HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF THE SMALL PARTICLE DEBRIS ENVIRONMENT

摘要

The purpose of a space debris model like ESA's MASTER-2005 is the realistic description of the orbital debris environment. Using MASTER (Mete-oroid and Space Debris Terrestrial Environment Reference), it is possible to assess the impact risk for any given target orbit via flux predictions down to particle sizes of I μm. The model is based on the simulation of debris-generating events and their orbit evolution with time. For the model's small particle composition (debris objects smaller 1 mm), MASTER is considering on-orbit fragmentations, firings of solid rocket motors with the associated generation of dust and slag particles, and the generation of surface degradation products due to hypervelocity meteoroid and debris impacts on catalogued objects and the interaction of spacecraft surfaces with atomic oxygen. Because of the deterministic model approach of MASTER, it is possible to analyse the historical evolution of the debris environment. It can be shown that the debris environment near Earth is highly dynamic. According to the model simulations, particles released in specific orbits are perturbed by atmospheric drag and solar radiation pressure. The resulting particle population is spread in the orbital parameter space. In higher orbits like the geostationary environment an accumulation of surface degradation products is predicted by the model since those particles are continuously generated based on the parent satellite and rocket body population.