2. JIGNYASA STUDENT STUDY RESEARCH PROJECT IN PHYSICS
Submitted to
COMISSIONER OF COLLEGIATE EDUCATION
HYDERABAD – 500 001, TELANGANA, INDIA
By
1. GAYATRI ASHOK MOKASHI
2. B. SAI PRIYA
3. M. ANKITHA
4. CH. RUCHITHA
5. M. AMULYA
Under the guidance of
Dr. Ch. Kanchana Latha
Department of Physics, GDCW(A), Begumpet, Hyderabad-16
5. MOTIVATION
Presently, the environment around the earth, i.e. the lower earth orbit[LEO] is
covered with unwanted pieces of junk. We are facing the threat of being cut away
from the outer space. If this happens
• We won't be able to receive sunlight from the sun. The living organisms on Earth
are dependent on the sun for their energy needs. This will eventually lead to the
death of all the living organisms on the Earth.
• This will have massive impending consequences. The future generations will not
be able to launch space shuttles/satellites, etc
7. WHAT IS SPACE DEBRIS?
The Garbage present in the Earth's orbit is known as Space debris.
8. HOW DOES THE JUNK GET THERE?
Non-Functional satellites
Hypervelocity collisions
A-Sat missions
Random collisions
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY.
9. Space
Debris by
the
Numbers
• About 6050 launches in the past 60 years. About 56450
objects from these launches orbiting the earth.
• 28160 are being tracked by US Space Surveillance Network.
These include objects larger than about 5-10 cm in low-
Earth orbit (LEO) and 30 cm to 1 m at geostationary
(GEO) altitudes.
• Only a small fraction - about 4000 - are intact operational
satellites today.
• This large amount of space hardware has a total mass of
more than 9300 tonnes.
• Estimated number of break-ups, explosions, collisions, or
anomalous events resulting in fragmentation - More than 570
• Number of debris objects estimated by statistical models to
be in orbit
36500 objects greater than 10 cm
1000000 objects from greater than 1 cm to 10 cm ( target debris)
330 million objects from greater than 1 mm to 1 cm
SOURCE: ESA-SPACE DEBRIS BY
NUMBERS, Wikipedia and NASA
10.
11.
12. MICROMETEOROID AND ORBITAL DEBRIS
• Smallest objects of artificial space debris
(paint flecks, solid rocket exhaust particles, etc.)
are grouped with micrometeoroids, they are
together sometimes referred to by space
agencies as MMOD (Micrometeoroid and Orbital
Debris).
• They cause damage to sensitive parts like solar panels
and optics(telescopes/star trackers) which can't be
protected by ballistic shields
Source: Wikipedia
15. COLLECTION
The satellite will orbit around the earth collecting the waste and depositing it in the closed lightweight
aluminium alloy(AA6061-T6) bin made of net.
As soon as the electromagnet is turned on it attracts the magnetic elements of the debris.
This process will be continuous throughout the journey of the satellite in the earth's orbit. Periodically
the electromagnet will be switched on and off.
It serves two purposes
• When the first safety chamber hits the saturation amount of material it can collect, it will simply
deposit it in the 'bin'. The frequency of the emptying of the electromagnet will be set according to the
amount of debris present in the space it is traversing.
• The control over switching on and off would also help in using the energy sustainably.
16. COLLECTION ……
• The closing of the bin so that the debris doesn't escape back into the space is
crucial. SWACHCH ANTARIKSH takes in debris stage by stage, so that the debris
doesn't escape back into the space.
• We can make an analogy using the jungle safari method. There are three gates
in order to prevent wild animals from exiting the wildlife safari park. This
measure is absolutely crucial as failure to contain the debris would make the
debris cleaner redundant.
• The aluminium net would unfurl from its storage unit like a parachute(analogy).
It would then store all the debris collected till its disposal.
• SOURCE OF ENERGY : Energy could be drawn using solar panels. The energy to
orbit and maneuver can be achieved by attaching aluminium sails at the base of
the cylindrical fuel storage unit.
19. • Aluminium alloys are strong, durable and
malleable.
• A storage net made of aluminium would
hold the debris together as long as we
need.
• There can be multiple layers of aluminium
nets as well to ensure that the debris stays
secured.
SOURCE OF ALLOY NAMES:Journal of Advanced Research in Applied Sciences and Engineering Technology
COMPONENT STRUCTURE
Material AA6061-T6
Thermal conductivity[W
/(m.K)]
171
Specific heat[J/(kg.K)] 920
Density [kg/m3] 2700
Material for Net
21. DISPOSAL TO THE
GRAVEYARD ORBIT
• After the collection of the
debris, the satellite will be
propelled farther off the
earth's orbit using a minimal
amount of fuel into an orbit
known as the graveyard orbit.
