// ORBITAL LOGISTICS AND PROPULSION TERM
De-Orbit
The process of intentionally bringing a satellite or spacecraft out of orbit and back into the Earth's atmosphere, usually for disposal or controlled re-entry.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
De-orbit is the controlled maneuver to lower a spacecraft's altitude and reduce its orbital velocity, causing it to re-enter a celestial body's atmosphere for disposal, controlled impact, or atmospheric burn-up.
BACKGROUND
Outer space, or simply space, is the expanse that exists beyond Earth's atmosphere and between celestial bodies. It contains ultra-low levels of particle densities, constituting a near-perfect vacuum of predominantly hydrogen and helium plasma, permeated by electromagnetic radiation, cosmic rays, neutrinos, magnetic fields and dust. The baseline temperature of outer space, as set by the background radiation from the Big Bang, is 2.7 kelvins.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- Re-entry
- Orbital decay
- Atmospheric re-entry
- Disposal burn
USAGE NOTE
De-orbiting is a crucial end-of-life procedure for satellites to mitigate space debris.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to De-Orbit.
A company specializing in on-orbit satellite servicing and active debris removal (ADR). Their ELSA-d mission successfully demonstrated rendezvous and magnetic capture technologies for docking with and de-orbiting defunct satellites.
Selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) for the first-ever active debris removal mission, ClearSpace-1. The company is developing a specialized robotic spacecraft to capture and de-orbit a piece of a Vega rocket adapter.
A space logistics and transportation company that operates the ION Satellite Carrier. After deploying customer satellites, the ION vehicle can perform a final propulsive maneuver to de-orbit itself in a controlled manner, preventing the creation of new space debris.
A developer of small satellites that led the RemoveDEBRIS mission, which successfully tested several key ADR technologies in orbit, including a net capture system, a harpoon, and a drag sail for accelerating orbital decay.
A company that designs and manufactures deployable drag sails for the de-orbiting of satellites, cubesats, and launch vehicle upper stages. Their Spinnaker product line aims to provide reliable, passive de-orbiting to comply with space sustainability guidelines.
Now part of Amergint, Tethers Unlimited developed the Terminator Tape, a small, lightweight module that deploys a conductive tape at the end of a satellite's life. This tape dramatically increases atmospheric drag, significantly shortening the time it takes for the satellite to de-orbit.
An aerospace company that integrates de-orbit capabilities into its launch systems. The Electron rocket's Kick Stage is designed to perform a final burn to lower its perigee for rapid orbital decay, ensuring it does not become long-term space junk.
A company developing an AI-powered space traffic management platform. Their system provides collision risk analysis and suggests avoidance maneuvers, including optimized de-orbiting trajectories for end-of-life spacecraft to ensure safe and efficient removal from orbit.