What would a satellite look like if it burned in the atmosphere? Researchers tried to duplicate that fiery fate for a bulky satellite electronics box with one plasma Wind tunnel.
Their goal was to better understand how satellites burn on re-entry in order to minimize the risk of endangering people on the ground. The tests were carried out as part of the ESA “Clean Space” initiative in a plasma wind tunnel at the location of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Cologne.
The object shown here is a section of a satellite electronics box with a diameter of 300 x 200 x 150 mm. The full size box is too big to fit in the 120mm diameter plasma wind tunnel. This part of the box made of aluminum also contained a backplane, which was connected to four electronic cards made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic.
The tests looked at the box’s fragmentation behavior, including the way the electronic cards were released from the case to verify the predictions of the re-entry simulation software. Other heavy satellite parts were also subjected to this “ablation test” including a ball bearing assembly, reaction wheel, magnet motor, flywheel assembly, battery module, and battery cells.
Theoretically, the re-entry into the space hardware is completely vaporized upon immersion in the atmosphere. In practice, some parts can reach the earth – some are large enough to cause serious damage.
Modern regulations on space debris require that such incidents not happen. Uncontrolled re-entries should have a less than 1 in 10,000 chance of injuring someone on the ground.
As part of a larger effort called CleanSat, ESA is developing technologies and techniques to ensure that future low-orbit satellites will be based on the concept of ‘D4D’ – Design for Demise.