• A graveyard orbit, also called
a junk orbit or disposal orbit, is
an orbit that lies away from
common operational orbits.
22. DISPOSAL TO THE SOUTH
PACIFIC OCEAN • The region of pacific ocean
between Chile and New
Zealand is a region where
there is no human
habitation. This region is
currently being used as
space trash disposal patch.
• The collected debris can be
directed to the ocean safely.
• This would require more fuel
than sending away
the debris to the graveyard
orbit.
23. STS-126 Window No. 2
• Size: 1.56mm x 1.08mm
• Depth: 0.23mm
• Evaluated Particle Type:
orbital debris
• Particle Elements: plutonium,
iron near central crater, zinc
near margin
• Estimated Particle Size:
0.05mm
• Estimated Velocity: 10
kilometers per second
SOURCE: Astromaterials Research & Exploration Science, HYPERVELOCITY IMPACT TECHNOLOGY, NASA
DAMAGES DONE BY VARIOUS MAGNETIC MATERIALS
24. • Size: 1.76mm x 1.64mm
• Depth: 0.11mm
• Evaluated Particle Type: orbital debris
• Particle Elements: iron, titanium, zinc,
chromium
• Estimated Particle Size: 0.05mm
• Estimated Velocity: 10 kilometers per
second
STS-130 Window No. 7, Index No. 14
SOURCE: Astromaterials Research & Exploration Science, HYPERVELOCITY IMPACT TECHNOLOGY, NASA
•Size: 1.02mm x 0.64mm
•Depth: 0.08mm
•Evaluated Particle Type: orbital debris
•Particle Elements: iron (steel)
•Estimated Particle Size: 0.03mm
•Estimated Velocity: 10 kilometers per second
•Notes: damage photographed by crew
on orbit
STS-130 Window No. 11, Index No. 15
25. STS-127 Right-Hand
Radiator No. 3
Sample No. 16
The small 0.2mm paint flake
that made this 0.5mm
diameter hole in the radiator
was made of iron, copper,
fluorine, titanium, and had
small aluminum spheres
included. Damage to the
outer plastic covering was
limited to about 2mm in size.
SOURCE: Astromaterials Research & Exploration Science, HYPERVELOCITY IMPACT TECHNOLOGY, NASA
26. WHY DO WE NEED TO REMOVE THE SPACE DEBRIS?
• NASA’s Hubble Telescope has a 1-
centimeter hole in one of its dish
antennas, and solar panels have
been cracked and chipped by debris.
• ISS and other satellites have been
dancing and dodging for years to stay
out of harm's way.
• Space debris can render the orbitals
uninhabitable and shut us off from
the space.
• This would put an end to all the
future space exploration plans.
27. Kounotori 6 – AN ATTEMPT
TO CLEAN SPACE DEBRIS • On 28 February 2014, Japan's Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched a test "space
net" satellite.
• In December 2016 the country sent a space junk
collector via Kounotori 6 to the ISS by which JAXA
scientists experiment to pull junk out of orbit using a
tether.
• The system failed to extend a 700-meter tether from
a space station resupply vehicle that was returning
to Earth. On 6 February the mission was declared a
failure and leading researcher Koichi Inoue told
reporters that they "believe the tether did not get
released".
• Since 2012, the European Space Agency has been
working on the design of a mission to remove large
space debris from orbit.
• The mission, e.Deorbit, is scheduled for launch
during 2023 with an objective to remove debris
heavier than 4,000 kilograms (8,800 lb) from LEO.
• Several capture techniques are being studied,
including a net, a harpoon and a combination robot
arm and clamping mechanism
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA.
28. CONCLUSION
• It deals with a large number of small sized debris. Collection of such debris is a
long and tedious task otherwise.
• This could save many satellites from being destroyed. Hence it will not only be
beneficial of the country's space program but it could solve the world's future
space prospects. Also, the efforts put in by the humankind to send satellites up
to the space would go to waste if the important parts of satellites are damaged.
• This would eradicate the total 0-10cm sized magnetic debris and also some of
the paint chips as well.
• It won't be interfering with the normal functioning of the satellites as it has very
weak field which is capable of only attracting small pieces of junk. Moreover if
any problems persist, it can be turned off.
29. SCOPE OF
FUTURE WORK
• We can improve the existing model of
the Swachch Antariksh and apply it to
all kind of material types. Adding
mechanical arms and other methods
are some options.
• If the model is fitted with
better efficiency systems, it can
function for longer periods
