[AR] Re: FW: drag brakes (was Re: Cubesats orbital grenades ?)
- From: Henry Spencer <hspencer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Arocket List <arocket@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2017 16:42:31 -0500 (EST)
On Fri, 15 Dec 2017, John Dom wrote:
Maybe mentioned already but as far as I can make out, to de-orbit cubesats
with a built-in brake rocket is best & simplest. If fired in the correct
trajectory i.e..
Propulsion is the best way to do deorbit... if the spacecraft has attitude
control, *and* you're willing to assume that it will still be working and
responsive to ground control at end of life.
But even aside from the attitude-control issue, the limitations imposed on
secondary payloads often make it difficult to include propulsion of any
kind. Anything that might mess up the primary payload tends to be
forbidden, especially if (like many cubesats) the secondary payload is a
student/amateur product whose design quality and workmanship are
considered questionable. (Such skepticism can be overcome -- assuming
that you *have* done things right -- but it takes effort and often costs
money.)
Henry
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