JP2002002599A - Debri crushing satellite - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To crush a space debris having the possibility of colliding into an astronaut during manned space activities. SOLUTION: A thin metallic plate 2 capable of crushing a space debris by making the space debris collide into and penetrate itself is unfolded and attached to the whole inner surface of a rectangular frame 1, and a gas jet device 3 is provided at each corner portion. A bus device 4 is provided, which controls the gas jet device to adjust the position and posture of the metallic plate 2. A posture settling mass 6 is attached to an end portion of the frame 1 at an outer circumferential side of an earth-orbiting path. By controlling each gas jet device 3 to adjust the posture and position of the metallic plate 2, the metallic plate 2 is positioned so as to cover a front surface of a section Ia where manned space activities are expected, at a front side in the traveling direction of a space craft I in the earth-orbiting path, and used. The flying space debris is made to collide into the metallic plate 2 and penetrate that, thereby being crushed and decreased in size.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention reduces the size and size of space debris flying toward required sections of a spacecraft in orbit around the earth to reduce the danger to astronauts during manned space activities. It is related to the debris crush satellite.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, plans have been made to construct a space station as a permanent and versatile manned facility in orbit around the earth, and to conduct various experiments and research with an experimental module connected to the space station. .

[0003] The experimental module includes various types of devices such as a pressurized section serving as a manned experimental space receiving power, air, and the like supplied from the space station, and an exposed section capable of using the space environment as the experimental space outside the space station. Plans have been made to use spacecraft, and of these, manned space activities are also planned in the exposed areas.

By the way, space debris, which are artificial flying objects such as debris of artificial satellites and rockets or debris when they explode, float in orbit around the earth, and fly at high speed. Cause severe damage when hit.

For this reason, in a spacecraft, as a means for preventing damage caused by these space debris, for example, large-sized space debris having a diameter exceeding 10 cm are monitored from the ground by radar, and By changing the orbit of the spacecraft itself to avoid collisions, for smaller space debris that cannot be monitored by ground-based radar, equip a debris bumper outside the spacecraft. By hitting the space debris flying against the debris bumper, the impact at the time of the debris collision is absorbed to prevent damage to the spacecraft.

[0006]

However, by changing the orbit of the spacecraft and installing a debris bumper,
Although it is possible to prevent damage to the spacecraft itself, it is effective for astronauts engaged in manned space activities to prevent the possibility of collision of space debris of a size that can not be monitored by ground radar. At present, no means have been proposed.

[0007] Incidentally, the most dangerous to astronauts during manned space activities is 1 cm to 10 cm.
Space debris of the order of magnitude, and it is thought that if space debris of such a size comes in, if it can be crushed to a smaller size, the danger can be reduced .

Therefore, the inventors of the present invention have repeatedly devised and researched to reduce the size by pulverizing debris, and as a result, in an experiment using a projectile that flies at a high speed as simulated debris, 1 / size
The present inventors have found that when a thin metal plate having a thickness of 10 to 1/50 is hit, the projectile is finely crushed when penetrating the metal plate.

[0009] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to reduce the risk to astronauts during manned space activities. To provide a debris crushing satellite capable of reducing its size.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention adjusts the attitude and position of a thin metal plate which can be ground by colliding and penetrating incoming space debris. A gas jet device for controlling the gas jet device, and further comprising a bus device for controlling the gas jet device, which is located at a front position in a traveling direction of the spacecraft so as to cover a front side of a required section of the spacecraft. It is configured to be used.

The attitude and position of the metal plate are adjusted by controlling the gas jet device based on a command from the bus equipment, and the metal plate is moved at the front position in the traveling direction of the spacecraft.
When positioned so as to cover the front side of a required section of the spacecraft, space debris flying toward the section is previously collided with the metal plate, and is finely crushed when penetrating through the metal plate to have a size. Becomes smaller. For this reason, only the finely crushed debris will reach the section covered on the front side by the metal plate, and the possibility that space debris will fly as it is is eliminated. The possibility that the space debris will collide with the astronaut will be prevented beforehand.

Further, by making the metal plate have a thickness of about 0.2 mm to 1 cm, a diameter of 1 cm to 10 c
This is advantageous for grinding space debris having a size of about m.

[0013] Further, by adopting a structure in which a posture stabilizing mass is attached to a required portion of the metal plate, the posture of the metal plate orbiting on the orbit can be stabilized.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 (a), 1 (b) and 2 show an embodiment of the debris crushing satellite of the present invention. The space debris can be pulverized by colliding and penetrating incoming space debris into the inside of a rectangular frame 1 having a size capable of covering the front side of the required section Ia of the spacecraft I which is planning a space activity. The thin metal plate 2 is developed and attached to the entire surface as described above, and a gas jet device 3 for attitude control is provided at each apex portion of the frame 1, and gas is injected by each gas jet device 3. Is provided with a bus device 4 for controlling the operation.

More specifically, each of the above gas jet devices 3
For example, as shown in FIG. 2, there is provided a configuration in which nozzles 5 are provided in a total of four directions including two directions extending on two sides intersecting at a vertex portion of the metal plate 2 and a front-rear direction perpendicular to the surface of the metal plate 2. By injecting the gas from each of the nozzles 5 independently according to a command from the bus device 4,
The position and posture of the metal plate 2 can be adjusted by moving the metal plate 2 in parallel with the surface or changing the angle of the surface of the metal plate 2. The control command sent from the bus device 4 to each gas jet device 3 connects the bus device 4 and each gas jet device 3 via a signal transmission cable (not shown) disposed along the frame 1. The transmission may be performed by wire, or a transmission / reception device (not shown) may be provided in each of the bus device 4 and each of the gas jet devices 3 so that the transmission is performed wirelessly.

