Towards a second life for Zombie Satellites: Anomaly occurrence and potential recycling assessment
Thousands of rockets, spaceships, and satellites have been launched, resulting in a steady increase in the number of space debris notably in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geostationary Orbit (GEO). Among the objects comprising space debris, defunct satellites are commonly found, which may have been aban...
| Autores: | , , , |
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| Tipo de documento: | artigo |
| Estado: | Versão publicada |
| Data de publicação: | 2024 |
| País: | España |
| Recursos: | Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) |
| Repositório: | DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:digital.csic.es:10261/357921 |
| Acesso em linha: | http://hdl.handle.net/10261/357921 |
| Access Level: | Acceso aberto |
| Palavra-chave: | Space debris population Space ecosystem Satellite failures Recyclable satellites |
| Resumo: | Thousands of rockets, spaceships, and satellites have been launched, resulting in a steady increase in the number of space debris notably in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geostationary Orbit (GEO). Among the objects comprising space debris, defunct satellites are commonly found, which may have been abandoned in space due to various anomalies. While these satellite failures may not be catastrophic, certain subsystems could still be repurposed for alternative uses beyond their initial design. This study aims to assess the feasibility of “recycling” partially failed satellites, also known as “Zombie Satellites”, by statistically evaluating the severity of their anomalies and quantifying their remaining capabilities and limitations. By conducting a comprehensive statistical analysis, the anomalies have been categorized based on subsystem, orbit type, occurrence date during the satellite’s lifespan, and severity. Additionally, an analysis is presented to identify failed satellites from some of the current large constellations. |
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