Self-Contained Deorbit Package for Spacecraft

There was a time when the calculated probability that a Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) spacecraft might be struck by space debris was relatively small. Today that is not the case. With the quantity of debris presently in orbit, a spacecraft remaining in LEO for any appreciable length of time will be struck by space debris, most likely several times. At best the impact will simply puncture a non-essential piece of structure or perhaps degrade a solar array slightly; at worst it will cause a catastrophic failure of the spacecraft and generate additional debris. AeroAstro's solution is a robust, self-contained deorbiting aerobrake which will retire a space asset at the end of its useful lifetime. The Aerobrake Deorbiting System (ADS) would be attached before launch or on orbit to decommission a target spacecraft. In this Phase I effort, AeroAstro proposes to develop a conceptual design for a complete ADS including the aerobrake and other requisite systems.