Medium Earth Orbit dynamical survey and its use in passive debris removal

Abstract

The Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) region hosts satellites for navigation, communication, and geodetic/space environmental science, among which are the Global Navigation Satellites Systems (GNSS). Safe and efficient removal of debris from MEO is problematic due to the high cost for maneuvers needed to directly reach the Earth (reentry orbits) and the relatively crowded GNSS neighborhood (graveyard orbits). Recent studies have highlighted the complicated secular dynamics in the MEO region, but also the possibility of exploiting these dynamics, for designing removal strategies. In this paper, we present our numerical exploration of the long-term dynamics in MEO, performed with the purpose of unveiling the set of reentry and graveyard solutions that could be reached with maneuvers of reasonable Delta V cost. We simulated the dynamics over 120-200 years for an extended grid of millions of fictitious MEO satellites that covered all inclinations from 0 to 90 degrees, using non-averaged equations of motion and a suitable dynamical model that accounted for the principal geopotential terms, 3rd-body perturbations and solar radiation pressure (SRP). We found a sizeable set of usable solutions with reentry times that exceed similar to 40 years, mainly around three specific inclination values: 46 degrees, 56 degrees, and 68 degrees; a result compatible with our understanding of MEO secular dynamics. For Delta V <= 300 m/s (i.e., achieved if you start from a typical GNSS orbit and target a disposal orbit with e < 0.3), reentry times from GNSS altitudes exceed similar to 70 years, while low-cost (Delta V similar or equal to 5-35 m/s) graveyard orbits, stable for at lest 200 years, are found for eccentricities up to e approximate to 0.018. This investigation was carried out in the framework of the EC-funded "ReDSHIFT" project. (C) 2019 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.