Satellite Inflatable Deorbiting Equipment for LEO Spacecrafts

Debris remediation and mitigation is one of the biggest challenges space engineering has to face today. Debris removal is taken into account as early as during the design phase of a space system by selecting the right materials, including the need for demise in the design and introducing de-orbiting strategies and corresponding subsystems. Today Airbus Defence and Space dedicates part of its activity to the development of a passive de-orbiting subsystem embedded in LEO satellites (altitude ~ 750 km). Based on the IDEAS in-flight prototype (currently in phase D with a qualification campaign completed mid 2014) developed in the framework of the CNES MICROSCOPE project, the subsystem consists in the deployment of aero-braking membranes by an inflatable boom made of aluminium laminate at the end of the spacecraft's operational life. On this basis, the system optimization - with different geometries of the deorbiting subsystem - is carried out to ensure re-entry in less than 25 years with a minimum impact on architectural design of the vehicle. Airbus Defence and Space's final objective is to address the market with “off-the-shelf” flight-ready deorbiting equipment meeting the requirements of the forthcoming Space Debris French legislation.