Method and device for deflection of space debris

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10336474-B2
Application number	US-201615353388-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2016
Priority date	Nov 17, 2015
Publication date	Jul 2, 2019
Grant date	Jul 2, 2019

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for deflecting space debris comprising steps of:
launching (E 2 ) a thruster ( 2 ) by means of a sounding rocket ( 1 ) at a target altitude close to that of the one or more debris to be deflected. generating (E 3 ) by the thruster a gas cloud (G) above the sounding rocket.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for deflecting space debris comprising steps of:
launching a thruster by means of a sounding rocket at a target altitude close to that of the one or more debris to be deflected, wherein the thruster comprises a combustion chamber and a nozzle, and the thruster is fixed to the tip of the sounding rocket with the nozzle pointing towards a launch direction of the sounding rocket;
generating, by the thruster, a combustion within the combustion chamber causing a downward thrust on the sounding rocket; and
emitting, from the nozzle of the thruster, a product of the combustion to generate a gas cloud above the sounding rocket and along a trajectory of the one or more debris.

2. The method as according to claim 1 , wherein emitting the product of the combustion to generate the gas cloud comprises a step of orientation and stabilization of the thruster so that the gases coming from the nozzle are correctly oriented.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the combustion is generated just before culminating at target altitude, typically from 2 to 5 seconds before culminating at target altitude.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the combustion is generated for a period ensuring passage of the debris via the cloud typically over a period of 5 to 15 seconds, typically 10 seconds.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the target altitude is typically less by 500 m to 1 km than that of the trajectory of the debris to be avoided.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sounding rocket is launched from the ground or is airborne and wherein the sounding rocket can be consumed or is reusable fully or partially.

7. The method according to claim 1 , comprising a determination step of a location of the one or more debris to be deflected and a joint determination step of a launching instant of the rocket as a function of the launching position of the sounding rocket to ensure passage of the one or more debris to be deflected in an orbital zone accessible to the sounding rocket.

8. A device for deflecting space debris comprising:
a sounding rocket; and
a thruster including a combustion chamber and a nozzle, the thruster being fixed to the tip of the sounding rocket with the nozzle pointing towards a launch direction of the sounding rocket, wherein the thruster is operable to generate a combustion within the combustion chamber causing a downward thrust on the sounding rocket, and to emit a product of the combustion from the nozzle to generate a gas cloud above the sounding rocket and along a trajectory of the space debris.

9. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the thruster has solid propulsion or hybrid propulsion.

Assignees

• Centre Nat Etd Spatiales

Inventors

• Bonnal Christophe

Classifications

• B64G1/403 Primary

  Solid propellant rocket engines · CPC title

• B64G1/404

  Hybrid rocket engines · CPC title

• B64G1/66

  Arrangements or adaptations of apparatus or instruments, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B64G1/56

  Protection against meteoroids or space debris · CPC title

• B64G1/005

  Air launch · CPC title