Chapter 10
Thruster Rotation Angle Control During
Contactless Removal of Space Debris
Objects
Vladimir A. Obukhov , Alexander I. Pokryshkin ,
and Victoria V. Svotina
Abstract The chapter deals with the issues of contactless removal of space debris
objects, the orbit of which is changed by a high-velocity ion beam injected from the
service spacecraft moving in the immediate vicinity of the debris object. We consider
the issues of controlling the angles of rotation of electric propulsion thrusters to
implement changes in the thrust components of electric propulsion system in the
longitudinal and transverse directions required during the debris object transportation. Arrangement of thrusters is proposed taking into account the location of solar
arrays and the difference in permissible angles of thruster deflection in different
planes. We analyze possible options for the thruster rotation angles to provide the
required values of the thrust projection onto the axes of the spacecraft-associated
coordinate system. We propose an algorithm for controlling the thruster rotation
angles to implement the required thrust projection values, which allows to control
the sign of the momentum relative to the spacecraft longitudinal axis depending on
the accumulated total momentum. The results of modeling the electric propulsion
system operation during the space debris objects transportation are presented.
V. A. Obukhov (B) · A. I. Pokryshkin · V. V. Svotina
Research Institute of Applied Mechanics and Electrodynamics of the Moscow Aviation Institute
(RIAME MAI), 5 Leningradskoye shosse, Moscow 125080, Russian Federation
e-mail: deutscher@mail.ru
A. I. Pokryshkin
e-mail: flox_ap@mail.ru
V. V. Svotina
e-mail: vsvotina@mail.ru
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
L. C. Jain et al. (eds.), Applied Mathematics and Computational Mechanics for Smart
Applications, Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies 217,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4826-4_10
127
Thruster Rotation Angle Control During
Contactless Removal of Space Debris
Objects
Vladimir A. Obukhov , Alexander I. Pokryshkin ,
and Victoria V. Svotina
Abstract The chapter deals with the issues of contactless removal of space debris
objects, the orbit of which is changed by a high-velocity ion beam injected from the
service spacecraft moving in the immediate vicinity of the debris object. We consider
the issues of controlling the angles of rotation of electric propulsion thrusters to
implement changes in the thrust components of electric propulsion system in the
longitudinal and transverse directions required during the debris object transportation. Arrangement of thrusters is proposed taking into account the location of solar
arrays and the difference in permissible angles of thruster deflection in different
planes. We analyze possible options for the thruster rotation angles to provide the
required values of the thrust projection onto the axes of the spacecraft-associated
coordinate system. We propose an algorithm for controlling the thruster rotation
angles to implement the required thrust projection values, which allows to control
the sign of the momentum relative to the spacecraft longitudinal axis depending on
the accumulated total momentum. The results of modeling the electric propulsion
system operation during the space debris objects transportation are presented.
V. A. Obukhov (B) · A. I. Pokryshkin · V. V. Svotina
Research Institute of Applied Mechanics and Electrodynamics of the Moscow Aviation Institute
(RIAME MAI), 5 Leningradskoye shosse, Moscow 125080, Russian Federation
e-mail: deutscher@mail.ru
A. I. Pokryshkin
e-mail: flox_ap@mail.ru
V. V. Svotina
e-mail: vsvotina@mail.ru
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
L. C. Jain et al. (eds.), Applied Mathematics and Computational Mechanics for Smart
Applications, Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies 217,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4826-4_10
127