Scholarlink

The recent surge in very low Earth orbit (VLEO) satellite operations necessitates the consideration of gas-surface interactions (GSI) to estimate the aerodynamic drag coefficient. This study utilizes the test particle Monte Carlo (TPMC) method to model the effects of GSI on orbital trajectories. The predominance of atomic oxygen (ATOX) in VLEO increases shear drag that is particularly adverse for VLEO satellite designs with large solar panels for power needs. Mitigation strategies include ATOX-resistant material coatings. This research explores drag reduction impacts on VLEO missions by using different reflective materials, which can be modeled in TPMC using GSI coefficients. Simulations indicate that specularly reflective material coatings on lateral surfaces can achieve approximately \(10\%\) thruster fuel savings and \(40\%\) longer mission operation windows, with room for improvement through optimization of mission phasing and sequencing.

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Effect of Gas-Surface Interactions on Very Low Earth Orbit Mission Operation

  • 会议论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年

查看全文
  • Sai Sudha Ramesh,
  • Basman Elhadidi,
  • Boo Cheong Khoo,
  • Wai Lee Chan

摘要

The recent surge in very low Earth orbit (VLEO) satellite operations necessitates the consideration of gas-surface interactions (GSI) to estimate the aerodynamic drag coefficient. This study utilizes the test particle Monte Carlo (TPMC) method to model the effects of GSI on orbital trajectories. The predominance of atomic oxygen (ATOX) in VLEO increases shear drag that is particularly adverse for VLEO satellite designs with large solar panels for power needs. Mitigation strategies include ATOX-resistant material coatings. This research explores drag reduction impacts on VLEO missions by using different reflective materials, which can be modeled in TPMC using GSI coefficients. Simulations indicate that specularly reflective material coatings on lateral surfaces can achieve approximately \(10\%\) thruster fuel savings and \(40\%\) longer mission operation windows, with room for improvement through optimization of mission phasing and sequencing.