Debris Assessment Software User's Guide: Orbital Debris Program Office

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NASA/TP-2019-220300
Debris Assessment Software User’s Guide

Version 3.0
Orbital Debris Program Office
J.-C. Liou
NASA Johnson Space Center
Houston, Texas
John Opiela
Andrew Vavrin
Billy Draeger
Phillip Anz-Meador
Christopher Ostrom
Christopher Sanchez
Jacobs
Houston, Texas
National Aeronautics and

Space Administration
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

Houston, Texas 77058
July 2019
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NASA/TP-2019-220300
Debris Assessment Software User’s Guide

Version 3.0
Orbital Debris Program Office
J.-C. Liou
NASA Johnson Space Center
Houston, Texas
John Opiela
Andrew Vavrin
Billy Draeger
Phillip Anz-Meador
Christopher Ostrom
Christopher Sanchez
Jacobs
Houston, Texas
National Aeronautics and

Space Administration
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

Houston, Texas 77058
July 2019
Acknowledgements
The DAS 3.0 was developed by the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office between February
2017 and September 2018. The development team included John N. Opiela, Andrew Vavrin, Dr.
Alyssa Manis, Christopher Ostrom, and numerous other contributors.
The development team thankfully acknowledges the careful review and detailed comments and
suggestions provided by the software beta review panel.
Available from:
NASA STI Program National Technical Information Service

Mail Stop 148 5285 Port Royal Road
NASA Langley Research Center Springfield, VA 22161
Hampton, VA 23681-2199
This report is also available in electronic form at http://www.sti.nasa.gov/ and http://ntrs.nasa.

REVISION AND HISTORY PAGE
REV. DESCRIPTION PUB.

DATE
Initial New Document: Reference JSC 64047 November
Release 2007
Rev. A Throughout: Update to Section 1.1, 1.2, and 3.10. January 2012
Revised Changed ORDEM2000 to ORDEM 3.0. Added notes about March 2016
for DAS increased run time due to ORDEM 3.0. Changed general references
2.1 to the software from “DAS 2.0” to simply “DAS 2”. Clarifications
and additions related to installing and running DAS 2.1. Updated the
acceptable mission date range to match the new DAS date range of
2010-2100.
Revised Revised to reflect functionality of DAS 3.0 and updated NS February
for DAS 8719.14B. Expanded technical appendix. 2019
3.0
iii
Table of Contents
List of Figures ..................................................................................................................................... v
List of Tables....................................................................................................................................... v
List of Plots ........................................................................................................................................vi
1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1
1.1 Scope and Limitations .......................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Software Changes ................................................................................................................. 1
1.2.1 Changes from DAS 2.1 to DAS 3.0 ................................................................................... 1
1.3 Software Installation and Removal ...................................................................................... 2
2. DAS Main Window Features .................................................................................................... 4

2.1 Viewing Toolbars ................................................................................................................. 4
2.2 Using the Mission Editor...................................................................................................... 6
2.3 Requirement Assessments ................................................................................................... 12
2.4 Science and Engineering Utilities ........................................................................................ 13
2.5 Using the Material Database Editor .................................................................................... 14
2.6 Using the Plot Viewer .......................................................................................................... 14
2.7 Using the Date Conversion Utility ....................................................................................... 17
2.8 Viewing the Activity Log ...................................................................................................... 17
2.9 Saving and Loading Projects ............................................................................................... 18
3. Assessing Compliance with the NASA Debris Requirements .............................................. 19

3.1 Requirement 4.3-1: Debris Passing Through LEO ........................................................... 19
3.2 Requirement 4.3-2: Debris Passing Near GEO ................................................................ 21
3.3 Requirements 4.4-1, 4.4-2, 4.4-3, and 4.4-4: Not Covered by DAS .................................. 24
3.4 Requirement 4.5-1: Limiting Debris Generated by Collisions with Large Objects .......... 24
3.5 Requirement 4.5-2: Probability of Damage from Small Debris ....................................... 25
3.6 Requirement 4.6-1, 4.6-2, 4.6-3: Postmission Disposal of Space Structures ................... 31
3.7 Requirement 4.6-4: Postmission Disposal Reliability....................................................... 33
3.8 Requirement 4.7-1: Casualty Risk from Uncontrolled Reentry ........................................ 33
3.9 Requirement 4.8-1: Mitigate the Collision Hazard of Space Tethers ............................... 40
iv
4. Science and Engineering Utilities ............................................................................................ 41
4.1 Analysis of Postmission Disposal Maneuvers .................................................................... 41
4.1.1 Disposal by Atmospheric Reentry.................................................................................. 42
4.1.2 Maneuver to Storage Orbit ............................................................................................. 44
4.1.3 Reentry Survivability Analysis ...................................................................................... 47
4.2 Orbit Evolution Analysis .................................................................................................... 49
4.2.1 Apogee/Perigee Altitude History for a Given Orbit ....................................................... 50
4.2.2 Orbit Lifetime/Dwell Time ............................................................................................ 53
4.3 Delta-V for Postmission Maneuver .................................................................................... 55
4.3.1 Delta-V for Decay Orbit, Given Orbital Lifetime .......................................................... 55
4.3.2 Delta-V for Decay Orbit, Given Area-to-Mass .............................................................. 58
4.4 Delta-V for Orbit-to-Orbit Transfer ................................................................................... 60
4.4.1 Orbit-to-Orbit Transfer ................................................................................................... 61
4.5 Other Utilities ..................................................................................................................... 63
4.5.1 Two Line Element Converter ......................................................................................... 63
4.5.2 Calculate Cross-Sectional Area ...................................................................................... 65
Appendix A : Glossary of Terms and Acronyms .......................................................................A-1
Appendix B : NASA Technical Standard 8719.14B Requirements .......................................... B-1
Appendix C : DAS 3 Technical Notes ..........................................................................................C-1

C.1 Propagators ................................................................................................................... C-1
C.2 Orbital Elements ........................................................................................................... C-2
C.3 Orbital Debris Environment Model.............................................................................. C-4
C.4 Solar Flux Model .......................................................................................................... C-4
C.5 Human Casualty Expectation ....................................................................................... C-5
C.6 Properties of the Default Materials .............................................................................. C-6
v
List of Figures
Figure 2 - 1: DAS Main Window ........................................................................................................ 4
Figure 2 - 2: DAS Mission Editor Dialog ........................................................................................... 6
Figure 2 - 3: Requirement Assessments Top-level Dialog ............................................................... 14
Figure 3 - 1: Requirement 4.3-1 Debris Passing Through LEO Dialog ............................................ 20

Figure 3 - 2: Requirement 4.3-2 Debris Passing Near GEO Dialog ................................................. 23
Figure 3 - 3: Requirement 4.5-1 Limiting Debris Generated by Collisions with
Large Objects Dialog ................................................................................................ 24
Figure 3 - 4: Requirement 4.5-2 Probability of Damage from Small Debris Dialog ........................ 26
Figure 3 - 5: Requirements 4.6-1, 4.6-2, 4.6-3: Postmission Disposal of
Space Structures Dialog ............................................................................................ 33
Figure 3 - 6: Conversion of critical surface block diagram in layers ............................................... 29
Figure 3 - 7: Critical Surface and shielding layers arrangement and separation ............................... 29
Figure 3 - 8: Requirements 4.6-1, 4.6-2, 4.6-3: Postmission Disposal of
Space Structures Dialog ............................................................................................ 32
Figure 3 - 9: Parent-child relationship of nested components in the DAS reentry assessment ......... 34
Figure 3 - 10: Requirement 4.7-1 Limit the Risk of Human Casualty Dialog .................................. 36
Figure 4 - 1: Disposal by Atmospheric Reentry Input Dialog .......................................................... 42

Figure 4 - 2: Disposal by Atmospheric Reentry 44
Figure 4 - 3: Maneuver to Storage Orbit Dialog ............................................................................... 45
Figure 4 - 4: Reentry Survivability Analysis Dialog ......................................................................... 48
Figure 4 - 5: Apogee/Perigee Altitude History for a Given Orbit Input Dialog ............................... 50
Figure 4 - 6: Apogee/Perigee Altitude History for a Given Orbit ..................................................... 52
Figure 4 - 7: Orbit Lifetime/Dwell Time Dialog............................................................................... 53
Figure 4 - 8: Delta-V for Decay Orbit Given Orbital Lifetime Dialog ............................................. 56
Figure 4 - 9: Delta-V for Decay Orbit Given Orbital Lifetime ......................................................... 57
Figure 4 - 10: Delta-V for Decay Orbit Given Area-To-Mass Dialog .............................................. 58
Figure 4 - 11: Delta-V for Decay Orbit Given Area-To-Mass .......................................................... 60
Figure 4 - 12: Delta-V for Orbit-to-Orbit Transfer Dialog ............................................................... 61
Figure 4 - 13: Two Line Element Conversion Dialog ....................................................................... 63
Figure 4 - 14: Elements Converted to DAS Input Values ................................................................. 65
Figure 4 - 15: Calculate Cross-Sectional Area Dialog ...................................................................... 66
Figure 4 - 16: Three-View Cross-Sectional Area Plot ...................................................................... 69
Figure C - 1: Orbital Elements in the Orbital Plane ........................................................................ C-2

Figure C - 2: Orbital Elements ........................................................................................................ C-3
vi
List of Tables
Table 2 - 1: Mission Editor, Payload Grid .......................................................................................... 8
Table 2 - 2: Mission Editor, Rocket Body Grid ................................................................................ 10
Table 2 - 3: Mission Editor, Mission-Related Debris Grid ............................................................... 13
Table 3 - 1: Requirement 4.5-2 Outer Walls Input Grid ................................................................... 28

