SIMULATION OF ON-ORBIT SATELLITE FRAGMENTATIONS (SPACE DEBRIS, ORBITAL DEBRIS)

The debris from nearly ninety satellites that have fragmented pose a serious hazard to all space systems in Earth orbit. A program has been developed which simulates fragmentation events whose magnitude, size distribution, velocity distribution, geometry, and location of breakup may all be controlled. This numerical model simulates in-orbit satellite fragmentations generating debris fragments across the entire size spectrum; many of which would be nondetectable by the NORAD Space Network. Monte Carlo methods are used to generate the size and velocity distributions of fragments according to hypothetical distributions derived from laboratory experiments. After breakup, the particles' orbits are propagated under the influence of drag and the J(,2) gravitational term. This simulation program provides insight into the nontrackable debris population available through no other means. The simulation of the Kosmos 1275 breakup supports the speculation that it is the first accidental collision-induced satellite breakup.