Harnessing Adaptive Optics for Space Debris Collision Mitigation
Harnessing Adaptive Optics for Space Debris Collision Mitigation
复制标题
利用自适应光学技术减轻空间碎片碰撞
DOI：
--
复制
发表时间：
2016
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
D. Grosse
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
A. Zovaro;F. Bennet;M. Copeland;F. Rigaut;C. d’Orgeville;D. Grosse
人类对太空的持续利用取决于最大限度地减少近地轨道（LEO）碎片的堆积。鉴于单次碰撞可能产生数千个新的碎片物体，防止卫星和碎片之间的碰撞至关重要。然而，卫星的在轨操纵极其昂贵并且会缩短其使用寿命。调整碎片物体而不是卫星的轨道将使卫星运营商完全摆脱碰撞的责任，从而提供更好的解决方案。澳大利亚国立大学天文学和天体物理研究学院与光电系统（EOS）空间系统公司、洛克希德·马丁公司和空间环境研究中心（SERC）有限公司合作，正在开发自适应光学跟踪和推送（AOTP）系统。 AOTP 将利用蒙特山 1.8 m 望远镜发射的 10 kW 红外激光束的光子压力来扰动碎片物体的轨道。澳大利亚斯特罗姆洛天文台。初步模拟预测，AOTP 将能够通过几次高空穿越将尺寸约 10 cm 的碎片物体移动最多 100 m。计划于 2019 年进行运行演示。激光束在大气中传播时，湍流会使激光束变形，导致目标上的光子通量较低，并降低指向精度。为了减轻这些影响，将使用自适应光学器件 (AO) 在发射前对光束进行波前校正。设计 AO 系统的一个独特挑战是跟踪 LEO 中的物体所需的高转换速率，这反过来又需要激光导星 AO 来实现令人满意的波前校正。将介绍 AOTP 的光学设计和估计性能的模拟结果。特别是，将详细介绍与高功率激光器相关的设计考虑因素。
Human kind’s continued use of space depends upon minimising the build-up of debris in low Earth-orbit (LEO). Preventing collisions between satellites and debris is essential given that a single collision can generate thousands of new debris objects. However, in-orbit manoeuvring of satellites is extremely expensive and shortens their operational life. Adjusting the orbits of debris objects instead of satellites would shift the responsibility of collision avoidance away from satellite operators altogether, thereby offering a superior solution. The Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Australian National University, partnered with Electro Optic Systems (EOS) Space Systems, Lockheed Martin Corporation and the Space Environment Research Centre (SERC) Limited, are developing the Adaptive Optics Tracking and Pushing (AOTP) system. AOTP will be used to perturb the orbits of debris objects using photon pressure from a 10 kW IR laser beam launched from the 1.8 m telescope at Mount. Stromlo Observatory, Australia. Initial simulations predict that AOTP will be able to displace debris objects ∼10 cm in size by up to 100 m with several overhead passes. An operational demonstrator is planned for 2019. Turbulence will distort the laser beam as it propagates through the atmosphere, resulting in a lower photon flux on the target and reduced pointing accuracy. To mitigate these effects, adaptive optics (AO) will be used to apply wavefront correction to the beam prior to launch. A unique challenge in designing the AO system arises from the high slew rate needed to track objects in LEO, which in turn requires laser guide star AO for satisfactory wavefront correction. The optical design and results from simulations of estimated performance of AOTP will be presented. In particular, design considerations associated with the high-power laser will be detailed.