Colloquium: Claudia Rodriguez del Rio (ASM)

The growing accumulation of space debris threatens the sustainability of space operations, demanding effective mitigation strategies. This study presents the design and sizing of a drag sail system to accelerate satellite orbital decay, based on Demcon High-Tech Systems' preliminary concept. Using Tudat libraries, a Python-based orbital decay model was developed to estimate the sail area required to meet deorbiting objectives. Perturbative forces, including atmospheric drag, gravity, and solar radiation pressure, were modeled, with atmospheric density based on the NRLMSISE-00 dynamic model. The drag coefficient was calculated under free molecular flow conditions, and the CubeSat’s average outer surface was used as the effective drag area. The drag sail achieved a fivefold reduction in decay time, from 31.4 to 6.3 years, using a 0.2 m² sail. Inflatable deployable booms provided robust structural support, ensuring resistance to failure and resonance avoidance.System survival was validated to 120 km altitude, with further investigation needed for thermal effects at lower altitudes

Supervisor: I. Uriol Balbin