Draco, the European Space Agency’s (ESA) destructible mission probe, aims to solve one of space’s enduring mysteries: what exactly happens to a damaged satellite during a descent. their fire returns to earth.
This unique mission will collect important data on the re-entry of satellites, helping scientists to better understand the process and contributing to ESA’s broader mission of environmental stewardship in space.
Cleans the space, re-installing one at a time
The issue of space debris is increasing.
Keeping the Earth’s orbit clean and free of satellite debris is important to prevent the creation of more debris.
The European Space Agency has launched an ambitious plan, called the “Zero Debris Approach,” to combat this issue, aiming to end the production of space debris by 2030.
“Recovery science is an important element in planning for disaster recovery efforts,” explains Holger Krag, ESA’s Director of Safety.
“We need to better understand what happens when satellites burn up in the atmosphere and develop our next model of reception.”
The science of aircraft reentry
“That’s why the unique data collected by Draco will help guide the development of new technologies to build destructible satellites by 2030,” adds Krag.
Another critical aspect of this research is its potential to improve our understanding of how reentry affects the Earth’s atmosphere, especially as the time of initiation and reentry increases.
By studying how aviation material spreads at high altitudes, ESA scientists aim to develop a more sustainable strategy that reduces harmful products.
The challenge of innovation
Although it was difficult to collect data from the satellite at the time of its destruction, it is now impossible to reproduce the conditions on the ground.
Stijn Lemmens, Draco project manager at the ESA Space Debris Office, says, “Even if it was difficult to get data from the satellite at the time of its destruction, it is currently impossible to recreate the conditions in down.
He explained, “We can use experiments to test the different properties and properties of the aircraft in wind tunnels and extremes. But it is still possible to faithfully model the incredible speed, intensity, and motion of uncontrolled reentry.”
The birth of Draco mission
The Draco mission is designed to be an average low-Earth spacecraft, equipped with sensors and cameras that can collect data as the satellite orbits.
“Draco needs to be an average low-planet flight to make it a return agent,” Lemmens adds. “We’re equipping it with sensors and cameras that are powerful enough to collect data for as long as possible while the satellite burns.”
Draco’s capsule must also be indestructible, resisting violent destruction processes and protecting the system as it transmits data.
Lemmens compared the capsule to an “octopus,” with cables extending from it and sensors recording temperature, pressure, and pressure along the plane’s surface.
The short life of Draco’s mission
The final Draco satellite, weighing about 200 kilograms and the size of a washing machine, will not have a propulsion system or a key link to the communications system.
Its mission is to mimic the average reentry as closely as possible, using the propulsion power of its rocket for rapid reentry.
After more than 12 hours in orbit, Draco will begin its descent, with its 200 sensors and four cameras recording the event.
Once the satellite has fired, the 40 cm capsule will deploy a parachute, stabilize, and connect to a geostationary satellite to transmit its collected data.
“Draco will shed light on many unknown objects during satellite launch,” says Tim Flohrer, Director of ESA’s Space Debris Office.
“It will allow us to get out of the chicken and egg ring and create different data to organize our processes and models, promoting the implementation of free technology.”
By shedding light on satellite reentries, Draco promises to redefine our understanding of the reentry process, help design more sustainable satellites, and play an important role in ESA’s goal of freeing space debris.
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