National Aeronautics and Space Administration Orbital Debris Quarterly News Volume 22, Issue 1 February 2018
Inside... Two Anomalous Events in GEO Summer 2017 was marred by two apparently platform. Spacecraft dry mass is estimated to be on Space Debris Sensor anomalous events in the geosynchronous orbit the order of 2000 kg. On-board stored energy sources Launches Aboard (GEO) belt. Both incidents have been observed by include fuel and pressurized components, as well as the commercial space situation awareness providers, but as battery subsystem. SpaceX-13 2 of 26 December 2017 no debris from either event have The Indonesian GEO communications spacecraft entered the public catalog. TELKOM-1 (1999-042A, SSN catalog number 25880) SEM Analysis The GEO communications spacecraft AMC-9 experienced an energetic event on or about 25 August Results of (International Designator 2003-024A, U.S. Strategic 2017, after over 18.1 years on-orbit—3 years past Returned ISS Command [USSTRATCOM] Space Surveillance its nominal operational lifetime. An examination of Network [SSN] catalog number 27820), formerly known the Two Line Element data indicates an observable PMA-2 Cover 4 as GE-12, experienced an energetic event estimated to change in spacecraft orbit between 26 and 29 August. have occurred at approximately 07:10 GMT on 17 June At the beginning of this time interval, approximately CubeSat Study 2017, after approximately 14 years on-orbit. Fig. 1 Project Review 6 depicts the orbital evolution of the spacecraft in 2017. continued on page 2 SES, the spacecraft owner- operator, described this AMC‐9 (SSN 27820, 2003‐024A) 360 36300 Space Debris Sensor event as a “serious anomaly.”
Installation 8 Following this event, the 36200 spacecraft began a westward 300 Monthly Object Type drift in the GEO belt. 36100 Debris fragments have been 240 ] ° Charts by Number 36000 altitude [ observed in the vicinity and Mass 10 of the AMC-9 spacecraft.
180 35900 SES has regained control [km] longitude
Space Missions of the spacecraft and has 35800 120 and Satellite transferred AMC-9 to the so-called graveyard 35700 Box Score 12 subsatellite orbit, a long-term disposal 60 subsatellite longitude [o] orbit region located apogee alt [km] 35600 above the GEO belt. The perigee alt. [km] 0 35500 NASA Orbital Debris Program Office (ODPO) 2017.00 2017.08 2017.17 2017.25 2017.33 2017.42 2017.50 2017.58 2017.67 2017.75 2017.83 2017.92 2018.00 characterizes this episode time [YYYY.Y] as an anomalous event. Figure 1. The 2017 orbital evolution of the AMC-9 spacecraft. Depicted are the subsatellite longitude, The spacecraft bus is demonstrating a westward drift post-event, and the apogee/perigee altitude history. The altitude A publication of the popular Thales Alenia profile clearly indicates the abrupt nature of the 17 June 2017 event, recovery activities by the owner/ the NASA Orbital Space (formerly Alcatel operator, and the final boost to the so-called graveyard orbit above the GEO belt. Inclination control Debris Program Office Space) Spacebus-3000B3 appears to have terminated in late June 2017. Orbital Debris Quarterly News Events in GEO continued from page 1 10:43 GMT on 26 August, TELKOM-1 was in a TELKOM‐1 (SSN 25880, 1999‐042A) 120 36000 35793 x 35781 km, 0.0112° orbit; afterwards, at approximately 19:36 GMT on 29 August, the 35950 orbit was 35838 x 35764 km at an inclination
35900 of 0.0237°. PT Telkom, the spacecraft owner- 110 operator, declared on 30 August that the spacecraft 35850 could not be salvaged [1]. Following this event,
] the spacecraft began a westward drift in the GEO ° altitude [ 35800 belt. As this ODQN goes to press, the spacecraft orbit has evolved as depicted in Fig. 2. The
100 35750 [km] NASA Orbital Debris Program Office (ODPO) longitude 35700 characterizes this episode as an anomalous event. The spacecraft bus is the Lockheed Martin 35650 A2100 platform. Spacecraft dry mass is estimated 90 to be on the order of 1640 kg. On-board stored subsatellite 35600 subsatellite longitude [o] energy sources include fuel and pressurized apogee alt [km] 35550 components as well as the battery subsystem. perigee alt. [km] 80 35500 Reference 1. “Antenna glitch disconnects Telkom-1 satellite customers in Indonesia,” http:// 2017.00 2017.08 2017.17 2017.25 2017.33 2017.42 2017.50 2017.58 2017.67 2017.75 2017.83 2017.92 2018.00 spacenews.com/antenna-glitch-disconnects- time [YYYY.Y] telkom-1-satellite-customers-in-indonesia/ when Figure 2. The 2017 orbital evolution of the TELKOM-1 spacecraft. Depicted are the subsatellite longitudes, demonstrating accessed December 2017. ♦ a westward drift post-event, and the apogee/perigee altitude history. The altitude profile clearly indicates the abrupt nature of the event and possible mitigation activities by the owner/operator. Inclination control apparently terminated in early September 2017.
