Adaptive remediation of the space debris environment using feedback control

This work presents a source-sink debris evolutionary model of the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with a proportional control on Active Debris Removal (ADR). The model is based on a set of first order differential equations, which describe the injection and removal rates in several altitude bands within the LEO. Explosions and collisions generate fragments via the standard NASA breakup model, while Post Mission Disposal (PMD) and ADR are the removing mechanisms. Drag, the only natural sink mechanism, is computed through a piecewise exponential model of the atmospheric density, assuming that all objects have circular orbits. The model also includes a feedback controller on ADR where the number of removals is proportional to orbital population. The proposed control mimics the human-driven corrective actions arising from the review and adaptation of debris mitigation policies. The model is validated and then preliminary results are reported. They highlight that a synergy of PMD and ADR can reduce the number of removals needed for the current population to be maintained over a 200-year timeframe.

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