Table 3 - 2: Properties used to evaluate the example Critical Surface 2 ........................................... 30
Table 3 - 3: Requirement 4.7-1 Sub-component Input Grid ............................................................. 37
Table 3 - 4: Requirement 4.7-1 Comma-Separated Sub-Component File Format............................ 38
Table 3 - 5: Requirement 4.7-1 Mission Element Output Data ........................................................ 40
Table 3 - 6: Requirement 4.7-1 Sub-Component Output Data ......................................................... 40
Table 4 - 1: Disposal by Atmospheric Reentry Input Data ............................................................... 43

Table 4 - 2: Maneuver to Storage Orbit Input Data .......................................................................... 46
Table 4 - 3: Maneuver to Storage Orbit Output Data ........................................................................ 47
Table 4 - 4: Reentry Survivability Output Data ................................................................................ 49
Table 4 - 5: Apogee/Perigee Altitude History for a Given Orbit Input Data .................................... 51
Table 4 - 6: Orbit Lifetime/Dwell Time Input Data .......................................................................... 54
Table 4 - 7: Orbit Lifetime/Dwell Time Output Data ....................................................................... 55
Table 4 - 8: Delta-V for Decay Orbit Given Orbital Lifetime Input Data ........................................ 56
Table 4 - 9: Delta-V for Decay Orbit Given Area-To-Mass Input Data ........................................... 59
Table 4 - 10: Delta-V for Orbit-to-Orbit Transfer Input Data ........................................................... 62
Table 4 - 11: Delta-V for Orbit-to-Orbit Transfer Output Data ........................................................ 62
Table 4 - 12: Two-Line Element Set Format Definition, Line 1 ....................................................... 64
Table 4 - 13: Two-Line Element Set Format Definition, Line 2 ....................................................... 64
Table C - 1: Perturbations included in the DAS orbit propagators ................................................. C-1

Table C - 2: Description of the Orbital Elements ............................................................................ C-3
Table C - 3: DAS Functions that use ORDEM ............................................................................... C-4
Table C - 4: Properties of DAS 3 Built-In Materials ...................................................................... C-6
vii
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viii
1. Introduction
The Debris Assessment Software (DAS) is provided by the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office
as a means of assessing, during the planning and design phase, space missions’ compliance with
NASA’s requirements for reduction of orbital debris.
1.1 Scope and Limitations

DAS is designed to assist NASA programs in performing orbital debris assessments (ODA), as
described in NASA Technical Standard 8719.14B, Process for Limiting Orbital Debris. The
software reflects the structure of the Standard and provides the user with tools to assess compliance
with the requirements. If non-compliant, DAS may also be used to explore debris mitigation
options to bring a program within requirements.
While DAS provides many functions useful in performing ODAs, its list of features is not
exhaustive. Some analyses (e.g., hardware reliability, space tethers) are better done outside DAS.
The user should remember that DAS is a software tool, while the NASA Technical Standard
8719.14B contains the actual mission requirements.
DAS 3.0 will assess payloads operating from the year 2015 to 2035, and objects in orbit (non-
operational) from 2015 to 2100. The time limits are based on the limits of the orbital debris
environment model, ORDEM 3.0, as implemented in DAS. The small-object environment (objects
with sizes <10 cm), which is required for assessment of Requirement 4.5-2, ends in the year 2035.
The larger-object environment (sizes ≥10 cm), required for collision risk assessment during both
operational and post-mission phases, is projected to 2100. As a result, DAS 3.0 cannot fully assess
Requirement 4.5-2 for payloads still operational after 2035.
1.2 Software Changes

DAS 3 builds on the code base of DAS 2. Minor revisions to DAS 3 provide bug-fixes, important
clarifications, and updated documentation. Some features of DAS 2 have been removed from
DAS 3 due to their limited application or impractically long run-time.
1.2.1 Changes from DAS 2.1 to DAS 3.0
DAS 3.0 includes updates that address revisions in the NASA Standard 8719.14B, as well as several
usability improvements. Assessment of intentional breakups and tether systems have been
removed. In practice, those items are so unique that the general-purpose tool was of little use. The
reentry survivability module now allows up to 1500 line items. Reflecting recent research, the
carbon-fiber material types now have increased reentry survivability. Science and Engineering
Tools that required days or weeks of computation due to ORDEM run-times have been removed.
1
As with DAS 2.1, version 3.0 incorporates the orbital debris environment model of ORDEM 3.0,
the Orbital Debris Engineering Model also developed by the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office.
The same run-time warnings apply to DAS 3.0.
IMPORTANT NOTE TO USERS: The higher-fidelity ORDEM 3.0 has greatly increased run-
times compared to the previous ORDEM2.0 (a.k.a. ORDEM2000). Because DAS performs an
ORDEM analysis for each year an object is in orbit, these increased run-times are multiplied.
During lengthy calculations, DAS may not respond and Windows may display the “Not
Responding” label and faded DAS window. DAS continues to run and will display results when the
computations are complete.
1.3 Software Installation and Removal
Recommended system for DAS 3.0:
Windows 7/8/10
1GHz+ Intel (or compatible)
256MB+ RAM
2 GB available disk space
Software Installation:
DAS is distributed as an executable setup file. The setup will install the program’s executable file
and all necessary support files within the appropriate directories. The install program will analyze
the computer’s existing operating system to identify required support elements for installation. The
installation program will prompt for the following information:
1. The Welcome window verifies that the installation of DAS is desired at this time. If not,
select cancel.
2. The Software License Agreement verifies that the user agrees to accept the software’s
license. Disagreement will halt the installation. Agreement will proceed to the next step.
3. Choose Install Location defines the default location where the application will be installed.
A “Browse” button enables the user to view the file structure to define an alternative
location. DAS must be installed in a location where the user has both read and write
permissions.
4. Choose Start Menu Folder defines a folder within the Windows StartPrograms list
where the application shortcuts will be stored. The default setup will be provided but
another name can be defined or an existing program folder can be selected where this
application will be loaded.
5. Installing shows the progress as the software and data files are uncompressed and installed.
6. Installation Complete notifies the user that the setup has completed. The computer will not
require rebooting.
2
7. The Completing window gives the user options to create a Windows Desktop shortcut for
DAS and to display the Release Notes for this version.
DAS 3 updates the internal Help function, so users no longer need to install separate software to use
DAS Help.
Do not remove or rename files and directories installed with DAS. Do not modify files within
the DAS data directory (“[DAS]\data\”). Files and directories may be copied to another location
if necessary, but DAS requires the files as originally installed. The one exception is the solar flux
input table (file “[DAS]\data\solarflux_table.txt”), which is updated periodically. It should be
replaced when a new version is posted on the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office website.
Because DAS stores some session information in the Windows Registry, the software may not
behave as expected if the user installs multiple versions on the same computer. It is recommended
that previous versions of DAS be removed as part of the installation process.
Software Removal:
DAS includes an automatic removal (“un-installer”) feature (DAS3.0-uninstall.exe), which is found

in the installed directory. There is also a shortcut to the un-installer in the Windows Start Menu
folder created during DAS installation. To remove DAS, activate the automatic un-installer either
through the Start Menu shortcut or directly.
Alternatively, the user may use the Windows Control Panel “Add or Remove Programs” feature to
remove DAS. From the Windows Start Menu, select Settings  Control Panel. In the Control
Panel, double-click on “Add or Remove Programs.” This brings up a window listing the installed
programs, including DAS (“Debris Assessment Software”). Highlight the entry for DAS, click
“Change/Remove,” and click “Yes” when asked to confirm removal. You still may need to
manually delete some files or folders from the directory where DAS was installed.
3
2. DAS Main Window Features
The DAS main window contains the top-level menus and toolbars, and a working area for the
various DAS dialog windows.
Figure 2 - 1: DAS Main Window
2.1 Viewing Toolbars

