JP3324174B2 - Observation and capture device for drifting objects in space - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a space mounted on a space vehicle such as an artificial satellite or a space station for simultaneously observing and capturing an object drifting in space such as space debris and cosmic dust. The present invention relates to a device for observing and capturing a drifting object.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Many objects (garbage) continue to float in outer space. Among them, there are remains of satellites and rockets that have completed their duties, space debris that are artificial flying objects such as debris and paint fragments when they exploded, or flying between stars and planets. There is cosmic dust (cosmic dust) which is fine particles having a diameter of about 1 μ to several hundred μ.

[0003] Among these space drifting objects, the space debris increases as space development progresses.
There are even small objects that do not affect the observation equipment, and there is a risk of collision with these satellites currently operating in space.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need to observe, capture, analyze, and recover objects floating in outer space.

[0005] Up to now, the observation and capture of such drifting objects in the universe have been performed separately, and therefore, research and development have been performed separately.

[0006] As a method of observing a drifting object in the universe, there are atmospheric observation (MU) radars currently used in Japan and 1.5-meter radars.
In addition to the observation method using the m telescope, there is a direct observation method using an artificial satellite or the like. Detectors used for this direct observation include a microphone type, a penetration type, and a collision plasma type. As an example, a penetration type detector is formed by arranging electrodes on a resin film as a sensing material, and a signal is output when a space drifting object collides, and each information, namely, It detects the mass, velocity, and orbit of an object drifting in space.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, an example of the trapping device proposed so far is a box type in which a flat plate a made of a soft metal such as aluminum is superposed at appropriate intervals on a plurality of stages. There are things.

[0008]

However, as described above, since the observation and capture of a space drifting object have been performed separately so far, the space debris cannot be obtained from the observation data observed by the observer. Can determine the number, orbit, and velocity of drifting objects such as cosmic dust, but cannot determine the components of drifting objects. On the other hand, in the case of capturing a space drifting object only by a trap, it is only possible to analyze the components of the captured sample, and at what time and in what orbit the space drifting object was captured. It is not possible to observe from which direction the aircraft came from, and if the trap was as shown in FIG. 3, when the drifting object b collided, it would break the soft flat plate a sequentially. However, the collision energy is absorbed in the trap and cannot be observed.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a method for measuring the mass of a space drifting object,
It is intended to simultaneously obtain both observation data such as velocity and orbit and data on the components of a space drifting object.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a foil stack in which a plurality of thin films are stacked to form a set and a plurality of sets are arranged in a layer at a required interval to form a stack. And a trapping unit configured by arranging a buffer material having a required thickness made of a low-density material such as rubber in a layered manner,
In a holder having a bottomed cylindrical shape, the foil stack and the cushioning material are installed so as to be located back and forth or alternately, and further, a position on the opening side of the holder in the holder and on the front side of the foil stack. In addition, a plurality of piezo films are installed at required intervals, and a compensation piezo film is installed on the side wall portion on the opening side of the holder, to constitute an observation device portion, or at a rear position of the cushioning material. An observation unit using a certain vibration measuring device is arranged to determine whether or not the captured drifting space object collides with the cushioning material, or both are arranged.

[0011]

[Function] Space drifting objects can be observed by voltage fluctuation when a space drifting object collides with the piezo film-based observation unit in front of the holder and penetrates multiple piezo films.
By knowing the mass, velocity, and orbit, and simultaneously checking the signal of the piezo film and the signal of the compensating piezo film, the output signal from the piezo film may be a noise signal or a collision signal of an object drifting in space. When the drifting object that collides with the observation unit and penetrates through the space is captured by the capture unit, the components can be analyzed. Further, when a space drifting object hits the cushioning material, the number, collision energy, and the like can be determined by a vibration measuring instrument.

[0012]

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

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, which comprises an inner wall 1a and an outer wall 1b having a bottomed rectangular tube structure and has a total length of, for example, about 500 to 1000 mm and a width of, for example, 100 to 1000 mm. Holder 1 about 200mm in size
And a capturing unit 2 and an observing unit 5 attached to a space vehicle 9 such as an artificial satellite or a space station directly or via a manipulator 10 to fly in space debris or cosmic dust. Space drifting object 1
This makes it possible to simultaneously perform observation and capture of No. 1.

The trap unit 2 comprises a foil stack 3 and a cushioning material 4 incorporated in the holder 1, and the foil stack 3 is formed by laminating one to a plurality of thin films of aluminum foil or the like. A set of foils 3a is arranged in a layered manner at appropriate intervals to form a stack, and gradually absorbs the impact of the collision of the space drifting object 11 to prevent evaporation, breakage, etc. of the space drifting object 11. It is designed to be able to capture while capturing. Also, cushioning material 4
Is made of a low-density material such as rubber or silicon material, and is disposed at a required distance from the foil stack 3 on the rear side of the foil stack 3, that is, at an inner bottom of the holder 1, at a required interval. It is designed to absorb the collision energy when the space drifting object 11 that cannot be completely captured by the foil stack 3 hits. Note that the foil stack 3 and the cushioning material 4 may be arranged alternately.

