2011/07/01 by Max Cerf, Cerf, Max
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #FOS: Electrical engineering #FOS: Mathematics #Optimization and Control (math.OC) #Space Satellite Systems and Control #Spacecraft Dynamics and Control #Systems and Control (eess.SY) #electronic engineering #information engineering
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1107.0192
openalex publication_date 2011/07/01 · openalex created_date 2022/10/02 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
A possible mean to stabilize the LEO debris population is to remove each year\n5 heavy debris like spent satellites or launchers stages from that space\nregion. This paper investigates the DeltaV requirement for such a Space Debris\nCollecting mission. The optimization problem is intrinsically hard since it\nmixes combinatorial optimization to select the debris among a list of\ncandidates and functional optimization to define the orbital maneuvers. The\nsolving methodology proceeds in two steps : firstly a generic transfer strategy\nwith impulsive maneuvers is defined so that the problem becomes of finite\ndimension, secondly the problem is linearized around an initial reference\nsolution. A Branch and Bound algorithm is then applied to optimize\nsimultaneously the debris selection and the orbital maneuvers, yielding a new\nreference solution. The process is iterated until the solution stabilizes on\nthe optimal path. The trajectory controls and dates are finally re-optimized in\norder to refine the solution. The method is applicable whatever the numbers of\ndebris (candidate and to deorbit) and whatever the mission duration. It is\nexemplified on an application case consisting in selecting 5 SSO debris among a\nlist of 11.\n