DAS provides two forms of toolbars to add convenience for application functions. The toolbars
toggle on and off by selecting items from the View menu.
4
Run Toolbar contains buttons for easy navigation between the major dialogs:
Mission Editor
Requirement Assessment
Science and Engineering
Toolbar contains buttons for the following commands:
The disk button on the Toolbar saves the project to file (FileSave Project).
The print button prints the Activity Log. The print button (FilePrint) is only available
when viewing the Activity Log.
Context-Sensitive help is available by clicking this button, then clicking on the item in
question. The cursor changes to this icon when context-sensitive help is engaged.
The database button launches the Material Database Editor (EditMaterial Database).
The plot button launches the Plot Utility (ViewView Plots).
The log button launches the Activity Log (ViewActivity LogView).
The calendar button launches the Date Conversion Utility (ViewDate Converter).
5
2.2 Using the Mission Editor
The Mission Editor is the starting point for assessing a mission’s compliance with NASA Technical
Standard 8719.14B, Process for Limiting Orbital Debris. The Mission Editor dialog (Fig. 2-2)
allows users to define spacecraft, rocket bodies, and mission-related debris for requirement
assessment. Launch year, mission duration, orbital characteristics, and many other items are
specified within this window, thus eliminating the need for re-declaring them in each of the
following requirement assessment windows.
Figure 2 - 2: DAS Mission Editor Dialog
The Mission Editor window has three main editing areas: two edit fields at the top of the window
(Mission Name and Launch Year), the Mission Components view, and the editable Define
Components Properties table at the bottom of the window. These areas are defined below with
specifics regarding each and also information regarding the two buttons “Apply Changes” and
“Reject Changes.”
6
Mission Editor Fields:
 Mission Name – This is a text field that holds the name of the mission that is being
assessed.
 Start Date – This field specifies the date the mission is planned to start. The date can be
specified in decimal format. All years in orbit should fall between the years 2010 and 2100.
This limit is enforced to ensure that the calculation models can provide accurate estimates.
 Mission Components – A tree structure provides a quick look at all defined components of
the mission. It is broken into three categories: payloads, rocket bodies, and mission-related
debris. Each of these categories has different specifications for its components. When
selecting an item, the grid area below the tree structure will change to reflect the properties
of that type of component. Also, the individual item in the tree will be highlighted within
the grid for quick reference or editing.
 Define Component Properties Grid – This area is for defining and editing all the
properties of each of the three categories of components. As mentioned above, there are
three categories of components (payloads, rocket bodies, and mission-related debris). Each
has its own set of properties, so selection of one type will only show components of that
type. At the bottom of this grid is an empty row that can be used for adding new
components. There is also a right mouse button menu available (click with the right mouse
button on the table) for adding, deleting, or ordering of components.
Upon completion of editing component data, the user should press the “Apply Changes”
button. This will validate all the changes and save the data for later use in the requirement
assessments. If the user wishes to abort changes since their last “Apply Changes” action,
pressing the “Reject Changes” button will discard the changes. Each of these three category
tables has different property fields and their descriptions and constraints are listed below.
Important Note: In DAS, highlighting a text field is NOT the same as selecting the field. When a
text field is highlighted, it is ready for input from the keyboard. The “highlight” may be moved
using the arrow keys or a single mouse-click. A highlighted field is not, however, ready for cut-
and-paste operations. To select a field for cut, copy, or paste, the user must first highlight the field
(using arrow keys or mouse), then click the mouse in the already-highlighted field. This will place
a standard text cursor in the field. The user may then select the text within the field, and use the
standard cut/copy/paste operations.
7
Payloads:
Table 2 - 1: Mission Editor, Payload Grid
Payload Name Payload Name is the unique identifier for each payload, and it must
be distinct from all other component names.
Mission Duration Mission Duration is a field that specifies the desired lifetime of the
(yr) payload beginning from the Launch Year. It is a decimal field
(allowing partial years to be specified). This numeric value must be
greater than zero.
Operational Operational Perigee Altitude is measured from Earth’s surface to
Perigee Alt (km) the spacecraft’s normal, operational orbit perigee point. This
decimal value must be greater than 90 and less than or equal to
100,000 kilometers. Operational Perigee Altitude must be less than
or equal to Operational Apogee Altitude.
Operational Operational Apogee Altitude is the distance measured from Earth’s
Apogee Alt (km) surface to the spacecraft’s normal, operational orbit apogee point.
This decimal value must be greater than 90 and less than or equal to
100,000 kilometers. Operational Apogee Altitude must be greater
than or equal to Operational Perigee Altitude.
Operational Operational Inclination is the angle measured from Earth’s
Inclination (deg) equatorial plane to the payload’s operational orbital plane. This
decimal value must be between 0 and 180 degrees.
RAAN (deg) Right Ascension of Ascending Node (RAAN) is a decimal value
between 0 and 360 degrees. RAAN is only needed if the apogee
altitude is greater than 2000 km. The field will remain inactive
until an apogee altitude greater than 2000 km is entered.
Argument of Argument of Perigee is a decimal value between 0 and 360 degrees.
Perigee (deg) This value is only needed if the apogee altitude is greater than
2000 km. The field will remain inactive until an apogee altitude
greater than 2000 km is entered.
Mean Anomaly Mean Anomaly is a decimal value between 0 and 360 degrees.
(deg) Mean Anomaly is only needed if the apogee altitude is greater than
PMD Maneuver Postmission Disposal Maneuver is a check box entry. Placing a
(check if Yes) check in the box indicates a planned disposal maneuver in space.
A check in this field will enable the disposal orbital parameter
fields of the grid.
Disposal Perigee Perigee Altitude for postmission disposal orbit is a decimal value
Alt (km) that must be greater than 90 and less than or equal to
100,000 kilometers. Perigee altitude must be less than or equal to
apogee altitude.
Disposal Apogee Apogee Altitude for postmission disposal orbit is a decimal value
Alt (km) than must be greater than 90 and less than or equal to
100,000 kilometers. Apogee altitude must be greater than or equal
to perigee altitude.
8
Table 2 - 1 - Continued
Disposal Inclination for postmission disposal orbit is a decimal value that
Inclination (deg) must be between 0 and 180 degrees.
Disposal RAAN RAAN for postmission disposal orbit is a decimal value that must
(deg) be between 0 and 360 degrees. RAAN is only needed if the
disposal apogee altitude is greater than 2000 km. The field will
remain inactive until a disposal apogee altitude greater than
2000 km is entered.
Disposal Arg of Argument of Perigee for postmission disposal orbit is a decimal
Perigee (deg) value that must be between 0 and 360 degrees. Argument of
Perigee is only needed if the disposal apogee altitude is greater than
2000 km. The field will remain inactive until a disposal apogee
altitude greater than 2000 km is entered.
Disposal Mean Mean Anomaly value for postmission disposal orbit is a decimal
Anomaly (deg) value that must be between 0 and 360 degrees. Mean Anomaly is
only needed if the disposal apogee altitude is greater than 2000 km.
The field will remain inactive until a disposal apogee altitude
Initial Mass (kg) Initial Mass is a decimal field for the mass of the payload (in
kilograms) at the start of the mission in the operational orbit,
including all fluids and all internal fragments (aero mass).
Initial Area-to- Initial Area-To-Mass is a decimal value representing the frontal
Mass (m2/kg) cross-sectional area of the rocket body (in square meters) divided
by the final mass of the rocket body (in kilograms). Calculation of
the frontal area depends on orientation of the payload; uncontrolled
orientation uses the average cross-sectional area.
Final Mass (kg) Final Mass is a decimal field representing the mass of the payload
(in kilograms) after the payload’s mission and all postmission
passivation actions are completed. This should be the dry aero
mass of the payload if all fluids have been expended.
Final Area-To- Final Area-To-Mass is a decimal field representing the frontal
Mass (m 2 /kg) cross-sectional area of a payload (in square meters) divided by the
final mass of the payload (in kilograms). Calculation of the frontal
area depends on orientation of the payload; uncontrolled orientation
uses the average cross-sectional area.
Station Keeping Station Keeping is a check box field. If checked, the payload’s
(check if Yes) orbital elements are fixed throughout its mission duration. During
its mission duration, the payload is precluded from natural orbital
decay by active station keeping devices, e.g., thrusters. DAS 3.0
assumes that if an object is “Station Kept,” the user input orbital
elements will not be subject to decay. Objects that are not Station
Kept will be assumed to decay naturally throughout their lifetime.
9
Rocket Bodies:
Table 2 - 2: Mission Editor, Rocket Body Grid
Rocket Body Name Rocket Body Name is the unique identifier for each rocket body
and it must be distinct from all other component names.
Perigee Alt (km) Perigee Altitude is measured from Earth’s surface to the rocket
body’s disposal orbit apogee point. This decimal value must be
greater than 90 and less than or equal to 100,000 kilometers.
Perigee altitude must be less than or equal to apogee altitude.
Apogee Alt (km) Apogee Altitude is measured from Earth’s surface to the rocket
body’s disposal orbit perigee point. This decimal value must be
greater than 90 and less than or equal to 100,000 kilometers.
Apogee altitude must be greater than or equal to perigee altitude.
Inclination (deg) Inclination of the disposal orbit with respect to Earth’s equatorial
plane. This decimal value must be between 0 and 180 degrees.
RAAN (deg) Right Ascension of Ascending Node (RAAN) is a decimal
between 0 and 360 degrees. RAAN is only needed if the apogee
altitude is greater than 2000 km. The field will remain inactive
until an apogee altitude greater than 2000 km is entered.
Argument of Argument of Perigee value is a decimal value between 0 and
Perigee (deg) 360 degrees. This value is only needed if the apogee altitude is
greater than 2000 km. The field will remain inactive until an
apogee altitude greater than 2000 km is entered.
(deg) This value is only needed if the apogee altitude is greater than
Final Mass (kg) Final Mass is a decimal value representing the mass of the rocket
body (in kilograms) after the rocket body’s mission is complete
and after passivation.
Final Area-To- Final Area-To-Mass is a decimal value representing the average
Mass (m 2 /kg) cross-sectional area of the rocket body (in square meters) divided
by the final mass of the rocket body (in kilograms).
Mission-Related Debris:
Mission-Related Debris items only need to be defined if they pass through low Earth orbit (LEO)
and are 1 mm or larger in size, or if they pass through geosynchronous orbit (GEO) and are 5 mm or
larger in size.
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Table 2 - 3: Mission Editor, Mission-Related Debris Grid
Debris Name Debris Name is the unique identifier for this component and its
value must be distinct from all other component names.
Released Year Released Year is a decimal value that defines the date that this
debris is released from the spacecraft or rocket body. This value
must be equal to or greater than the mission’s launch year.
Quantity of Each Quantity of Each Element is the number of debris items of this
Element type that will be released. It must have a value of one or greater.
Area-To-Mass Area-To-Mass is a decimal value for the average cross-sectional
(m 2 /kg) area of the debris (in square meters) divided by the mass of the
debris (in kilograms).
Perigee Alt (km) Perigee Altitude is measured from Earth’s surface to the debris
object’s perigee point. This decimal value must be greater than
90 and less than or equal to 100,000 kilometers. Perigee altitude
must be less than or equal to the apogee altitude.
Apogee Alt (km) Apogee Altitude is measured from Earth’s surface to the debris
object’s apogee point. This decimal value must be greater than
90 km and not exceeding 100,000 km. Apogee altitude must be
greater than or equal to the perigee altitude.
Inclination (deg) Inclination of the debris object’s orbit; a decimal value between
0 and 180 degrees.
RAAN Right Ascension of Ascending Node (RAAN) is a decimal value
between 0 and 360 degrees. This value is only needed if the
apogee altitude is greater than 2000 km. The field will remain
inactive until an apogee altitude greater than 2000 km is entered.
Argument of Argument of Perigee is a decimal value between 0 and
Perigee (deg) 360 degrees. This value is only needed if the apogee altitude is
greater than 2000 km. The field will remain inactive until an
apogee altitude greater than 2000 km is entered.
(deg) This value is only needed if the apogee altitude is greater than
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2.3 Requirement Assessments
The Requirement Assessments window provides an adjustable split window to view the dialogs
for each requirement supported by DAS. The dialog contains a list of supported requirements in the
left window pane. As a requirement is selected, the supporting dialog will appear in the right pane.
Data entered into the Mission Editor serve as input data for the requirements, though additional
input may be required. As data are analyzed in each requirement, the compliance state is displayed
as an icon next to that label in the left window. Additional information appears in the output area at
the bottom of each requirement assessment window. If the mission is compliant with a requirement,
a green check icon will appear next to the requirement name. If the mission is not compliant, a red
“X” will appear. The user may use the mouse to adjust the position of the divider between the left
and right windows.
As data are input, requirements are assessed, and output is generated, the data will be retained
within the project’s data. It is saved to the project files when the user agrees to saving the data on
application termination, or selects the FileSave Project command from the main menu.
Selecting various requirements only affects the current view in the right side of the window. The
information and state are retained as long as the requirement assessment window is open.
Assessment status is lost when the window is closed.
Changes within the Mission Editor can affect data used within the previously opened requirements.
When changes to mission data are applied within the Mission Editor, the Requirement
Assessments window is closed and all compliance states are reset.
All assessments can be reset to initial state (not run) by depressing the “Reset” button in the right
window pane displayed with the upper requirement level (NASA-STD-8719.14B, Process for
Limiting Orbital Debris).
Chapter 3 provides details of each assessment’s operations.
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Figure 2 - 3: Requirement Assessments Top-level Dialog
2.4 Science and Engineering Utilities

