Mission analysis for CubeSat deorbiting using a micro-thrust thin-layer cathode arc thruster

本博士项目旨在利用印刷电子技术和薄层真空电弧推进器技术，对一种新型的独立离轨推进系统（称为ALPS）进行使命分析，并为纳/微型卫星创新微推进系统。传统卫星的成本。由于对立方体卫星及其能力的需求不断增加，因此需要建立任务后处置机制，以确保故障安全和及时脱轨。尽管立方体卫星的扩散，他们有高故障率，由于其低成本和快速的开发周期。立方体卫星的平均故障率高于55%，几乎是较大卫星故障率的两倍，有些立方体卫星没有遵守机构间空间碎片协调委员会（空间碎片协委会）关于飞行使命后处置的准则，该准则建议剩余轨道寿命不超过25年。因此，需要一种强有力和低成本的推进系统，以便能够在飞行任务结束后对立方体卫星进行处理，从而使新的飞行任务成为可能，并最终支持低地轨道空间商业的发展。及时脱离轨道的能力。ALPS概念尚未开发，并利用了嵌入式柔性电子，薄膜储能和印刷技术的进步。一个灵活的薄膜印刷有一个完整的独立推进系统：一个真空电弧推进器阵列使用金属墨水推进剂直接印刷在薄膜表面。支持子系统根据需要嵌入薄膜中或印刷在表面上，包括高能量密度微型锂离子电池和通信（天线/接收器）和控制电子设备。由此产生的独立微推进系统产生少量的推力，具有潜在的有限指向能力，但具有出色的推力大小控制。面临的挑战是，鉴于系统的限制，如何确定使卫星能够安全离轨的运行模式。

This PhD project aims to carry out the mission analysis for a novel standalone deorbiting propulsion system, known as ALl- printed Propulsion System (ALPS), using printed electronics and thin-layer vacuum arc thruster technology and to innovate a micropropulsion system for nano- / micro-satellites.Recent advances in CubeSats offer the potential to achieve space activities including high-quality Earth observation at a tenth, if not even cheaper, the cost of a traditional satellite. The increased demands on CubeSats and their abilities have led to the important new need of post-mission disposal mechanism to ensure failsafe and timely deorbit. Despite the proliferation of CubeSats, they have high failure rates due to their low costs and their fast development cycle. The average failure rate of CubeSats is higher than 55%, which is almost twice higher than double the rate of larger satellites, and some of CubeSats are not following the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) guidelines for post mission disposal, which is recommends a residual orbit lifetime to be no longer than 25 years. A robust and low-cost propulsion system, therefore, is required to provide the ability to conduct post-mission disposal of CubeSats thus enabling new missions and ultimately supporting the development of LEO space commerce.The project is proposing a new concept of a micropropulsion system, called a ALl-printed Propulsion System (ALPS), to enable failsafe and timely deorbit and to provide a spacecraft-independent, safe, and timely deorbit capability. The ALPS concept is unexplored and leverages advances in embedded flexible electronics, thin film energy storage, and printing technologies. A flexible thin-film is printed with a complete standalone propulsion system: an array of vacuum arc thrusters using metallic ink propellant are printed directly on the surface of the film. Supporting subsystems are embedded in the film or printed on the surface as required, including high-energy-density micro-lithium ion batteries and communication (antenna/receiver) and control electronics. The resulting independent micropropulsion system produces small amounts of thrust, with potentially limited ability regarding pointing but excellent thrust magnitude control. The challenge is to identify operational modes which allow the satellite to safely deorbit given the restrictions of the system.