Space Debris Disposal: A Review of Feasibility and Effectiveness

Authors

  • Sirui Guo St. George's Senior School
  • Hugh Liu University of Toronto
  • Rick Zhang Stanford University
  • Manan Arya Stanford University
  • Pravin Wedage University of Toronto

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47611/jsrhs.v12i4.5669

Keywords:

Space Debris, Spacecraft, Satellites, Kessler Syndrome

Abstract

Orbital debris - or manmade objects that are no longer in use and are orbiting the Earth - is beginning to become a concern for the longevity of space exploration and satellite infrastructure. This article will describe different methods of debris removal, compare and contrast the methods, and their individual applicability on a large scale. This paper demonstrates that there is no singular method for the retrieval and disposal of space debris. Rather, in order to tackle this problem, we should look at it holistically, and combine multiple systems in conjunction with each other for the best results in dealing with this ever-growing issue.

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Author Biographies

Hugh Liu, University of Toronto

Hugh Liu is interested in intelligent unmanned aerial systems (UAS) research to support smart transportation system development, including autonomous UAS surveillance for traffic data analysis, target detection and tracking, as well as networked UAS and integration with transportation data centre.

Rick Zhang, Stanford University

Rick Zhang earned his Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University in 2016. Before that, he received a BSE in Actual Engineering from the University of Toronto in 2011 and a M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University in 2013.

Manan Arya, Stanford University

Manan Arya leads the Morphing Space Structures Laboratory. His research is on structures that can adapt their shape to respond to changing requirements. Examples include deployable structures for spacecraft that can stow in constrained volumes for launch and then unfold to larger sizes in space, terrestrial structures with variable geometry, and morphing robots. Key research thrusts include lightweight fiber-reinforced composite materials to enable innovative designs for flexible structures, and the algorithmic generation of the geometry of morphing structures – the arrangement of stiff and compliant elements – to enable novel folding mechanisms.

He has published more than 20 journal and conference papers and has been awarded 5 US patents. Prior to joining Stanford, he was a Technologist at the Advanced Deployable Structures Laboratory at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, where he developed and tested breakthrough designs for space structures, including deployable reflectarrays, starshades, and solar arrays.

Pravin Wedage, University of Toronto

Pravin is a Ph.D. Candidate with the Flight Systems and Control Lab at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies. His research focuses on the flight control of aerobatic fixed wing vehicles in formation flight, and he enjoys working on challenging control and flight dynamics problems that he encounter with his colleagues at UTIAS.

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Published

11-30-2023

How to Cite

Guo, S., Liu, H., Zhang, R., Arya, M., & Wedage, P. (2023). Space Debris Disposal: A Review of Feasibility and Effectiveness. Journal of Student Research, 12(4). https://doi.org/10.47611/jsrhs.v12i4.5669

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 4 (2023)

Section

HS Review Articles

Copyright (c) 2023 Sirui Guo; Hugh Liu, Rick Zhang, Manan Arya, Pravin Wedage

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