The Science and Engineering Utilities allow the user to analyze some aspects of orbit/mission design
outside the context of Requirement Assessments.
To access each tool, expand a category from the tree and then double-click the mouse over the selected
routine. The corresponding dialog will appear.
Chapter 4 provides details of the Science and Engineering Utilities.
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2.5 Using the Material Database Editor
Reentry assessment requires information on the type of material used in an object’s construction. The
Material Database provides a view of standard materials used by the underlying application and a means
to define additional materials specific to a mission. See Appendix C for a table of properties for the
standard materials.
The Material Database dialog can be opened to view the defined data or add user-defined materials by
pressing the database button on the Toolbar or selecting EditMaterial Database from the
application menu.
If an object uses a material that is not on the standard list, user-defined materials may be created
specifically for the current project, defining:
 Density
 Specific heat
 Heat of fusion
 Melt temperature
Note that material density is only used as a “sanity check” (i.e., limiting case) on user inputs of mass and
size. It is used to verify that the data input for an object’s mass and dimensions are consistent.
Newly defined materials are saved to the project\matprop.csv file by pressing the “Save” button.
Closing the dialog without saving updates will prompt the user to save.
2.6 Using the Plot Viewer

DAS includes a two-dimensional plot viewing utility for displaying previously-saved DAS .dpl files.
To activate the plot utility, press the plot viewer button on the Toolbar, or select ViewView
Plots from the application menu. The DAS Plot window will open containing a blank two-dimensional
plot layout. The plot window will also be generated by functions in the Science and Engineering
utilities.
The utility provides the following buttons to manage plot files:

 Load Plot – Displays an Open Plot File dialog to navigate to a previously saved *.dpl file to be
loaded into the display area of the Plot Utility.
 Save Plot – Provides a Save Plot dialog to specify the name and directory location for the saved
*.dpl file. The dialog defaults to the “My Documents” directory.
 Copy to Clipboard – Copies the plot image to the Windows clipboard. An acknowledgement
dialog will appear, requiring an “OK” to proceed. The image may then be pasted into other
(non-DAS) applications.
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 Close – Closes the Plot Utility. Be certain that all desired changes have been saved before
closing the window since no save prompt will remind the user before closing the window.
A single right-click or double left-click of the mouse on the plot area (left window pane) will display a
pop-up menu with additional plotting functionality:
 Select – Allows users to select objects with the mouse. Select returns the cursor state to a
pointed arrow and turns off other cursor functions (Zoom, Pan, Cursor).
 Zoom – Allows users to isolate and enlarge a rectangular area of the plot. The cursor changes to
a cross-hair ( ). By holding the left-mouse button while dragging the cross-hair over the plot,
a rectangular highlight area appears. Size the rectangle by maneuvering the mouse over the plot.
Releasing the mouse button enlarges the highlighted rectangular area. The axes adjust to the
zoomed size.
 Reset – Allows users to reset all axes to optimal values.
 Pan – Allows users to move the plotted curve(s) within the plot area. The cursor changes to the
pan cursor ( ). The cursor can be moved by holding the left-mouse button while dragging the
cursor over the plot. The axes scale to fit the pan. To stop the action, release the mouse. To
leave Pan mode, right-click on the plot and choose “Select” from the pop-up menu.
 Cursor – Provides the means to capture the mouse’s position on the plot, interpolating the
mouse coordinates to the corresponding plot scale. The cursor changes to a cross-hair ( ), and
one vertical and one horizontal line intersect marking the cursor’s position. Clicking the left-
mouse button inserts a label onto the graph with the interpolated values. Clicking the right-
mouse button launches the pop-up menu. Choose “Select” from the pop-up menu to change the
cursor back to a pointing arrow. To remove the labels from the graph, return to Select mode,
click the left-mouse button over the desired label object, noting that the item has been activated,
and then depress the “Delete” key on the keyboard.
 Insert Label – Inserts a blank label (text box) onto the plot. Click the left-mouse button on the
label until the object is activated, and then double-click the left mouse button within the label.
This action should change the cursor to a vertical text cursor within the label. Once the cursor
changes, begin typing or paste any previously copied text. The label can be moved and sized by
manipulating the mouse after activating the label. When the object is activated, additional
functionality becomes available. Clicking the right-mouse button within the activated label
launches a label properties dialog box:
o Background color – Launches a color palette for selecting and changing background
color.
o Font – Launches a common font dialog.
o Alignment – Provides a means to align the text Left, Centered or Right.
o Connect to curve – Combo box allows users to choose to which curve the label will be
attached,
o Transparent and Border check boxes – Provide optional label bordering.
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Labels in the plot area may be selected with a single left-mouse click. Once selected, a label
may be moved, resized, activated (for editing), or deleted. This applies to both user-inserted
labels and to automatic labels (such as the plot title).
 Print – Provides a means to print an active plot to a designated printer by selecting printer
characteristics and functions from a print dialog window. Currently, only grayscale printing is
available; however, plots copied to another application (e.g., word processor) can be printed
based on that application’s print support.
 Properties – Opens a dialog to set various properties for the displayed plot. Once properties are
changed, click “Apply” (immediately apply changes and leave dialog open) or “OK” (apply
changes and close dialog) to activate the changed properties. “Cancel” will close the dialog
without applying any selected changes. The three tabbed sets of property categories are:
o Chart – Has nine controls that offer additional features for changing the way the plot is
displayed
 Background color – Dialog that allows users to set the color outside the plot area
and labels.
 Exterior color – Dialog that allows users to set the color behind the axes and the
color of the grid lines on their plot.
 Interior color – Dialog that allows users to set the color of the plot inside the
axes.
 Show Legend – Position the legend to either the left or right of the plot, or
remove it.
 Snap Cursor to nearest curve – Position the cursor to the curve within a
specified tolerance (up to 100 pixels).
 Select x-axis – Applies the x-axis properties on the Axis property dialog.
Leaving the field blank selects the y-axis.
 Select y-axis – Applies the y-axis properties on the Axis property dialog.
Leaving the field blank selects the x-axis.
 Select curve – Selects a specific curve’s properties on the Curve property dialog.
 Double Buffering – Turns double buffering either on or off. Double buffering
can improve the appearance of moving images (pan and zoom).
o Axis – properties allow users to modify various axis features such as scale, tick-size,
font, and grid color. Once choices have been completed for each axis, depress “Apply”
or “OK” to process the changes.
o Curve – properties allow users to modify various curve features such as line width, line
color, curve trends, and marker size. For each curve, depress “Apply” or “OK” to
process the selected changes.
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2.7 Using the Date Conversion Utility
The Date Conversion Utility is provided for easy conversion between the following date formats:
 Calendar Format – The year, month and day can be selected in the calendar control. The user
may select another month by pressing the previous (left) or next (right) arrow buttons within the
calendar title, or by clicking on the name of the month. To select another year, click on the year
within the title and then roll forward (up) or back(down) using the control that will appear next
to the year. The day selected within the lower calendar will remain selected for the changed
year or month.
 Decimal Date – The format for decimal date is: yyyy.ddd, where ddd is the decimal portion of
the year, i.e., June 30, 2006 is formatted as “2006. 496”, and November 15, 2005 is formatted as
“2005.874”.
 Day of Year – The format for day of year is yyyy doy, where doy is the numeric day within the
year’s days (365, 366). For example: June 30, 2006 is formatted as “2006 181”, and November
15, 2005 is formatted as “2005 319”.
Activate the Date Conversion Utility by pressing the calendar button on the Toolbar, or by
selecting ViewDate Converter from the application menu. As a date is entered within any control,
that date will be displayed in the other controls in the control’s supported format.
2.8 Viewing the Activity Log