The bus device 4 is capable of communicating with the spacecraft I. According to a command from the spacecraft I, designation and injection of a nozzle 5 for injecting a gas into each gas jet device 3 are performed. By issuing a control command for designating time, each gas jet device 3 is individually controlled, and the section Ia of the spacecraft I to be protected from space debris
The relative position and posture of the metal plate 2 with respect to the position can be adjusted to an optimum state.

The thickness of the metal plate 2 depends on the size of the sparse debris to be ground, for example, a diameter of 1 cm to 10 cm of space debris which is considered to have the highest danger to astronauts during manned space activities. 1/10 for
The thickness is about 0.2 mm to 1 cm, which is about 1/50, so that the space debris of the above size can be effectively pulverized.

Further, an attitude stabilizing mass 6 having a required weight is attached to the end (upper end in the figure) of the frame 1 on the outer peripheral side of the orbit around the earth, and the center of gravity is moved to the outer periphery of the orbit around the earth. Side, so that the attitude of the metal plate 2 when orbiting the earth orbit can be stabilized.

In the case of using the debris crushing satellite, first, each gas jet device 3 is controlled based on a command from the bus device 4 so that the spacecraft I in the traveling direction of the spacecraft I in the orbit around the earth is Spacer I
The position and the posture are adjusted so as to face the section Ia in which the manned space activity is planned at a predetermined interval and to cover the front side of the section Ia.

In this state, when space debris flies toward the section Ia, the space debris is placed on the metal plate 2 arranged to cover the front side of the section Ia.
When the space debris penetrates through the metal plate 2, the space debris is finely pulverized into small-sized debris pulverized material. You will be able to drop from above.

As described above, the space debris flying toward the section Ia whose front side is covered by the metal plate 2 is
Since it is possible to pulverize in advance by colliding with and penetrating the metal plate 2, only the pulverized debris of a small size reaches the section Ia, thereby eliminating the risk that space debris will fly as it is. In addition, it is possible to prevent a possibility that space debris collides with an astronaut performing manned space activities in the section Ia.

Further, as the space debris penetrates through the metal plate 2 and is pulverized, small pulverized debris temporarily increases, but the debris pulverized quickly on the track due to the influence of the air drag. Since it is dropped and removed, the number of debris on the orbit can be reduced as a result.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but is shown as a case where the metal plate 2 is developed and mounted inside the frame 1.
The gas jet device 3, the bus device 4, and the attitude stabilizing mass 6 can be directly attached to the outer peripheral edge of the metal plate 2 without providing the frame 1 as long as the thickness is strong enough to hold the shape. May be, metal plate 2
May be a shape other than a rectangle, such as a square or a circle,
In addition, the size may be freely determined according to the size of the section Ia for which protection from space debris is desired. Further, according to the shape and size of the metal plate 2, the mounting position of the gas jet device 3, The number thereof and the direction of the nozzles 5 provided in each of the gas jet devices 3 may be freely determined, and it is needless to say that various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. is there.

[0025]

As described above, according to the debris crushing satellite of the present invention, the attitude and position of the metal plate can be adjusted on a thin metal plate which can be crushed by colliding and penetrating incoming space debris. Equipped with a gas jet device,
Furthermore, a bus device for controlling the gas jet device is provided, so that it is configured to be used at a position in front of the spacecraft in the traveling direction so as to cover the front side of a required section of the spacecraft. , At the forward position of the spacecraft,
By adjusting the position and orientation of the metal plate so as to cover the front side of the required section of the spacecraft, space debris flying toward the section collides with the metal plate and penetrates the metal plate. Can be finely crushed at the time, the size of space debris can be reduced,
This can eliminate the risk that space debris will fly as it is in the above section, and can prevent the possibility of space debris colliding with astronauts performing manned space activities in the section beforehand, and Since the debris of small-sized debris generated by the pulverization of the space debris can be quickly dropped and removed from the orbit by the influence of the air drag, the number of the space debris on the orbit can be reduced. In addition, the metal plate has a thickness of about 0.2 mm to 1 cm, so that the metal plate has a diameter of 1 cm to 10 cm.
It is advantageous for crushing space debris with a size of about cm and stabilizes the attitude of the metal plate circling on the orbit by adopting a configuration in which a stabilizing mass is attached to the required part of the metal plate. It has the effect of being able to make it.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a debris crushing satellite according to the present invention, in which (a) is a front view showing the relationship with a spacecraft, and (b).
Is a side view thereof.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing a gas jet device portion in the device of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 I spacecraft Ia section 2 metal plate 3 gas jet device 4 bus device 6 attitude stabilizing mass

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A thin metal plate capable of being crushed by colliding and penetrating incoming space debris is provided with a gas jet device for adjusting the posture and position of the metal plate, and further controlling the gas jet device. A debris shattering satellite, comprising: a bus device that is used at a position in front of the spacecraft in the traveling direction so as to cover a front side of a required section of the spacecraft. 2. The debris crushing satellite according to claim 1, wherein the metal plate has a thickness of about 0.2 mm to 1 cm. 3. The debris crushing satellite according to claim 1, wherein an attitude stabilizing mass is attached to a required portion of the metal plate.