Solar electric propulsion orbital debris ferry, vehicle concept and reference mission

highlights
• Removal of high-priority orbital debris mitigates potential debris population growth.
• Reference mission for a multiple-target solar electric propulsion ferry developed.
• Low-thrust trajectory and proximity operations analysis used for spacecraft sizing.
• Spacecraft concept design using available components is developed.
• Feasibility of a demonstration mission removing 5 targets is shown.

The hazards of orbital debris in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) are well understood and concepts for Active Debris Removal (ADR) have been proposed in the literature, yet no mission has been launched to date. This is in part due to the lack of baseline space vehicle concepts. To give a point of departure design, a Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) orbital debris ferry concept and operations approach has been developed. This concept provides a feasible solution to ADR that is currently ready for a demonstration mission. This approach uses a single space vehicle to independently and autonomously rendezvous with multiple LEO debris objects, secure, and ferry them to a sufficiently low disposal orbit. This mission architecture is enabled by flight-proven, relatively high-power SEP technologies and Autonomous Rendezvous and Docking (AR&D) algorithms and systems. The high Specific Impulse (Isp) of SEP enables low propellant requirements for removal of many debris objects with a single vehicle, and results in a low cost per target removed. Results from system sizing, low-thrust trajectory analysis, AR&D simulation, conceptual vehicle design, a concept of operations, and an implementation approach are provided. Results show that the SEP orbital debris ferry is a relatively low-cost and low-risk solution to mitigate the threat of orbital debris.