ANALYSIS OF THE MAGNETIC FIELD AND THE MAGNETIC FLUX IN SPACECRAFT’S PASSIVE DEORBIT SYSTEMS

• Datum: 2026
• Hauptverfasser: YURKOV, B. V., ASMOLOVSKYI, S. Yu., KULAHIN, S. M., RIZNYCHENKO, M. P.
• Format: Artikel
• Veröffentlicht: текст 3 2026
• Online Zugang: https://journal-itm.dp.ua/ojs/index.php/ITM_j1/article/view/189
• Назва журналу: Technical Mechanics

The rapid growth in the number of objects in low-Earth orbits and the active deployment of large satellite constellations are making the problem of near-Earth space debris increasingly critical. Current international regulations limit the post-mission orbital lifetime of a spacecraft to 5 years, making the issue of reliable and simple deorbit ever more relevant, especially for small spacecraft. Traditional active propulsion systems require significant propellant and power resources and increase system complexity, which is critical for small spacecraft. This drives the development of passive methods, among which the use of magnetic systems interacting with the ionospheric plasma is promising. This paper presents the results of a study on coaxial assemblies of permanent magnets as the core element of a passive deorbit system. The concept is based on the interaction between the magnetic field generated by the magnets and charged particles in the plasma, which leads to momentum exchange and the generation of a force opposing the spacecraft’s motion. The effectiveness of this approach is largely determined not only by the magnitude of the magnetic field, but also by its spatial distribution, particularly by the total magnetic flux. The object of this study is a coaxial magnetic system consisting of a steel flange, outer neodymium ring magnets, and central cylindrical magnets. Six variants of coaxial configurations were considered, differing in the geometric dimensions of the central magnets (15, 20, and 30 mm) and in their pole orientations (S–S–S and S–N–S). For each configuration, the magnetic field distribution and magnetic flux were evaluated using computer simulation. The simulation results show that the S–N–S configuration increases the magnetic flux by 7–12.5% compared to the S–S–S configuration at identical overall dimensions of the magnetic system. Doubling the diameter of the central element provides an approximately 23% increase in flux, thus confirming the effectiveness of scaling the inner part of the assembly. This highlights the importance of optimizing the magnetic field topology and demonstrates that compact passive magnetic systems are promising for deorbiting applications. REFERENCES 1. ESA's Annual Space Environment Report. GEN-DB-LOG-00288-OPS-SD. Issue 9, Rev. 1. European Space Agency, Space Debris Office. 2025. 118 pp. URL: https://www.sdo.esoc.esa.int/publications/Space_Environment_Report_I9R1_20251021.pdf (Last accessed on April 20, 2026). 2. Space Sustainability Report. Inmarsat. 2022. 54 pp. URL: https://www.ukspace.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Inmarsat-Space-Sustainability-Report.pdf (Last accessed on April 20, 2026). 3. Mitigation of Orbital Debris in the New Space Age: Second Report and Order, FCC 22-74, Federal Communications Commission. 2022. 54 pp. URL: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-22-74A1.pdf (Last accessed on April 20, 2026). 4. ESA Space Debris Mitigation Requirements. ESSB-ST-U-007. Issue 1, Rev. 1. European Space Agency, ESB Secretariat. 2025. 80 pp. URL: https://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/technology/ESSB-ST-U-007_Issue_1_Rev_1(23_October_2025).pdf (Last accessed on April 20, 2026). 5. Аbaturov А. O., Dron М. M., Kulyk О. V., Proroka V. A. An overview of methods and technical means of space debris removal from low earth orbits. System Design and Analysis of Aerospace Technique Characteristics. 2022. V. 31. No. 2. Pp. 3-13. https://doi.org/10.15421/472209 6. Muhammad H. J., Akhlaq A. Space Debris Removal Using Electromagnetic Fields. Preprint (Version 1) available at Research Square. April 2026. 7. Shuvalov V. A., Simanov V. G., Horolsky P. G., Kulagin S. N. Deceleration of an artificially magnetized spacecraft in the ionospheric plasma. Space Sci. & Technol. 2020. V. 26. No. 2. Pp. 59-71. (In Russian). https://doi.org/10.15407/knit2020.02.059 8. Shuvalov V. A., Gorev N. B., Tokmak N. A., Kuchugurnyi Y. P. Drag on a spacecraft produced by the interaction of its magnetic field with the Earth's ionosphere. Physical modelling. Acta Astronautica. 2020. V. 166. Pp. 41-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2019.10.018