The Activity Log provides a means to view all data processed within the DAS 3 application. As
requirements are assessed, the data input and the resulting output are written to the Activity Log. The
data are written to the file ActivityLog in the application’s directory. The file can be used to track a
problem with data, or to capture text based on the project being defined.
As the program starts, the previous ActivityLog file is over-written. To save a copy of the current
ActivityLog file to an alternate location, select FileSave Log As… from the application menu. The
file can be viewed outside DAS in a text editor/viewer (e.g., WordPad or Word) and printed using the
DAS menu items FilePrint Setup, FilePrint Preview and FilePrint.
The Activity Log can be cleared during processing by selecting ViewActivity LogClear from the
application menu. This function can be used to reduce the amount of data viewed during processing
without changing the underlying text saved in the log file.
Previously cleared views of the Activity Log can be restored (to view all data processed since the
program started) by selecting the ViewActivity LogRestore menu item.
The clear and restore functions do not affect the underlying ActivityLog file.
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2.9 Saving and Loading Projects
In DAS, all data are stored as a “project.” A project consists of a directory with many files that retain all
the data that the user may define within the application. The default project is a directory folder named
“project/” within the installed DAS directory.
Use the FileNew Project menu function to create a new project. The Define New Project Path
dialog will appear for entering the path. A browse button (…) next to the path entry opens the Browse
for New Project Folder dialog to view the computer’s paths and select existing directories with defined
mapped paths. The dialog contains an edit control to enter the name of the new directory if it does not
already exist. When the OK button in either dialog is pressed, the directory will be created. If the
project directory already exists, DAS will prompt the user with a reminder that any previously saved
data in that directory will be replaced by the new project. The new project is opened in its initial (blank)
state. This action will then launch the Mission Editor so that a new mission may be defined.
To create a new project based on a currently open project, select the FileSave Project As… menu
item. Its function is similar to the New Project function except that any existing data is saved in the new
directory, including any updates applied since the project was opened or previously saved. If the project
directory already exists, DAS will prompt the user with a reminder that any previously saved data in that
directory will be replaced by the new project.
To open a project, select the menu item FileOpen Project. The Open Project dialog is similar to the
Define New Project Path dialog except that the browse dialog does not support the creation of new
directories and the Open Project dialog will verify that the selected directory contains the required
das.prj file. An invalid (incomplete) project directory will not open and the dialog will remain open.
As projects are opened, the path is saved and will appear on the File menu above the Exit item. Up to
four projects are collected as recently-used projects and will appear in the order referenced, with the
latest at the top. When the application opens, if the most recent project path is still valid, that project
will open instead of the initial default path.
The application does not retain updates to the project unless the user selects the FileSave Project
menu item, presses the project save button on the toolbar, or closes the application and chooses
“Yes” on the prompt to save their data. This allows the user the option to close without saving and
return to the last saved state.
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3. Assessing Compliance with the NASA Debris Requirements
The Requirement dialog contains a list of supported requirements in the left window (some
requirements must be assessed outside of DAS). As a requirement is selected, the supporting dialog
will appear in the right window. All data input into the requirement window will be retained until
the application closes. The result of the requirement assessment will appear as an icon next to that
label in the Requirements window.
As requirements are processed and output is generated, the information will be retained within the
project data. It will be saved to the project files when the user agrees to saving the data on
application termination.
Selecting various requirements only affects the current view in the right side of the window. The
data and state are retained as long as the requirement assessments window is open. Compliance
state is lost when the window is closed.
Changes within the Mission Editor can affect data used within the previously open requirements.
When changes to data are applied within the Mission Editor, the Requirement Assessments
window is closed and all states are reset.
Note: The information in this section pertains to the DAS assessment of elements from NASA’s
Process for Limiting Orbital Debris. Because these instructions contain excerpts and paraphrasing
from the NASA Technical Standard, the reader should consult the Standard itself for the official
text of the requirements. The text of the requirements is provided in Appendix B of this User’s
Guide.
3.1 Requirement 4.3-1: Debris Passing Through LEO

For missions leaving debris in orbits passing through LEO, released debris with diameters of 1 mm
or larger must satisfy both of the following conditions:
a. All debris released during the deployment, operation, and disposal phases shall be
limited to a maximum orbital lifetime of 25 years from date of release.
b. The total object-time product shall be no larger than 100 object-years per mission. For
the purpose of this standard, satellites smaller than a 1U standard CubeSat are treated as
mission-related debris and thus are bound by this definition to collectively follow the
same 100 object-years per mission deployment limit.
The intent of Requirement 4.3-1 is to remove debris in LEO from the environment in a reasonable
period of time. The 25-year removal time from LEO limits the growth of the debris environment
over the next 100 years while limiting the cost burden to programs and projects.
19
Debris in orbits with perigee altitudes below 600 km will usually have orbital lifetimes of less than
25 years. This requirement will have the greatest effect on programs and projects with perigee
altitudes above 700 km, where objects may remain in orbit naturally for hundreds of years.
Requirement 4.3-1 applies to staging components, separation and deployment hardware, and other
objects that are known to be released during normal operations and EOM passivation/disposal.
Spacecraft and spent orbital stages are addressed in other Requirements, with the exception that
satellites smaller than a 1U standard CubeSat are treated as mission-related debris and must follow
the same 100 object-years per mission deployment limit.
Figure 3 - 1: Requirement 4.3-1 Debris Passing Through LEO Dialog
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Input Data:
The data displayed in the input grid are “read-only.” To modify the input data, the user must return
to the Define Mission-Related Debris Properties grid of the Mission Editor.
Output Data:
Each debris object is assigned a compliance status. If any object is not in compliance, then the
mission does not comply with Requirement 4.3-1.
The total object time product (applies to Requirement 4.3-1b) is the sum, over all objects, of the
orbital dwell time in LEO. If the debris is in an orbit with apogee altitude below 2000 km, the orbit
dwell time equals the orbital lifetime. The total object-time product should be no larger than
100 object-years per mission.
If the LEO dwell time for a debris object is calculated to be 25 years, then no more than four such
objects can be released for the mission to be compliant with the 100 object-years limit of
Requirement 4.3-1b. Requirement 4.3-1a limits the total orbital lifetime of a single piece of debris
passing through LEO to 25 years, regardless of how much time per orbit is spent below 2000 km. If
the LEO dwell time of the debris is only 20 years, then a total of up to five debris objects can be
released and still satisfy Requirement 4.3-1b, as long as the maximum orbital lifetime of each object
does not exceed 25 years.
Messages and comments developed during analysis are displayed on the dialog, below the output
data.
3.2 Requirement 4.3-2: Debris Passing Near GEO

For missions leaving debris in orbits with the potential of traversing GEO (GEO altitude ± 200 km
and ± 15 inclination), released debris with diameters of 5 mm or greater shall be left in orbits
which will ensure that within 25 years after release, the apogee will no longer exceed GEO -
200 km or the perigee will not be lower than GEO + 200 km, and also ensures that the debris is
incapable of being perturbed to lie within that GEO ± 200 km and ± 15 zone for at least 100 years
thereafter. For the purpose of this standard, satellites smaller than a 1U standard CubeSat are treated
as mission-related debris and thus are bound by this definition to follow this requirement.
Debris that are not removed from GEO altitude may remain in the GEO environment for many
thousands of years or longer. Therefore, Requirement 4.3-2 limits the accumulation of debris at
GEO altitudes and will help mitigate the development of a significant debris environment, as
currently exists in LEO. To ensure that the mission is compliant with Requirement 4.3-2, the
spacecraft must be sufficiently above or below GEO at the time of debris release. The 200 km
offset distance takes into account the operational requirements of GEO spacecraft.
Requirement 4.3-2 includes debris released by a spacecraft, such as solid rocket motor casings and
other objects that are known to be released during normal operations.
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Mission-related debris passing near GEO, in general, can be categorized as in “nearly circular” or in
“highly eccentric” orbits. An example of a nearly circular orbit would be debris, e.g., a solid rocket
motor casing, released by a spacecraft after the spacecraft has already been inserted into an orbit
near GEO.
Debris might also originate from a launch vehicle orbital stage that has inserted its payload directly
into an orbit near GEO. In such a case, all debris should be eliminated entirely or the orbital stage
should be sufficiently removed from the GEO regime at the time of debris release.
Debris may in limited cases also be released into highly-eccentric geosynchronous transfer orbits
(GTO) with perigee altitudes near LEO or at higher altitudes and with apogee altitudes near GEO,
but must be consistent with Requirement 4.6-3. (For debris passing through LEO, Requirements
4.3-1a and 4.3-1b take precedence.) Debris released at the time of payload separation on a mission
of this type would fall under Requirement 4.3-2.
Debris can be left in an eccentric orbit traversing GEO, if orbital perturbations will cause the object
to leave the GEO regime within 25 years. The orbit propagator within DAS can be used to
determine the long-term orbital perturbation effects for specific initial orbital conditions and hence,
to determine compliance with Requirement 4.3-2 by ensuring the debris will not reenter the GEO
protection zone within 100 years.
Special orbit propagation models are necessary to evaluate the evolution of disposal orbits to ensure
that debris do not later interfere with GEO, as a result of major perturbations, such as solar and
lunar gravitational perturbations and solar radiation pressure.
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Figure 3 - 2: Requirement 4.3-2 Debris Passing Near GEO Dialog
Input Data:
The data displayed in the input grid is “read-only.” Input to the requirement is entered through the
Mission Editor under the Define Mission-Related Debris Properties grid.
Output Data:
Once processed, output is displayed in the output area of the dialog. Each debris object is assigned
a compliance status. If any object is not in compliance, then the mission does not comply with
Requirement 4.3-2.
data.
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3.3 Requirements 4.4-1, 4.4-2, 4.4-3, and 4.4-4: Not Covered by DAS
DAS 3 will not determine compliance with Requirements 4.4-1, 4.4-2, 4.4-3, or 4.4-4. The project
must demonstrate compliance with Requirements 4.4-1 and 4.4-2 though its own calculations. For
Requirements 4.4-3 and 4.4-4, contact the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office for assistance.
3.4 Requirement 4.5-1: Debris Generated by Collisions with Large Objects

