This paper reviews improved operational concepts for collision avoidance, addressing the challenges that electric propulsion introduce in Collision Avoidance operations, including during early and final phases of the satellite lifetime (orbit raising and end-of-life operations) as well as during routine operations already in the target orbit. First, those challenges are detailed, outlining how it impacts collision avoidance procedures, of which thruster uncertainty plays a dominant role due to its rapid accumulation during expected long-duration manoeuvres performed with electric propulsion systems (required to reach the desired delta-V). If the uncertainty accumulation is not addressed, conjunction events may appear in the dilution of probability region, where knowledge of the primary and secondary is too poor to take mitigation action. This situation, therefore, should be avoided as much as possible. The design of a collision avoidance manoeuvre becomes increasingly complex for low-thrust propulsion systems, where the thrust profile needs to be optimized throughout the duration of the manoeuvre. SpaceX’s Starlink satellites, along with the OneWeb constellation, are a clear representation of the widespread use of low-thrust propulsion. Hence, the deployment of thousands of electric propulsion satellites fosters the development and introduction of new approaches to collision avoidance design and operations. An analysis of derived improved operational concepts is then detailed in this paper, focusing on improving the conjunction screening and collision avoidance manoeuvre operational concepts, explaining what area of collision avoidance (screening, mitigation) each concept improves, by how much (e.g., uncertainty reduction, Collision Avoidance Manoeuvre (CAM)decision delay and mission impact), and what operational scenarios such concepts apply to (electric orbit raising, Geostationary Orbit (GEO) station keeping manoeuvres etc.). The paper ends by presenting the results of a set of simulations carried out assessing the impact of improved operational concepts for different scenarios, compared to a baseline nominal operational concept, which is currently used in operations by satellite operators.

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Operational Concepts and Design of Mitigation Actions for Collision Avoidance for Electric Propulsion

  • Pau Gago,
  • Jack McHugh,
  • Adrian Diez,
  • Keiran McNally,
  • Marc Torras,
  • Catalina Miritescu,
  • George Muntean,
  • Diego Escobar

摘要

This paper reviews improved operational concepts for collision avoidance, addressing the challenges that electric propulsion introduce in Collision Avoidance operations, including during early and final phases of the satellite lifetime (orbit raising and end-of-life operations) as well as during routine operations already in the target orbit. First, those challenges are detailed, outlining how it impacts collision avoidance procedures, of which thruster uncertainty plays a dominant role due to its rapid accumulation during expected long-duration manoeuvres performed with electric propulsion systems (required to reach the desired delta-V). If the uncertainty accumulation is not addressed, conjunction events may appear in the dilution of probability region, where knowledge of the primary and secondary is too poor to take mitigation action. This situation, therefore, should be avoided as much as possible. The design of a collision avoidance manoeuvre becomes increasingly complex for low-thrust propulsion systems, where the thrust profile needs to be optimized throughout the duration of the manoeuvre. SpaceX’s Starlink satellites, along with the OneWeb constellation, are a clear representation of the widespread use of low-thrust propulsion. Hence, the deployment of thousands of electric propulsion satellites fosters the development and introduction of new approaches to collision avoidance design and operations. An analysis of derived improved operational concepts is then detailed in this paper, focusing on improving the conjunction screening and collision avoidance manoeuvre operational concepts, explaining what area of collision avoidance (screening, mitigation) each concept improves, by how much (e.g., uncertainty reduction, Collision Avoidance Manoeuvre (CAM)decision delay and mission impact), and what operational scenarios such concepts apply to (electric orbit raising, Geostationary Orbit (GEO) station keeping manoeuvres etc.). The paper ends by presenting the results of a set of simulations carried out assessing the impact of improved operational concepts for different scenarios, compared to a baseline nominal operational concept, which is currently used in operations by satellite operators.