Can a satellite dodge space debris?

  • J. I. Katz

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Can a satellite dodge a collision with untracked orbiting debris? Can a satellite dodge collision with a tracked object, making only the avoidance manœuvers actually required to avoid collision, despite the uncertainties of predicted conjunctions? Satellite-borne radar may distinguish actual collision threats from the much greater number of near misses because an object on a collision course has constant bearing, which may be determined by interferometric detection of the radar return. A large constellation of such radars may enable the determination of the ephemerides of all cm-sized debris in LEO.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)174-179
Number of pages6
JournalActa Astronautica
Volume222
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2024

Keywords

  • Collision avoidance
  • Manœuvering satellites
  • Space debris
  • Space situational awareness

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