REDSHIFT DISPOSAL MODULE FOR THE DESIGN OF END-OF-LIFE DISPOSAL TRAJECTORIES FOR LEO TO GEO MISSIONS

Among its results, the ReDSHIFT project has developed a software tool for spacecraft operators, space agencies and research institutions to design the end-of-life of Earth-based missions and to study the interaction with the space debris environment. As part of this, the "Disposal Mapping" module, presented in this paper in its structure and algorithm, computes the end-of-life disposal strategy for missions whose operational orbit is in the orbital region from Low-Earth orbit to Geostationary Earth orbit. Given the initial orbit, the available ?v on board and the spacecraft characteristics in terms of cross area and mass, the options for end-of-life disposal are given and compared; namely, end-of-life disposal via one or a sequence of impulsive manoeuvres, end-of-life disposal through the use of a solar/drag sail or end-of-life through a hybrid sail plus an impulsive manoeuvre.