TY - GEN
T1 - A Novel Design and Parameter Optimization of a Cubic-Configuration Deorbit Sail
AU - Guo, Xinlei
AU - Zhang, Ruonan
AU - Yang, Keying
AU - Zhang, Jingrui
AU - Wu, Hao
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright 2025 by the International Astronautical Federation IAF . All rights reserved.
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - To mitigate the generation of space debris, active deorbiting of spacecraft such as constellation satellites at the end of their operational lifetime has become an essential approach to reducing collision risks. In Low Earth Orbit LEO, particularly below 800 km, atmospheric drag can be effectively utilized to achieve passive orbital decay. As a propellant-.free passive deorbiting device, the deorbit sail accelerates orbital decay by enlarging the effective cross-. sectional area exposed to the flow. Among various designs, three-.dimensional deorbit sails offer superior attitude stability compared with conventional planar sails due to their geometric features, demonstrating promising engineering applications. However, systematic studies on the structural design and attitude response of such configurations remain limited. This paper focuses on a cubic-.configuration deorbit sail, establishing a complete geometric model that includes both sail surfaces and supporting booms. A simplified modeling method consisting of five spatial triangular facets is introduced to estimate the effective cross-.sectional area under arbitrary attitudes. Based on this, an attitude–orbit coupled dynamic model suitable for the system is developed, incorporating the calculation of principal moments of inertia and the definition of the body-.fixed coordinate system. Through parametric simulations, the influence of horizontal and vertical boom lengths on spacecraft attitude stability and deorbiting performance is investigated. The results provide theoretical support for the design optimization and practical application of three-.dimensional deorbit sail configurations.
AB - To mitigate the generation of space debris, active deorbiting of spacecraft such as constellation satellites at the end of their operational lifetime has become an essential approach to reducing collision risks. In Low Earth Orbit LEO, particularly below 800 km, atmospheric drag can be effectively utilized to achieve passive orbital decay. As a propellant-.free passive deorbiting device, the deorbit sail accelerates orbital decay by enlarging the effective cross-. sectional area exposed to the flow. Among various designs, three-.dimensional deorbit sails offer superior attitude stability compared with conventional planar sails due to their geometric features, demonstrating promising engineering applications. However, systematic studies on the structural design and attitude response of such configurations remain limited. This paper focuses on a cubic-.configuration deorbit sail, establishing a complete geometric model that includes both sail surfaces and supporting booms. A simplified modeling method consisting of five spatial triangular facets is introduced to estimate the effective cross-.sectional area under arbitrary attitudes. Based on this, an attitude–orbit coupled dynamic model suitable for the system is developed, incorporating the calculation of principal moments of inertia and the definition of the body-.fixed coordinate system. Through parametric simulations, the influence of horizontal and vertical boom lengths on spacecraft attitude stability and deorbiting performance is investigated. The results provide theoretical support for the design optimization and practical application of three-.dimensional deorbit sail configurations.
KW - Attitude stability
KW - Cubic configuration
KW - Deorbit sail
KW - Dynamic modeling
KW - Effective cross-sectional area
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105040827806
U2 - 10.52202/083079-.0130
DO - 10.52202/083079-.0130
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:105040827806
T3 - Proceedings of the International Astronautical Congress, IAC
SP - 1280
EP - 1284
BT - 23rd IAA Symposium on Space Debris - Held at the 76th International Astronautical Congress, IAC 2025
PB - International Astronautical Federation, IAF
T2 - 23rd IAA Symposium on Space Debris at the 76th International Astronautical Congress, IAC 2025
Y2 - 29 September 2025 through 3 October 2025
ER -