Space Debris Sensor Launches Aboard SpaceX-13 The NASA Orbital Debris Program Office at the ESA Columbus module’s External Payload press, to commence 3 years of operations at (ODPO) Space Debris Sensor (SDS) was Facility-Starboard Overhead-X (EPF-SOX) this location. Following completion of the SDS launched to the International Space Station (ISS) mission, the SDS is planned to be disposed of aboard the Commercial Resupply mission CRS- by reentry aboard a future CRS-series mission. 13 (or SpaceX-13, SpX-13) vehicle on Friday, TIC GRID ORB The SDS is the first flight demonstration COUS ITAL N 15 December 2017, from Cape Canaveral E/A AS of the Debris Resistive/Acoustic Grid TIV A-N Air Force Station's (CCAFS's) Launch IS AV Orbital NASA-Navy Sensor (DRAGONS) ES Y Complex 40. Following the launch of a R S developed and matured by the NASA E Space Exploration Technologies Corp. IS N ODPO [1]. The DRAGONS concept R S (SpaceX) Falcon 9 recoverable booster, B O combines several technologies E R
Fig. 1, the Dragon vehicle separated D to characterize the size, speed, from the Falcon 9’s second stage, direction, and density of small Fig. 2, en route to the ISS. The launch impacting objects. With a minimum featured, for the first time, the second 3-year operational lifetime, the SDS use of both the Falcon 9 first stage and is anticipated to collect statistically the Dragon capsule, and post-staging significant information on orbital the Falcon 9 first stage landed at SpaceX's debris ranging from 50 µm to 500 µm Landing Zone 1 at CCAFS. The Dragon IS R in size. Most impacts will be around the S D SO capsule rendezvoused with the ISS on Sunday, RAG SEN threshold of 50 µm; the estimated number of 17 December, and was captured and docked that ONS SPACE DEBRIS 500 µm and larger impacts for a square meter day. in an ISS orbit over 2018-2020 is 0.84. The The SDS was robotically extracted from development of the SDS has been chronicled the SpX-13 Dragon trunk and installed on location. Following a multi-week checkout 1 January 2018. As seen in Fig. 3, the SDS is hosted period SDS is expected, as the ODQN goes to continued on page 3
2 www.orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov SDS Launches continued from page 2 in the ODQN (ODQN vol. 21, Issue 3, August vol. 16, Issue 3, July 2012, pp. 2-3, “Development • https://www.youtube.com/ 2017, p. 2, “Update on the Space Debris Sensor” of DRAGONS-An MMOD Impact Detection watch?v=O0i7-xqRF0s (launch recap accessed and pp. 3-6 “Benefits of a High LEO In-situ Sensor System”). Readers are further directed to 19 December 2017) Measurement Mission”; ODQN vol. 21, Issue 1, these online and social media resources: February 2017, p. 1, “Space Debris Sensor Waiting Reference for Launch” and pp. 9-10 “SDS is Readied for • https://www.nasa.gov/mission_ Hamilton, J., Liou, J.-C., Anz-Meador, P.D., Flight” photo feature; ODQN vol. 19, Issue 2, pages/station/research/news/sensor_to_ et al., “Development of the Space Debris Sensor,” April 2015, p. 11, “Space Debris Sensor (SDS) monitor_orbital_debris_outside_ISS 7th European Conference on Space Debris, testing in progress at NASA White Sands Test Darmstadt, Germany, published by ESA Space • @ (Twitter) Facility”; ODQN vol. 19, Issue 1, January 2015, ISS_Research Debris Office (April 2017). ♦ pp. 2-3, “DRAGONS to Fly on the ISS”; ODQN
Figure 1. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft successfully launched to the International Space Station Figure 2. The Dragon trunk following separation from the SpaceX Falcon 9 second at 10:36 a.m. EST Dec. 15, 2017, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Credits: stage; clearly visible are the trunk payloads SDS at the 9 o’clock position and the Total NASA/Tony Gray and Sandra Joseph. Retrieved December 17 at https://www.nasa.gov/press- & Spectral solar Irradiance Sensor experiment at the 1 o’clock position. The Flight release/nasa-sends-new-research-to-space-station-aboard-spacex-resupply-mission . Releasable Attachment Mechanism station at the 5 o’clock position was fl wn empty for this flight Credit: NASA
Figure 3. Having been installed robotically, in this artist's concept, the SDS resides at the ESA Columbus module’s EPF-SOX location. Credit: NASA
3 Orbital Debris Quarterly News PROJECT REVIEWS SEM Analysis Results of Returned ISS PMA-2 Cover
