igniter is activated, and the piston releases the fire channel under the action of gases. The detonator is triggered by the next command to the igniter, initiating the remote sensing, and due to the cumulative effect, the spacecraft’s hull material under the remote sensing is destroyed and the hull is divided into fragments.

The disadvantages of the prototype is that although the known device, when supplemented with its highly efficient thermal insulation, could work in dense layers of the atmosphere, it is aimed at the termination of the spacecraft in orbits of near space adjacent to dense layers of the atmosphere. But it is not possible to conduct a full utilization of the spacecraft, based on the description of the PM, because:

1) it will not be possible to divide the whole spacecraft into the expected small fragments. In the prototype we are talking about elongated charges of a cumulative type. But such charges placed in rows cannot reliably destroy the whole structure. They work like a hole punch: they are strong in breaching holes, but they are ineffective for destroying a certain integral monolithic structure. Putting DPS in a continuous band is technically impossible and costly in all respects;

2) no matter how hard you try, it is impossible to produce space dust from the spent spacecraft, the occurrence of spacecraft debris significant for navigation in the space of near space, as a rule, not coordinated with international departments, aggravates (for an indefinite time) the already difficult space situation.

One could expect that the spacecraft in dense atmospheric layers under the influence of gas pressure will fall apart into fragments, but: firstly, nothing is said about this in the prototype; secondly, this requires an unacceptable amount of remote sensing with all the attributes: a housing, a piston, a squib, an igniter, a charge — it all takes its place and has mass, and all this must be multiplied by orders of magnitude in the third degree; thirdly, ballistic descent (and for spacecraft that do not have ideal aerodynamic characteristics, only ballistic descent is possible) does not have time.

If you do not deal with the elimination of spacecraft, their fragments fall to Earth.

The objective of the invention is to provide a method for eliminating a spacecraft and a device for its implementation, which would guarantee complete combustion of the spacecraft in dense layers of the Earth’s atmosphere.

The proposed technical solution is axiomatic in nature and is based on the assertions that: a spacecraft, consisting of structural modules, partially correlated with airborne payload nodes and service systems, may well consist of real cellular-type modules forming the spacecraft structure; under the main nodes of this design can be laid squib; at the right time, according to the signals of most of the high-temperature sensors, simultaneous detonation of all available target squibs will be carried out, destroying the entire design of the spacecraft, especially massive units that were previously produced by monolithic products; any monolithic unit can be imagined and manufactured by a set of modules rigidly connected (coupled) to each other (a rigid coupling is a power connection: welding, screw connection, etc.).

The solution to this problem is that:

1. A method for eliminating spacecraft taken from working orbits into dense layers of the atmosphere, including specifying the locations for the installation of squibs and placing them on board the spacecraft, is distinguished by the fact that spacecraft of a modular type automatically cease to exist in dense layers of the atmosphere as a single unit upon command issued from the liquidation the onboard control unit based on the multiple readings of the high temperature sensor-alarms, which is a command to simultaneously detonate the squibs, due to which the spacecraft is fragmented into modules with a massab hydration band characteristics that guarantee complete their combustion in the atmosphere.

2. A device for fragmentation of spacecraft in dense atmospheric layers, including a liquidation onboard control unit, squibs, characterized in that it contains: an autonomous electric network having its own low-power battery having the ability to recharge from the main power sources on board the spacecraft; high temperature sensors, like fuse; under each of the power connections of the spacecraft design modules, a squib is laid; the liquidation on-board control unit and the autonomous electric network, with the exception of sensors-alarms, have thermal protection.

The idea of artificial fragmentation of spacecraft in dense layers of the atmosphere in one form or another is at the moment, of course, new and meets the criterion of "inventive step" in relation to all its distinguishing features. An idea can have a different implementation. Its essence is presented in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The following notation is introduced:

1 - honeycomb panels with various equipment;

2 - rod with a solar battery;

3 - modules of the platform of a containerless spacecraft or other frame structure;

4 - flywheel of the gyroscope;

5 - rigid coupling - power connections, for example, hoops;

6 - squibs;

7 - places of rigid couplings (fixtures);

8 - liquidation on-board control unit;

9 - autonomous electric network;

10 - high temperature sensors;

11 - the main power source on board the spacecraft.

In FIG. 1, for a more complete picture, the components of the spacecraft design that are fundamentally important for the invention are given in notations 1-4.

A device for the fragmentation of spacecraft in dense layers of the atmosphere includes: liquidation airborne control unit 8 for automatic operation; autonomous electric network 9, having its own low-power battery, having the ability to recharge from the main power sources on board the spacecraft 11; high temperature sensors-alarms 10 as a fuse; igniter 6. Under each of the power connections of the 5 modules of the spacecraft design, an igniter is laid. With the simultaneous detonation of the squibs, the single design of the spacecraft is destroyed into modules. The size of the modules guarantees their complete combustion in dense layers of the atmosphere. The signal to the beginning of the elimination is a temperature increase on board the spacecraft to a critical one, which is laid down in the characteristic of temperature sensors-alarms 10. Each of the spacecraft design modules has a mass not exceeding 90 kg.

A method for eliminating spacecraft taken away from working orbits into dense atmospheric layers is that a spacecraft of a modular type automatically ceases to exist in dense atmospheric layers as a whole upon command issued from the liquidation onboard control unit 8 based on multiple readings of high-level sensors temperature 10, placed in places most fully characterizing the thermal situation. It is important that K A consisted not only of functional (logistic), but also of real (physical) block-modules. Under all places of rigid coupling of the modules (power connections), the squib 6 are laid for high-quality “mining”. A simultaneous, that is, volley blasting of the squibs 6 is carried out, which allows fragmentation of the spacecraft into the original modules. This approach to the production of spacecraft meets the criterion of "Novelty." And this approach is quite feasible, since there are no products that could not be manufactured in a block-modular version.

Most likely, the characteristic radius of the separated parts of the spacecraft can be of the order of 0.2 m. Otherwise, it will be necessary to lay a large number of squibs, which is completely unnecessary in the presence of the atmosphere. With an aluminum density of 2712 kg / m ^{3, the} mass of such fragments is 90 kg, respectively. The decay of the spacecraft into modules should wear

low explosive character. The perigee of the orbits of all the expanding modules-fragments of the spacecraft will be at the heights of these layers, which means that in hours (this is the maximum) all these modules will burn in the Earth’s atmosphere. You can not say about the prototype.

The invention has environmental value and is a low-cost technology.

Claims (2)

1. A method for the elimination of spacecraft (SC), taken from working orbits into dense layers of the atmosphere, including specifying the installation sites of the squibs, their laying on board the SC, characterized in that the spacecraft of a modular type automatically cease to exist in dense layers of the atmosphere as a unit issued from the liquidation on-board control unit on the basis of multiple readings of the high temperature sensor-alarms, which is a command to simultaneously detonate the squibs, thereby producing a fragmentation July spacecraft for modules with weight and size characteristics, guaranteeing their complete combustion in the atmosphere. 2. A device for SC fragmentation in dense atmospheric layers, including a liquidation onboard control unit, squibs, characterized in that it contains: an autonomous electric network having its own low-power battery, which can be recharged from the main power sources on board the SC; high temperature sensors, like fuse; under each of the power connections of the spacecraft design modules, a squib is laid; the liquidation on-board control unit and the autonomous electric network, with the exception of sensors-alarms, have thermal protection.

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