Catastrophic collisions during orbital lifetime represent a direct source of debris, and the probability
of this occurring is addressed by Requirement 4.5-1. This Requirement limits the amount of debris
that will be created by collisions between spacecraft or launch vehicle stages passing through
heavily populated orbit bands (LEO and GEO) and other large objects in orbit. By keeping the
uniform probability of collision with other large objects to be less than 0.001, NASA attempts to
achieve its goal that the average probability will be less than 10-6 of any individual operating
spacecraft colliding with a fragment >1 mm from a prior collision.
Figure 3 - 3: Requirement 4.5-1 Limiting Debris Generated by Collisions with Large Objects Dialog
24
Input Data:
Payloads and rocket bodies defined for the mission are included as input for this assessment. The
data displayed in the input grid are “read-only.” To modify the input data, the user must return to
the Define Mission-Related Debris Properties grid of the Mission Editor.
Output Data:
The output area of the dialog displays results listed by component. The output table displays
compliance status of each component, and the computed probability of collision with a large object.
The probability of accidental collision with space objects larger than 10 cm in diameter must be less
than 0.001.
data. Note that increased fidelity of the debris environment model results in greatly increased
DAS run times.
3.5 Requirement 4.5-2: Probability of Damage from Small Debris

Requirement 4.5-2 limits the probability that a spacecraft will become disabled and unable to
perform end-of-mission tasks, such as disposal maneuvers and passivation. This could contribute to
the long-term growth of the orbital debris environment by subsequent collision or explosion
fragmentation. For each spacecraft, the program or project shall demonstrate that, during the
mission of the spacecraft, the probability of accidental collision with orbital debris and meteoroids
sufficient to prevent compliance with the applicable postmission disposal maneuver requirements
does not exceed 0.01.
Due to the very short mission duration of launch vehicle orbital stages (normally less than
24 hours), the probability of a disabling small debris impact on orbital stages is not significant.
Requirement 4.5-2 applies only to subsystems that are vital to completing postmission disposal.
This includes components needed for either controlled reentry or transfer to a disposal orbit.
Examples of such subsystems are propellant lines and tanks, attitude control system, batteries and
power lines, and communications equipment. The same methodology can be used to evaluate the
vulnerability of the spacecraft instruments and mission-related hardware. This information can be
used to verify the reliability of the mission with respect to orbital debris and meteoroid hazards.
Payloads are defined in the Mission Editor and displayed in Requirement 4.5-2.
The debris environment model in DAS 3.0 has been simplified by excluding small debris in years
2036-2100. Therefore, DAS 3.0 cannot assess Requirement 4.5-2 for missions operating after
2035. See Appendix C.3 for more information.
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Figure 3 - 4: Requirement 4.5-2 Probability of Damage from Small Debris Dialog
26
Input Data:
Payloads cannot be added to a mission through Requirement 4.5-2, only through the Mission Editor.
Critical surfaces are created and defined for the payload by depressing the “Add” button. Once the
surface has been created, fields to define the critical surface become available.
The user selects a Payload Orientation from the drop-down combo box. Orientation is defined as
one of:
 Random tumbling – No axes will be fixed during the mission lifetime in question.
 Gravity gradient – The gravity (nadir) direction will be maintained with respect to the
spacecraft during the orbital lifetime in question.
 Fixed orientation – The velocity (ram) direction and gravity (nadir) direction will be
maintained with respect to the spacecraft during the orbital lifetime in question.
“Random tumbling” should be used to describe payloads that do not have attitude maintenance
capability. For payloads that are “gravity gradient” or have “fixed orientation,” users must define
unit vectors in spacecraft coordinates.
A critical surface is the surface that, if damaged, may cause postmission disposal to fail. Each
payload may have one or many critical surfaces. Examples of components with critical surfaces
include fuel tanks, conduits, wires, and circuit boards. Each critical surface is defined by surface
name, areal density (the product of material mass density and thickness), surface area, unit normal
vectors U, V, W (if Payload Orientation is not random tumbling), and whether the back wall is the
wall of a pressurized vessel (check the box if “Yes”). The coordinate system is defined as:
 U – “Up” (the direction opposite to the direction of gravity)
 V – In the direction of velocity
 W – “Port” or orthogonal to both U and V (i.e., U×V)
Note that a single hardware component may have more than one critical surface. The user cannot
always tell whether a heavily or weakly armored surface is most vulnerable, since this depends on
the surface’s location on the vehicle. Therefore, assessment needs to account for all “critical
surfaces” of each critical hardware component, including any surface that points in a different
direction or has a different outer wall configuration. Random tumbling surfaces do not need to
consider pointing, but do need to consider wall configurations.
If checked, the check box labeled “Pressurized” indicates that the back wall is the wall of a
pressurized vessel.
Each critical surface requires definition (physical characteristics) of the layers between that surface
and the space environment. These bordering layers include any layers between the back wall and an
external wall, inclusively. The physical characteristics of these layers are defined in the Outer
Walls input grid. Defining characteristics are listed in Table 3-1. Figures A-C show a simple
example of defining critical surfaces. Figure A shows the critical hardware (circle) within the
27
payload, with critical surfaces identified on two sides. Figure B shows the decomposition of the
payload into the critical surfaces and shielding layers. Figure C shows the arrangement and
separation distances of the layers. Table 3-2 lists the example properties and resulting DAS inputs
for the example Critical Surface 2.
Table 3 - 1: Requirement 4.5-2 Outer Walls Input Grid

Name A descriptive name (text field) for the layer.
Areal Density Areal Density (g/cm 2 ) of the layer. The density must be a
positive numeric value greater than zero. Decimal values are
valid. This value, the product of material mass density and
thickness, accounts for material density and thickness.
Separation Distance Distance (cm) between the critical surface (i.e., back wall) and
this layer. The distance must be a positive numeric value
greater than zero. Decimal values are valid. The layers do not
need to be sorted by separation distance.
Figure 3 – 5: Block diagram of a “critical surface” within a spacecraft.
28
Figure 3 – 6: Conversion of critical surface block diagram to layers.
Figure 3 – 7: Critical Surface and shielding layers arrangement and separation.
29
Table 3 – 2: Properties used to evaluate the example Critical Surface 2
Layer Name Material Material Layer Areal Density Separation
Density Thickness [Density x Distance
(kg/m3) (cm) Thickness] from Critical
(g/cm2) Surface (cm)
Critical Surface 2 Al 2700 0.2 0.540 N/A
Box 1 wall Al 2700 0.2 0.540 2.7
Box 2 wall 1 Al 2700 0.2 0.540 4.7
Circuit board 1 GFRP 1840 0.1 0.184 7.4
Circuit board 2 GFRP 1840 0.1 0.184 11.8
Box 2 wall 2 Al 2700 0.2 0.540 14.0
Exterior wall, top, Graphite 1550.5 0.1 0.155 15.5
inner sheet Epoxy
Exterior wall, top, Graphite 1550.5 0.1 0.155 16.1
outer sheet Epoxy
Output Data:
Compliance status for each spacecraft is displayed in the Output and Message area of the dialog as
well as probability that small debris impacts will cause components critical to postmission disposal
to fail. For each spacecraft, each user-defined critical surface is also listed, along with the
probability that the critical surface will be penetrated by a small object.
data. Note that increased fidelity of the debris environment model results in greatly increased
run times compared to earlier versions of DAS.
The assessment of Requirement 4.5-2 should be used to determine whether damaging impacts by
small particles can reasonably prevent successful postmission disposal operations. The procedure
estimates the probability that meteoroid or orbital debris impacts will cause components critical to
postmission disposal to fail. If this estimate shows that there is a significant probability of failure, a
full penetration analysis should be conducted to guide any redesign and to validate any shielding
design.
Note: This module is computationally intensive and may require many minutes or hours to
complete. For each year of the mission (duration), DAS computes penetration probability over a
full range of particle speeds and impact angles.
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3.6 Requirement 4.6-1, 4.6-2, 4.6-3: Postmission Disposal of Space Structures
NASA space programs and projects are to plan for the disposal of spacecraft and launch vehicle
orbital stages and space structures at the end of their respective missions. Postmission disposal is
used to remove a space structure from Earth orbit in a timely manner or to leave a space structure in
a disposal orbit where the structure will pose as small a threat as practical to other space systems.
The postmission disposal options are (1) natural or directed reentry into the atmosphere within a
specified time frame, (2) maneuver to one of a set of disposal regions in which the space structures
will pose little threat to future space operations, (3) retrieval and return to Earth, and (4) Earth
escape.
Requirement 4.6 is divided into the following four postmission disposal categories:
 4.6-1 – Disposal for space structures in or passing through LEO: A spacecraft or orbital
stage with a perigee altitude below 2000 km.
 4.6-2 – Disposal for space structures near GEO: A spacecraft or orbital stage in an orbit
near GEO.
 4.6-3 – Disposal for space structures between LEO and GEO: A spacecraft or orbital stage
with a perigee altitude between 2000 km and GEO, and which does not qualify as “near
GEO.”
 4.6-4 – Reliability of postmission disposal maneuver operations in Earth orbit is not
addressed by DAS 3.
Upon selection of Requirement 4.6, all payloads and rocket bodies defined in the Mission Editor are
categorized (by altitude region), assessed, and displayed in a corresponding grid. Note that for
disposal considerations, “structures near GEO” includes all objects that could potentially penetrate
the region within 200 km (both above and below) of GEO after end-of-mission plus 100 years.
31
Figure 3 – 8: Requirements 4.6-1, 4.6-2, 4.6-3: Postmission Disposal of Space Structures Dialog
Input Data:
Launching Requirement 4.6 will categorize all payloads and rocket bodies defined in the Mission
Editor by requirement region, then run the assessment. The structures are then displayed in a
corresponding grid.
 Requirement 4.6-1 – Disposal for space structures in or passing through LEO.

