Mass Estimation In The Breakups Of Soviet Satellites

G. D. Badhwar, P. D. Anz-Meador. (1990), JBIS, 43, pp.403-410

Refcode: 1990.43.403

Abstract:

One of the sources of orbital debris is the deliberate destruction or man-made satellites. The anti-satellite (ASAT) project of the Soviet Union has contributed about 6% of the currently tracked debris population due either to the disintegration of the target or the interceptor vehicles. In order to understand better the nature of these breakups, it may be helpful to calculate the mass of the parent object prior to its breakup.