Abstract
A very important topic in modern astrodynamics is the removal of satellites from their orbits, after the end of their missions. In this work, we propose the use of the solar radiation pressure to change the orbital energy of a satellite, to remove it from the operational region to a graveyard orbit. A mechanism for changing the area-to-mass ratio of the satellite and/or its reflectivity coefficient is used to accomplish this task. We derive an analytical model to find the maximum eccentricity achieved during the removal trajectory, for different initial conditions for the argument of perigee and the longitude of the ascending node. After that, the best trajectories, i.e., trajectories with low eccentricity, are integrated using a numerical model. These low eccentricity trajectories are important because satellites with disposal orbits with low eccentricity pose a lower risk of crossing the operational region during the de-orbiting.
