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

该博士项目旨在利用印刷电子学和薄层真空电弧推进器技术，对一种名为全打印推进系统(ALPS)的新型独立脱轨推进系统进行任务分析，并创新一种用于纳米/微型卫星的微推进系统。立方体卫星的最新进展为实现包括高质量地球观测在内的空间活动提供了潜力，其成本即使不是更低，也是传统卫星的十分之一。对立方体卫星及其能力的需求增加，导致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CubeSats的数量激增，但由于其低成本和快速的开发周期，它们的失败率很高。CubeSats的平均故障率高于55%，几乎是大型卫星故障率的两倍，一些CubeSats没有遵守机构间空间碎片协调委员会(空间碎片协调委员会)关于飞行任务后处理的准则，该准则建议剩余轨道寿命不超过25年。因此，需要一个强大和低成本的推进系统来提供对立方体卫星进行任务后处置的能力，从而支持新的任务并最终支持低轨空间商业的发展。该项目正在提出一个被称为全打印推进系统(ALPS)的微推进系统的新概念，以实现故障保护和及时脱轨，并提供独立于航天器的、安全和及时的脱轨能力。阿尔卑斯山的概念尚未开发，并利用了嵌入式柔性电子产品、薄膜储能和印刷技术的进步。柔性薄膜印刷有完整的独立推进系统：使用金属油墨推进剂的真空弧形推进器阵列直接印刷在薄膜表面。支持子系统根据需要嵌入到薄膜中或印刷在表面上，包括高能量密度的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推力，其指向能力可能有限，但推力大小控制出色。挑战是确定在系统限制的情况下允许卫星安全脱轨的运行模式。

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.