Uncertainties in debris growth predictions

Conference · Thu Jan 10 00:00:00 EST 1991 · AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.39996· OSTI ID:5355033

McKnight, D S ^[1]

---

1. Kaman Sciences Corporation, 2560 Huntington Avenue, Suite 200, Alexandria, Virginia (USA)

The growth of artificial space debris in Earth orbit may pose a significant hazard to satellites in the future though the collision hazard to operational spacecraft is presently manageable. The stability of the environment is dependent on the growth of debris from satellite deployment, mission operations and fragmentation events. Growth trends of the trackable on-orbit population are investigated highlighting the complexities and limitations of using the data that supports this modeling. The debris produced by breakup events may be a critical aspect of the present and future environment. As a result, growth predictions produced using existing empirically-based models may have large, possibly even unacceptable, uncertainties.

• OSTI ID: 5355033
• Report Number(s): CONF-910116-; CODEN: APCPC; TRN: 91-027527
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States), Vol. 217:3; Conference: 8. symposium on space nuclear power systems, Albuquerque, NM (United States), 6-10 Jan 1991; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
ACCIDENTS
PROBABILITY
SPACE FLIGHT
HAZARDS
METEOROIDS
SPACE PROPULSION REACTORS
SPACE VEHICLES
MOBILE REACTORS
POWER REACTORS
PROPULSION REACTORS
REACTORS
SPACE POWER REACTORS
VEHICLES
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
220800* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Propulsion Reactors
220500 - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Environmental Aspects