Re-Entry of Space Objects from Low Eccentricity Orbits

Abstract

This paper deals with the re-entry predictions of the space objects from the low eccentric orbit. Any re-entering object re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere with a high orbital velocity. Due to the aerodynamic heating the object tends to break into multiple fragments which later pose a great risk hazard to the population. Here a satellite is considered as the space object for which the re-entry prediction is made. This prediction is made with a package where the trajectory path, the time of re-entry and the survival rate of the fragments is done. The prediction is done using DRAMA 2.0—ESA’s Debris Risk Assessment and Mitigation Analysis Tool suite, MATLAB and Numerical Prediction of Orbital Events software. The predicted re-entry time of OSIRIS 3U was found to be on 7th March 2019, 7:25 (UTC), whereas the actual re-entry time was on 7th March 2019, 7:03 (UTC). The trajectory path found was 51.5699 deg. (Lat), −86.5738 deg. (Long.) with an altitude of 168.643 km. But the actual trajectory was 51.76 deg. (Lat), −89.01deg. (Long.) with an altitude of 143.5 km.