Academic Journal
Towards a second life for Zombie Satellites: Anomaly occurrence and potential recycling assessment
| Title: | Towards a second life for Zombie Satellites: Anomaly occurrence and potential recycling assessment |
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| Authors: | Jeimmy Nataly Buitrago-Leiva, Mohamed El Khayati Ramouz, Adriano Camps, Joan A. Ruiz-de-Azua |
| Contributors: | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Doctorat en Ciència i Tecnologia Aeroespacials, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Teoria del Senyal i Comunicacions, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. CommSensLab-UPC - Centre Específic de Recerca en Comunicació i Detecció UPC |
| Source: | UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) |
| Publisher Information: | Elsevier BV, 2024. |
| Publication Year: | 2024 |
| Subject Terms: | Satèl·lits artificials -- Reciclatge, Satellite failures, Recyclable satellites, Space debris population, Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria de la telecomunicació::Radiocomunicació i exploració electromagnètica::Satèl·lits i ràdioenllaços, 7. Clean energy, 12. Responsible consumption, Residus espacials, 13. Climate action, 11. Sustainability, Space debris, Artificial satellites -- Recycling, Space ecosystem |
| Description: | Thousands of rockets, spaceships, and satellites have been launched, resulting in a steady increase in the number of space debris notably in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geostationary Orbit (GEO). Among the objects comprising space debris, defunct satellites are commonly found, which may have been abandoned in space due to various anomalies. While these satellite failures may not be catastrophic, certain subsystems could still be repurposed for alternative uses beyond their initial design. This study aims to assess the feasibility of “recycling” partially failed satellites, also known as “Zombie Satellites”, by statistically evaluating the severity of their anomalies and quantifying their remaining capabilities and limitations. By conducting a comprehensive statistical analysis, the anomalies have been categorized based on subsystem, orbit type, occurrence date during the satellite’s lifespan, and severity. Additionally, an analysis is presented to identify failed satellites from some of the current large constellations. This work was sponsored in part by the I+D+i project of UPC GENESIS project PID 2021-1264360B-C21 financed by MCIN/AEI. Additionally, this work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation and the European Union–NextGeneration EU , in the framework of the Recovery Plan, Transformation and Resilience (PRTR) (Call UNICO I+D 5G 2021, ref. number TSI-063000-2021-8-6GSatNet-SeS). This document is the partial result of an ongoing satellite research activity carried out by Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya NanoSat Lab and i2CAT Foundation, submitted to the Horizon Europe Program in 2022. |
| Document Type: | Article |
| File Description: | application/pdf |
| Language: | English |
| ISSN: | 0094-5765 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.actaastro.2024.01.048 |
| Rights: | CC BY |
| Accession Number: | edsair.doi.dedup.....7a09e070914bd40136cd92d0835fcfd4 |
| Database: | OpenAIRE |
| ISSN: | 00945765 |
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| DOI: | 10.1016/j.actaastro.2024.01.048 |