Flux on a satellite due to the space object population
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In this paper the methodology for computing the flux on a circular low Earth orbit satellite due to the space object population is developed. The input for the methodology is the density distribution in altitude and inclination. This density function is a joint density function so that the altitude and density distributions are not independent, i.e., the inclination distribution may be a function of altitude. The output is the flux at any point in the orbit, the average flux over the orbit and the distribution of the relative velocity of the impacting objects as a function of the orientation of the surface on the satellite. Results are given for several representative orbits and compared to results presented in the NASA standard, Orbital Debris Environment For Spacecraft Designed To Operate In Low Earth Orbit. The space object population used is the NORAD Data Base.