J. HYDE, E. BERGER, D. LEAR, AND PMA-2 beta cloth of various diameters, shown in Hardware for MMOD Impacts,” 7th European E. CHRISTIANSEN solid lines for MEM-R2 and ORDEM 3.0 and with Conference on Space Debris, Darmstadt, In a previous Orbital Debris Quarterly News a dashed line for the MMOD total. Germany, published by ESA Space Debris Office (ODQN, vol. 20, issue 3, July 2016, pp. 4-6), we References (April 2017). ♦ reported on results from post-flight inspection 1. Hyde, J., Read, J., Lear, D., Christiansen, of the Pressurized Mating Adapter #2 (PMA-2) E. “MMOD Impacts Found on a Returned ISS continued on page 5 cover for micrometeoroid and orbital debris Cover,” Orbital PMA-2 Cover SEM/EDS Results (MMOD) impacts [1, 2]. The PMA-2 cover was Debris Quarterly Impactor Type/ mounted on the forward-facing port of Node 2 News, vol. 20, Feature # Hole Diameter (mm) Possible Impactor which is the docking port that will by upcoming issue 3, (July Major Constituent U.S. Commercial Crew vehicles. On 9 July 2016). 1 0.60 OD: Zn, S, Fe, Ti Steel 2013 a cover was installed to protect the exposed 2. Hyde, J., 2 1.01 OD: Ni Steel docking port. PMA-2 is located on the front of the Christiansen, E., 10 0.80 OD: Fe Steel ISS, with the cover facing directly into the velocity Lear, D., Nagy, K., 12 0.57 MM: Ca, Mg, Fe, S Chondrite vector as shown in Fig. 1. The cover was removed Berger, E. “Surveys 13 0.73 MM: Fe, Ni, S Metal/sulfide‐rich MM in February 2015 during US EVA 30 (1.63 years of Returned ISS 24 0.36 OD: Fe, Ti Steel exposure), and it was returned from ISS on SpaceX CRS-6 in May 2015. The cover consists of a beta cloth (Teflon coated fiberglass fabric) outer layer and internal layers of ballistic fabric. A post-flight inspection of the returned space-exposed article revealed 26 sites with distinctive hypervelocity impact features. An idealized view of the approximately 2-m diameter cover with a surface area of 3.7 m2 is provided in Fig. 2, along with the location of the 26 impact sites. Intact samples were extracted at six locations for additional imaging via Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and chemical analysis using Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS). The table summarizes the EDS characterizations of the impactor types. Four of the six analyzed samples displayed indications of high density orbital debris as the source of the impact. An example SEM image of the entry hole in the beta cloth outer layer for feature #1 is shown Figure 1. Location of PMA-2 cover. Source: NASA TV in Fig. 3. Higher magnification images of an area with impact melt containing iron-rich deposits are provided in Figs. 4 and 5. The spectra associated with the iron deposit are shown in yellow in Fig. 6, with spectra from clean beta cloth shown in red. Extraction of most remaining impact sites on the PMA-2 cover for SEM/EDS analysis is planned for 2018. A comparison between the observed MMOD impact feature sizes and the expected number of MMOD features calculated by the computer code Bumper 3 is shown in Fig. 7. The 26 individual observations of entry hole size are depicted as yellow circles in the figure. There is good comparison, down to a limiting size of approximate 300 µm, between the observed holes in the cover and results of the Bumper 3 calculations for the number of entry holes in Figure 2. Port and starboard views of MMOD impact observations on PMA-2 cover. Source: NASA HVIT
4 www.orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov SEM Analysis Results continued from page 4
Figure 3. Impact #1 - SEM imagery of damage on fi st layer Figure 4. Impact #1 – SEM imagery of melted beta cloth Figure 5. Impact #1 – Detail of iron oxide indication on (beta cloth). Source: NASA e-beam lab components and iron rich deposits on fi st layer (beta cloth) fibe s. fi st layer (beta cloth) fibe s. Source: NASA e-beam lab Highlighted area shown in Fig. 5. Source: NASA e-beam lab
Figure 6. Impact # 1 – Spectra associated with iron oxide and Teflon on fi st layer (beta cloth) fibe s shown in yellow. Clean beta cloth fiber spectra shown in red. Source: NASA e-beam lab
Figure 7. Comparison of 26 estimated particle sizes causing observed damage on the PMA-2 cover and Bumper 3 predictions. Source: NASA HVIT
5 Orbital Debris Quarterly News CubeSat Study Project Review D. VAVRIN AND A. MANIS the universal application of post-mission disposal future projection, and the mission lifetime for The NASA Orbital Debris Program Office (PMD). payloads is set at 8 years. A specified percentage has conducted a series of low Earth orbit (LEO) to The baseline population in this study depicts of spacecraft and rocket bodies are repositioned geosynchronous orbit (GEO) Environment Debris a future environment without the introduction in decay orbits following PMD maneuvers, (LEGEND) model computations to investigate of cluster deployments of CubeSats [1]. Actual where they will re-enter the atmosphere within the long-term effects of adding CubeSats to the historical launches and evolution from 1957 25 years. The baseline population is projected environment. These results are compared to through 2014 are simulated as the initial condition using two PMD success rates of 60% and 90%. a baseline “business-as-usual” scenario where for future traffic projection, which runs for Each simulation includes 100 Monte Carlo runs to launches are assumed to continue as in the past 200 years starting in 2015. Future launches ensure a thorough statistical sampling of the future without major CubeSat deployments. Using these repeat the historical launch traffic cycle from 2007 environment. Results shown are averages over results, we make observations about the continued to 2014 inclusive. The rate of future explosions use of the 25-year rule and the importance of is set to zero, assuming 100% passivation in the continued on page 7