Computer Modeling of Satellite Debris Following Breakup or Collision

Abstract

With the increased use of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) there has also been an increase in the amount of man-made orbital debris in LEO. Events like the explosion of the Breeze M rocket stage in October 2012 and the collision between Iridium-33 and Cosmos-2251 satellites can create a great deal of debris which disperses after impact. These objects in high-speed orbit around the earth have great potential to damage functional satellites also in orbit. This can become a significant threat to the existing satellite array and even to future missions beyond Earth. The purpose of this study was to construct a theoretical model of all the forces on satellite debris using a non-inertial reference frame. Then a computer simulation was created using this theoretical model based on the concept of finite differencing.