 Requirement 4.6-2 – Disposal for space structures near GEO,
(GEO-200 km) < Alt. < (GEO+200 km).
 Requirement 4.6-3 – Disposal for space structures between LEO and GEO,
(2000 km) < Alt. < (GEO-200 km).
The input data displayed in the grid are “read-only.” To modify the input data, the user must return
to the Mission Editor’s Define Payload Properties or Define Rocket Body Properties grid.
32
Output Data:
This dialog analyzes each payload or rocket body defined for the mission and assesses its disposal
compliance based on its orbital definition.
Compliance status is returned for each payload and rocket body. If a space structure is non-
compliant, DAS provides a Suggested Perigee and Apogee Altitude (km), which may help the
mission designer determine the magnitude and direction of the non-compliance. All other entries
are input fields from the Mission Editor.
The fields labeled PMD Perigee Altitude and PMD Apogee Altitude are computed for objects
without a specified PMD maneuver. This is the case for rocket bodies and payloads that are
abandoned at their end-of-mission. If an object is abandoned at the end of its mission, then its PMD
altitudes are set to its end-of-mission altitudes. For station-kept objects these are the same as the
operational altitudes. For non-station-kept and abandoned objects the end-of-mission orbit is found
by propagation. This is the reason the two fields PMD Perigee Altitude and PMD Apogee
Altitude may have different values than those input by the user.
data. Non-compliant items are listed by requirement in the message area of the dialog along with a
reason for non-compliance. If any items are non-compliant, Requirement 4.6 fails assessment.
3.7 Requirement 4.6-4: Postmission Disposal Reliability

DAS cannot assess compliance with Requirement 4.6-4. The project must demonstrate compliance
with Requirement 4.6-4 though its own calculations. For assistance with Requirement 4.6-4,
contact the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office.
3.8 Requirement 4.7-1: Casualty Risk from Uncontrolled Reentry

NASA space programs and projects that use atmospheric reentry as a means of disposal for space
structures need to limit the amount of debris that can survive reentry and pose a threat to people on
the surface of Earth. This area applies to full spacecraft as well as jettisoned components and
NASA-associated hardware carried on non-NASA vehicles. This section of DAS assesses
compliance with Requirement 4.7-1.a, which addresses risk from uncontrolled reentry. DAS does
not address concerns related to controlled reentry (Requirements 4.7-1b and 4.7-1c).
The risk of human casualty is determined for objects returning to Earth’s surface with a kinetic
energy exceeding 15 joules. The expected debris casualty area is based on the quantity of each
surviving object multiplied by its casualty area. The casualty risk is the product of the total
expected debris casualty area and the statistical population density based on the orbital inclination
and the year of return. World population densities have been computed up to the year 2100. The
risk from any potential reentry beyond that year will need to be computed outside DAS. For
reference, see:
33
Opiela, J.N., and M.J. Matney, “Improvements to NASA's Estimation of Ground Casualties from
Reentering Space Objects,” Space Debris and Space Traffic Management Symposium, AAS
Science and Technology Series, vol. 109, p. 385-392, 2004.
Ostrom, C.L., “Improving Estimation of Ground Casualty Risk from Reentering Space Objects,” 9th
International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety Conference, Toulouse, 2017.
To calculate the risk of human casualty, the arrangement of each space structure element needs to
be defined to assess its reentry survival potential. An example of the nested “parent-child”
relationship is shown in Figure 3-9. The parent object (i.e., the spacecraft) is depicted at step “A” in
the figure; it contains three main subcomponents, or “children”. Based on empirical and theoretical
values, the outermost structure (i.e., the “parent” object) is assumed to break apart at an altitude of
78 km. The first level of “child” objects is exposed at this point, labeled “B.” The child objects are
then subjected to the various forces of the reentry model. If a child object is destroyed (“demises,”
shown as a dotted line) due to the reentry forces, it does not contribute to the final casualty area
calculation. If a child object contains further levels of children, those children are exposed at the
same point at which their immediate parent object demises (point “C”). Objects that survive the
most intense reentry forces have reached their terminal velocity and begin to cool as they approach
the ground (point “D”). This process allows a realistic progression of the exposure of nested
structures.
Figure 3 – 9: Parent-child relationship of nested components in the DAS reentry assessment.
Note that the DAS reentry model includes neither pre-heating of internal structures nor partial
ablation. The lack of pre-heating means that each level of children is exposed with the same
34
starting temperature of 300 kelvin. The lack of partial ablation means that an exposed structure’s
cross sectional area is either zero (demised) or is the usual product of the initial dimensions.
Any spacecraft with a total risk of human casualty above 1:10,000 will be identified as non-
compliant.
This part of DAS is intended to be a “first cut” assessment tool, providing somewhat conservative
results. That is, DAS will classify as non-compliant all missions that clearly do not satisfy this
requirement of NASA-STD-8719.14B, but may also classify as non-compliant some missions that
are borderline compliant. For this reason, missions that fail the DAS reentry assessment may
require a more thorough, higher-fidelity analysis than DAS can provide. Such issues must be
resolved during the mission design and ODA review processes.
35
Figure 3 – 10: Requirement 4.7-1 Limit the Risk of Human Casualty Dialog
36
Input Data:
The sub-components and their relationships within each element are defined in a “reentry objects
tree.” Objects subject to reentry are provided as root objects, based on a project’s rocket body,
payload, and mission debris data entered in the Mission Editor. All subcomponents of these objects
should be defined (up to four levels deep) for assessment of potential risk of human casualty.
When a mission object is selected, comments are displayed for that object within the Input
Comments field (next to the objects tree). The inclination angle defined within the Mission Editor
is displayed in the Input Comments. A warning is displayed if the mass of defined sub-components
does not define at least 95% of the object’s mass. These comments do not display when sub-
component objects are selected.
The quantity of an item is the total quantity of that uniquely-named item within the parent object.
Items with a quantity multiplier (other than 1) must be physically identical and must be at the same
level in the parent-child tree; e.g., the quantity multiplier cannot be used for identical items enclosed
within non-identical assemblies. When any component is selected, a warning will be displayed if
the defined quantity is not a multiple of the quantity of its immediate “parent” object. Also listed
will be any immediate sub-components of the selected object that do not have quantities that are
multiples of the object’s quantity. Specifying the correct quantity is important because the debris
casualty area is based on the quantity of each surviving object multiplied by its casualty area.
Each component is defined using the quantities shown in Table 3-3.
Table 3 - 3: Requirement 4.7-1 Sub-component Input Grid

Name Unique textual name for the component.
Quantity Integer quantity.
Material Type Textual material type. A drop-down alphabetic list of defined
materials in the Material Database (DB) (including “user”
materials) for this project. The materials can be selected from
the list or typed in. If the typed material is not found in the
Material DB, the edit will not be accepted. (See Sect. 2.5 for
Material DB.)
Object Shape Shape of the element. A drop-down list of acceptable shapes:
Sphere, Cylinder, Flat Plate, Box. Any other typed word will
not be accepted. Body Type must be defined before the
subsequent inputs (which may vary based on Body Type).
Thermal Mass Mass of each element in kilograms. Thermal mass does not
include the mass of defined sub-components.
Diameter/Width The diameter of sphere and cylinder objects, or width of flat
plate and box objects, in meters. Must be greater than or equal
to Height.
Length The length of cylinder, flat plate and box objects, in meters.
Must be greater than or equal to Diameter or Width.
Height The height of box objects, in meters.
37
The dimension data are editable based on the body type selected for each element.
Up to four levels of sub-components can be defined using the “Add Sub-Item” button. A new
element will be added as a sub-component to the currently selected item with a unique label based
on New Component. A row is added below the current item in the Component Data grid for the
new item. The name can be edited within the component data grid. Entering a new name that is
used on another object within the grid will fail and the name will remain unchanged until a unique
name is entered.
As items within the reentry objects tree are selected, the corresponding row in the grid is selected
for data entry. When sub-components at the lowest level are selected, the “Add Sub-Item” button is
disabled to limit further levels.
Note: The mission elements’ data, defined within the Mission Editor, are not available for update
within this dialog.
The structure of a mission element can be defined by adding each sub-component and its sub-items
individually. The data can also be imported from a comma-separated file created in the same format
as the project’s reentry file by selecting the Import Sub-Items button. The data must contain the
quantities listed in Table 3-4. The first row of the file is assumed to contain column headers.
Table 3 - 4: Requirement 4.7-1 Comma-Separated Sub-Component File Format

