Conceptual Study of a Space Debris Deorbit Mission

• Project/Area Number: 16H02426
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Aerospace engineering
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: Ebisuzaki Toshikazu 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 開拓研究本部, 主任研究員 (10183021)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): CASOLINO MARCO 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 開拓研究本部, 研究員 (10598163) ; 佐宗 章弘 名古屋大学, 工学研究科, 教授 (40215752) ; 山川 宏 京都大学, 生存圏研究所, 教授 (50260013)
• Research Collaborator: TAKIZAWA Yoshiyuki ; SAKAKI Naoto
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2018)
• Budget Amount: ¥41,990,000 (Direct Cost: ¥32,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥9,690,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥8,970,000 (Direct Cost: ¥6,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥2,070,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥11,700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥9,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥2,700,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥21,320,000 (Direct Cost: ¥16,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥4,920,000)
• Keywords: 宇宙デブリ / 航空宇宙環境 / デブリ検出望遠鏡 / フレネルレンズ / 追尾装置 / PID制御 / 模擬宇宙デブリ / 検出追尾実験

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Space debris, in particular, cm-sized debris are important issue of space development. We performed a conceptual study for the deorbit mission by laser ablation with a high-intensity space-laser system. Among the steps of the deorbit operation of space debris, we performed the experiment of step 1; detection and step 2; tracking in the laboratory with 1/10 scale model of EUSO telescope. In addition, the optimization study revealed that the deorbit mission can work optimal condition in the sun-synchronous orbit, which can always stay in the twilight with the altitude of 600-900 km. Furthermore, we examined the ablation response for various debris materials and the way of the suppression of the rotation of them.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまで全く有効な対策が存在しなかったcmサイズのデブリに対して、始めて実現可能な対策を提案するもので、社会的な意義が非常に高く社会的な関心も高い。追尾手法について、デブリの軌道位置を予測し、もっとも最適な位置で標的を待ち受ける新しい制御手法を開発した。さらに、衛星のミッション終了後のデブリ化阻止技術へ本件のレーザーアブレーションを用いた回転・軌道抑制技術の転用が可能であることが分かり、実用化に向けて私企業と具体的な議論を始めている。

Research Products

• [Presentation] Laser Precision Collision Avoidance:A new concept in space debris mitigation (2018)
  • Author(s): 戎崎俊一
  • Organizer: 21st International Workshop on Laser Ranging（IWLR)2018
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] mini-EUSO光学系の評価 (2018)
  • Author(s): 榊直人, 滝澤慶之, Marco Casolino, 戎崎俊一, 他JEM-EUSO collaboration 理研
  • Organizer: 日本物理学会2018年秋季大会
• [Presentation] Space debris detection and remediation (2016)
  • Author(s): Marco Casolino
  • Organizer: Laser Solutions for Space and the Earth
  • Invited
• [Presentation] レーザーアブレーションによるスペースデブリ脱軌道 (2016)
  • Author(s): Toshikazu Ebisuzaki, Satoshi Wadaa, Akihiro Sasoh
  • Organizer: 第7回 スペースデブリワークショップ
• [Presentation] The remediation of space debris by laser nudging technology (2016)
  • Author(s): Toshikazu Ebisuzaki, et al.
  • Organizer: 4th International workshop on Space Debris Modelling and remediation
  • Int'l Joint Research