Functional Analysis, Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Cost for Active Debris Removal Missions: a Comparison of Different Architectures

09/15/2025

This thesis analyses possible Active Debris Removal (ADR) mission architectures by comparing them on multiple levels. The objective is to determine which proposed mission concept is the most suitable one for the removal of critical debris under both environmental impact and costs. A preliminary functional analysis is developed to determine the requirements and the main functions that ADR satellites shall exploit. Then, the proposed architectures are sized and their mass breakdown is analysed, being the starting point for the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Data for the Life Cycle Inventories is gathered from both previously developed LCAs and guidelines. In some cases, processes and materials are modelled autonomously. Costs are then estimated, based on existing advanced models. Moreover, the impact of the launch vehicle on both environment and costs is studied, finding the most suitable option for each sized spacecraft. Lastly, the compliance with the selected requirements is verified, proceeding with the final architecture comparison. Results show how single-target satellites are better than multiple-target spacecraft for the removal of big debris, due to their lower mass and, consequently, lower costs and impact. Also, the sized deorbit kits are proven to be not suitable for the removal of the selected targets, due to the uncontrolled re-entry they perform. The thesis contributes to the ADR research field, trying to find out which mission architecture better suits the given constraints, also suggesting some requirements and functions for further ADR operations.

Authors in the community:

• 

  A

  Alessandro Melifiori

  ist1112400

Supervisors of this institution:

• 

  I

  Inês Esteves Ribeiro

  ist149016

mechanical-engineering - Mechanical engineering

eng - English

Instituto Superior Técnico