ATMOSPHERIC RE-ENTRY OF CUBESAT SPLASH WITH FLEXIBLE AEROSHELL USING HOHMANN TRANSFER MANEUVER

Since the 1960s, driven by the Space Race and subsequent technological advancements, there has been a growing demand for the development of Earth-orbiting satellites for purposes such as communication, research, and mapping. The number of satellites has increased so significantly that there is now great concern regarding space debris satellites that have exceeded their useful lifetime but remain in orbit. The objective of this work is to study the controlled atmospheric re-entry of CubeSats as a strategy to mitigate space debris. With the growth of satellite traffic and debris, analysis and simulation become essential. SPLASH (Self-DePloyable FLexible AeroSHell for de-Orbiting and Space Re-entry), a cooperative Brazil–Italy project, is employed as a model for analysis and simulation. This innovative CubeSat utilizes a deployable aeroshell mechanism capable of performing the re-entry maneuver by adapting the cross-sectional area of the heat shield through shape memory alloys, which can contract or expand as required. The methodology combines theoretical justification, based on the physical laws of orbital dynamics, with simulations performed in STK (Systems Tool Kit), a platform that enables the configuration of operational environments and optimization of mission data for improved accuracy. This theoretical mission concept considers a satellite in a circular LEO orbit. The orbital dynamics are governed by Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation and Kepler’s Laws, while the re-entry maneuver is carried out using a Hohmann transfer. This method employs the satellite’s motion to describe an elliptical orbit that intersects the initial orbit (approximately 400 km) and the final orbit, represented by the Kármán line that marks the boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space. The results of this study include the required velocity deltas for the maneuver, the transfer orbit flight time, and potential impact sites.