BETS
Propellantless deorbiting of space debris by bare electrodynamic tethers
| Coordinatore | UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE MADRID
Organization address
address: Calle Ramiro de Maeztu 7 contact info |
| Nazionalità Coordinatore | Spain [ES] |
| Sito del progetto | http://www.thebetsproject.com/home |
| Totale costo | 2˙337˙317 € |
| EC contributo | 1˙772˙801 € |
| Programma | FP7-SPACE
Specific Programme "Cooperation": Space |
| Code Call | FP7-SPACE-2010-1 |
| Funding Scheme | CP |
| Anno di inizio | 2010 |
| Periodo (anno-mese-giorno) | 2010-11-01 - 2014-01-31 |
Partecipanti
| # | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE MADRID
Organization address
address: Calle Ramiro de Maeztu 7 contact info |
ES (MADRID) | coordinator | 250˙561.00 |
| 2 |
EMBEDDED INSTRUMENTS AND SYSTEMS S.L
Organization address
address: JUAN MANUEL DE LA MORENA 2 ENTLO contact info |
ES (ELCHE) | participant | 307˙136.00 |
| 3 |
FUNDACION TECNALIA RESEARCH & INNOVATION
Organization address
address: PARQUE TECNOLOGICO DE MIRAMON PASEO MIKELETEGI 2 contact info |
ES (DONOSTIA-SAN SEBASTIAN) | participant | 287˙668.00 |
| 4 |
OFFICE NATIONAL D'ETUDES ET DE RECHERCHES AEROSPATIALES
Organization address
address: Avenue de la Division Leclerc 29 contact info |
FR (CHATILLON) | participant | 281˙505.00 |
| 5 |
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI PADOVA
Organization address
address: VIA 8 FEBBRAIO 2 contact info |
IT (PADOVA) | participant | 277˙320.00 |
| 6 |
BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM
Organization address
address: COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY contact info |
US (FORT COLLINS) | participant | 220˙075.00 |
| 7 |
DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FUER LUFT - UND RAUMFAHRT EV
Organization address
address: Linder Hoehe contact info |
DE (KOELN) | participant | 148˙536.00 |
Mappa
Word cloud
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Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)
'Concern about the growth of space debris, aggravated by the increase in the number of countries with direct access to space, made the SPA.2010.2.3-02 Call Topic suggest 'preventing generation of new debris and de-orbiting upper stages and spacecraft after mission completion'. The Project proposed involves Research and Technology Development of an efficient deorbit system, to be carried in the future by every launched spacecraft. A dedicated system is needed because satellites naturally orbit at ionospheric altitudes where air drag is very weak. The system considered involves magnetic drag on a current-carrying conductive tether, uses no propellant and no power supply, and generates power on board. It beats alternative systems (enhanced air drag, and rocket and electrical thrust) in simplicity and in the combined basic metrics: Frontal Area x Deorbit Time and System-to-Spacecraft Mass Ratio. Like air drag, magnetic drag is a dissipative mechanism arising from the orbital tether motion relative to the corotating magnetized plasma, which induces the current in the tether. The Work Programme includes studies of plasma-tether interaction under ambient-plasma variations along orbit, performance dependence on orbital altitude/inclination, and trade-off against alternative systems; numerical simulations of current to a bare tether; and studies of orbit/tether dynamics, and of both tether survival and the tether itself as debris. Deorbiting a satellite representative in both orbit and mass in Low Earth Orbit is considered. Tasks involve i) Design and manufacturing the tether as a tape with possible materials-structure both lengthwise and in its cross section, and a study of materials; ii) deployment strategy, and design / manufacturing of subsystems: tether-deployment mechanism, end mass, electric control and driving module, electron-ejecting plasma contactor, and interface elements; and iii) microgravity, and hypervelocity-impact and tether-current laboratory tests.'
Introduzione (Teaser)
The increase in space debris orbiting around Earth calls for mitigation strategies that address this issue at its roots. An EU-funded project has developed a new technology to be carried onboard future satellites to allow de-orbiting and re-entry at the end of their mission.