The observation unit 5 includes a piezo film 6.
And a compensating piezo film 7 and a vibration measuring instrument (or vibration measuring PICK-UP) 8 such as a microphone and an accelerometer. The piezo film 6 is made of polyvinylidene fluoride in the form of a film having a thickness of several microns to several tens of microns, aluminum is vapor-deposited on both surfaces thereof to form a capacitor, and measurement electrodes (not shown) are placed at four places. The spontaneous drifting object 11 collides with the piezo film 6 so that the internal spontaneous polarization formed on the surface is destroyed and the signal is output as a signal. At the front side of the foil stack 3, that is, on the opening side in the holder 1, two sheets are installed with a required interval. The compensating piezo film 7 is set on the side wall of the front side of the holder 1 where the space drifting object 11 does not hit, and the synchronism between the signal of the compensating piezo film 7 and the signal of the piezo film 6 for observation is checked. The output signal from the piezo film 6 can be classified into a noise signal and a collision signal of the object 11 drifting in space. Further, the vibration measuring device 8 is used by being installed at a rear position of the cushioning material 4 constituting the trapping unit 2, and it is determined whether or not the captured space drifting object 11 collides with the cushioning material 4. And information on the status of damage inside the device and the time of replacement of the device can be obtained. The compensating piezo film 7 is assisted by checking the synchronism with the signal of the piezo film 6, and auxiliary data for measuring the collision energy when the space drifting object 11 collides is provided.

As described above, the observation / capturing apparatus of the present invention in which the capturing unit 2 and the observing unit 5 are incorporated in the holder 1 as shown in FIG. This is mounted on a spacecraft 9 such as an artificial satellite or a space station via a manipulator 10 and used, and a signal emitted from each device is taken into the spacecraft 9.

When the orbiter is mounted on the space vehicle 9 so that the opening of the holder 1 is on the front side and orbits in orbit in the outer space, the flying space drifting object 11 is first observed on the front side of the holder 1. It collides with the piezo film 6 of the container part 5.

When the cosmic drifting object 11 collides with the piezo film 6, the internal spontaneous polarization formed on the surface of the piezo film 6 is destroyed and a signal is output. The output signal Q due to the destruction of the spontaneous ^{polarization, Q = k · m a ·} v b ... (1) where, m: mass of the universe drifting object v: colliding speed k of the universe drifting object, a, b: represents a constant be able to.

The piezo film 6, which has a square shape as viewed from the front, has four measurement electrodes so that the position coordinates of the collision point of the space drifting object 11 can be known. The object 11 is a piezo film 6
To determine the flight distance from the difference in the collision position coordinates on the two piezo films 6 and divide this by the time difference between the output signals to determine the collision velocity v of the space drifting object 11. By obtaining the velocity v, the mass m can be obtained from the above equation (1). Further, the flying direction of the space drifting object 11 can be known from the difference between the collision position coordinates on the two piezo films 6.

By knowing the mass, collision speed, and flight direction of the space drifting object 11 in this way, it is possible to determine the trajectory of the space drifting object 11 by combining it with the position coordinates and attitude information of the space vehicle 9. it can.

In the above description, since the piezo film 6 emits a signal even when the film is distorted due to vibration or temperature change, the output signal from the piezo film 6 is transmitted to the piezo film 6 by the space drifting object 11. It is necessary to distinguish whether the signal is a signal at the time of collision or a noise signal.
The classification is performed by

When the cosmic drifting object 11 collides with the piezo film 6 of the observation unit 5, the cosmic drifting object 11
The mass, velocity, and orbit of the spacecraft can be observed, and at the same time, the space drifting object 11 colliding with the piezofilm 6
Are captured by the foil stack 3 of the capturing unit 2. In this case, the foil stack 3 has a set of foils 3a formed by laminating one to many thin films, which are arranged in layers on the holder 1 at a predetermined interval, so that the space drifting object passes through each foil 3a. It is possible to gradually absorb the shock when the rocket 11 comes in and collides, and to capture and prevent the space drifting object 11 from evaporating and breaking. Space drifting object 11 that could not be captured by foil stack 3
Hits the cushioning material 4, and the shock energy is absorbed by the cushioning material 4. At this time, it is determined from the signal from the vibration measuring device 8 whether or not the space drifting object 11 has hit the cushioning material 4 because it cannot be completely captured by the foil stack 3. That is, when it is determined by the vibration measuring device 8 that the space drifting object 11 has hit the cushioning material 4, the foil stack 3 forming the trap unit 2 is passed by the foil drifting object 3 so as to pass through the foil stack 3. Is considered to have been severely damaged, so that the need for replacement has arisen. In this way, the necessity of replacing the foil stack 3 can be seen by the vibration measuring device 8. Further, as described above, the collision energy when the drifting object 11 collides with the cushioning material 4 is absorbed by the cushioning material 4 itself, but auxiliary data for measuring the collision energy is obtained from the vibration measuring device 8. The space drifting object 11 is
The collision energy, the number, and the like can be observed by the vibration and the number of times when the vibration penetrates through the shock absorber 4 and hits the cushioning material 4. Therefore, when the vibration measuring device 8 is used, the observing unit using the front piezo film 6 can be omitted.

When a drifting space object 11 that enters and is captured through the foil stack 3 collides with the cushioning material 4, a crater is formed on the surface of the cushioning material 4.
It is possible to analyze the substance (the drifting object 11 in the universe) attached to or around the crater. In this case, usually, the space drifting object 11 collides at a very high speed, so that the material evaporates and dissipates, and the remaining material is unlikely to remain. However, in the present invention, the speed of the space drifting object 11 is reduced by the foil stack 3, The substance can be expected to adhere to the buffer material 4, and the component analysis of the captured object can be performed. In addition, the material of the drifting space object can be analyzed from the shape (ratio of diameter to depth) of the crater formed on the surface of the cushioning material 4.

Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, a piezo as an observing unit 5 is provided before and after the capturing unit 2. Although the case where the film 6 and the vibration measuring device 8 are placed is shown, one of the piezo film 6 and the vibration measuring device 8 may be omitted, and the foil stack and the cushioning material are alternately arranged. Of course, various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0025]

As described above, according to the apparatus for observing and capturing a drifting object in space according to the present invention, a cylindrical holder is provided in a cylindrical holder.
A plurality of thin films are stacked to form a set, and a plurality of sets of the thin film are arranged in a layer at a predetermined interval. In addition, the trap unit is provided with an observation unit on the front side or the rear side, or on both sides, the front observation unit uses a piezo film and a compensation piezo film, and the rear observation unit is a vibration measuring device. Is used.
If there is a piezo film as an observation unit in front of the trap unit, the mass, velocity, and orbit of the space drifting object that has penetrated through the piezo film and can be obtained by the observation unit using the piezo film At the same time, the output signal of the piezo film can be classified into a noise signal and a collision signal of a space drifting object by checking the synchronism with the signal of the compensation piezo film, and the space drifting object is captured by the capture unit. If there is a vibration measuring device as an observation unit behind the trap unit, if a drifting object collides with the cushioning material of the trap unit, whether there is a collision To notify the necessity of replacement of the foil stack, obtain auxiliary data for collision energy measurement from a vibration meter, and observe space drifting objects. It can achieve the effect.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cutaway side view showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic front view showing an example of use of the apparatus for observing and capturing a drifting object in space according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing an example of a situation where a conventional drifter captures a drifting space object.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Holder 2 Capture part 3 Foil stack 3a foil 4 Buffer material 5 Observation part 6 Piezo film 7 Piezo film for compensation 8 Vibration measuring instrument 9 Space vehicle 11 Space drifting object

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A foil stack in which a plurality of thin films are stacked to form a set of a plurality of thin films arranged at predetermined intervals in layers, and a buffer material having a required thickness made of a low-density material such as rubber. And a trapping unit configured by arranging
In a holder having a bottomed cylindrical shape, the foil stack and the cushioning material are installed so as to be located back and forth or alternately, and further, a position on the opening side of the holder in the holder and on the front side of the foil stack. A plurality of piezo films are installed at required intervals, and a compensating piezo film is installed on the side wall on the opening side of the holder to constitute an observation unit. Observation and capture device for drifting objects. 2. A foil stack in which a plurality of thin films are stacked to form one set of foils at predetermined intervals and arranged in layers, and a buffer material having a required thickness made of a low-density material such as rubber. And a trapping unit configured by arranging
The foil stack and the cushioning material are installed in a bottomed cylindrical holder so as to be located back and forth or alternately, and further, the captured space drifting object in the holder and at the back position of the cushioning material. A space drifting object observation / capture device, wherein an observation unit using a vibration measuring device is arranged so as to determine whether or not the object has collided with the cushioning material. 3. In the holder and at the back position of the cushioning material,
2. The observation and capture device for a space drifting object according to claim 1, wherein an observation unit using a vibration measuring device is arranged to determine whether or not the captured space drifting object collides with the cushioning material.