ID Integer row number, beginning with 1.
Name Unique textual name for the component
Parent Row number for this item’s parent component. The root
element must be defined on row 1 with a parent of 0.
Qty Integer quantity.
Material Textual material type – this is validated against the Material DB
defined for this project. If the given material is not defined in
this project, the material will be left blank and require selection
within the dialog.
Body Type Shape of the element. Valid body types are: Sphere, Cylinder,
Flat Plate, Box.
Thermal Mass Mass of the element in kilograms, not including defined sub-
components.
Diameter/Width The diameter of sphere and cylinder objects, or width of flat
plate and box objects, in meters. Must be greater than or equal
to Height.
Length The length of cylinder, flat plate and box objects, in meters.
Must be greater than or equal to Diameter or Width.
Height The height of box objects, in meters.
38
Microsoft’s Excel spreadsheet can load and save comma-separated values in a text file, which it
gives the extension “.csv”. In Excel, to save a single “worksheet” as a .csv file, select “Save As”
from the File Menu. In the Save As file selection dialog, click on the pull-down selection menu
labeled “Save as type,” and scroll down to the option “CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv).” Give the
file a name and click on the “Save” button. Note that Excel does not add trailing commas to delimit
blank cells, so short rows may need to be manually edited (using a text editor) to add the commas
delimiting trailing blank cells. The user will find it instructive to first view and edit the file
(“reentry.csv”) created by DAS. Note that a Windows or DAS error may result if the user opens
DAS data files while DAS is running.
Selecting the “Import Sub-Items” button will display the Open File dialog. Select the input file
from its current directory location and select “OK.” The data will be read from the selected file and
added to the reentry objects tree and the Component Data grid. Imported data will be saved in the
project\reentry.csv file. Names that are not unique will be empty within the grid and must be
renamed before the data can be assessed. Editing the name within the grid will change the name
within the tree.
A selected sub-component and its defined elements can be deleted with the “Delete Item” button.
The user will be prompted to confirm that the item and its contents are to be deleted. The delete
button is disabled when a mission element is selected.
All required data defined in the component grid are validated when the “Run” button is selected.
Data validity is based on the following:
 All required fields have been entered for each object.
 For components with multiple dimensions, the values must be entered such that Length ≥
Width ≥ Height.
 Defined mass does not exceed a limit determined by the material density and the object’s
dimensions.
Note: The computed density for a flat plate is based on a height of one-tenth the width. A
thicker plate, or one which does not pass input validation, should be modeled as a box.
 A cylinder must have a length of at least 30% of its diameter. If its length is less than 10%
of its diameter, then define the component as a flat, square plate of equivalent area. If its
length is between the 10% and 30% limits, then the component may be approximated as a
box with equivalent area.
If any of the data are not valid, the assessment ceases and the dialog selects the invalid object. The
data must be corrected before the process can continue.
Output Data:
Output data will provide information (see Table 3-5) on compliance of each mission element.
39
Table 3 - 5: Requirement 4.7-1 Mission Element Output Data
Object Name The name defined within the Mission Editor for
objects determined to qualify for reentry analysis.
Compliance Status The result of analysis: Compliant or Non-Compliant.
Non-Compliant data will be highlighted in red text.
Risk of Human Casualty The computed results are displayed in 1:nnn format.
Any risk larger than 1:10,000 will result in non-
compliance.
Total Debris Casualty Area The sum of debris casualty area for all sub-
components possessing kinetic energy greater than
15 joules.
The displayed data for sub-components and mission elements without subcomponents is shown in
Table 3-6.
Table 3 - 6: Requirement 4.7-1 Sub-Component Output Data

Sub-Component Object The name provided for the subcomponent object.
Demise Altitude Predicted demise altitude in kilometers. Altitude of
zero (0) indicates surviving debris expected to impact
Earth.
Total Debris Casualty Area Predicted casualty area of debris in square meters.
Objects demising above Earth’s surface will have a
debris casualty area of zero (0).
Kinetic Energy The impacting kinetic energy in joules.
data. The user should press the “Reset” button in the top-level Requirement Assessments dialog
window before editing the inputs for this Requirement for the purpose of making additional
assessment runs.
When the project is saved, all input and output data for this dialog are saved in the
project\reentry.csv file.
3.9 Requirement 4.8-1: Collision Hazard of Space Tethers

DAS 3 will not assess compliance with Requirement 4.8-1. The project must demonstrate
compliance with this Requirement though its own calculations. Contact the NASA Orbital Debris
Program Office for assistance.
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4. Science and Engineering Utilities
The Science and Engineering Utilities are intended to answer questions of general interest for debris
assessments that might or might not also be covered in the specific requirement areas. In the left
window pane of the GUI, preceding each section of the Science and Engineering Utilities tree, is an
image. Utilities with a flask image allow calculations. Descriptive levels of the tree are denoted
by a page image. Expand the folder levels by depressing the adjacent plus , revealing the
calculating utilities.
Utilities that make heavy use of the ORDEM model have been removed from DAS 3 due to the
impractically-long run times.
4.1 Analysis of Postmission Disposal Maneuvers

These Science and Engineering Utilities may assist users in the assessment of compliance with
Requirement 4.6, the “postmission disposal of space structures.” These utilities address orbital
maneuvers necessary for disposal by atmospheric reentry or potential storage orbits above LEO.
Two utilities are available within this group. Disposal by Atmospheric Reentry is a plotting
utility that plots disposal Delta-V contours as a function of Initial Perigee and Initial Apogee.
Maneuver to Storage Orbit calculates First Burn, Second Burn, and the Total Delta-V required to
reach the minimum acceptable storage orbit. Reentry Survivability Analysis provides this
function, self-contained and separate from an actual mission assessment.
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4.1.1 Disposal by Atmospheric Reentry
This utility plots contours of Delta-V corresponding to the Delta-V required to move from LEO to a
decay orbit with a user-specified lifetime. This may aid the user in determining the cost of deorbit
maneuvers. Users should specify at least one Delta-V contour value. Figure 4-1 shows the input
dialog, and Table 4-1 describes the values.
Figure 4 - 1: Disposal by Atmospheric Reentry Input Dialog
42
Table 4 - 1: Disposal by Atmospheric Reentry Input Data
Start Year Marks the beginning date (in decimal form) for the time period
currently under study. The input value must be a positive
numeric value equal to or greater than 2010 and less than or
equal to 2100. In addition, the sum of the Start Year and
Decay Orbit Lifetime must not exceed the year 2100.
Decay Orbit Lifetime The length of the orbital lifetime, beginning at the Start Year.
It is required to be in years (decimal years are acceptable).
This input value must be a positive, numeric value greater than
zero. In addition, the sum of the Start Year and Decay Orbit
Lifetime must not exceed the year 2100.
Area-to-Mass The object’s average cross-sectional area (m2) divided by its
final mass (kg). A positive, numeric value is required, and a
decimal value is acceptable.
Delta-V Each contour value is entered into the edit box below the list.
Once entered, the user clicks the “Add” button to load the
value into the list.
The user may remove a previously-defined contour value by
highlighting the value and clicking the “Remove” button. The
maximum number of entries is 20. Each entry must be a
positive, numeric value, and decimal values are acceptable.
Units are m/s.
The “Plot” button will send input values from the dialog to the calculating routines. As the utility
processes the data, a Processing dialog will appear. Plot processing may take several minutes. To
cease processing, depress the “Stop” button on the dialog.
The calculating routines will produce a plot of returned points. If no points are returned, a warning
message will be generated, requiring the user to click the OK button to continue.
The “Reset” button will clear all input values from the dialog.
Output Data:
The generated plot is viewable in a separate plot window. The user can find the disposal Delta-V
requirement for any low-Earth orbit by pairing perigee and apogee values from the plot axes. On
the plot, Delta-V increases from the bottom and left toward the top and right. Note that, by
definition, no values exist above the 1:1 boundary line. See Figure 4-2 for an example plot.
Section 2.6, Using the Plot Viewer, provides information on plot utility functions.
43
Figure 4 - 2: Disposal by Atmospheric Reentry
4.1.2 Maneuver to Storage Orbit
This utility calculates the minimal storage orbit and the Delta-V required to maneuver from the
object’s initial orbit to that storage orbit using a two-burn, minimum-energy transfer orbit. This
may aid the user in determining the cost of a storage orbit maneuver. Figure 4-3 shows the
input/output dialog, and Tables 4-2 and 4-3 describe the input and output values.
44
Figure 4 - 3: Maneuver to Storage Orbit Dialog
45
Table 4 - 2: Maneuver to Storage Orbit Input Data
Perigee Altitude The perigee altitude (in kilometers) for the object currently
under study, immediately before the maneuver to storage orbit.
The input value must be a positive numeric value greater than 90
and less than or equal to 100,000. In addition, the perigee
altitude must be less than or equal to the apogee altitude.
Apogee Altitude The apogee altitude (in kilometers) for the object currently under
study, immediately before the maneuver to storage orbit. The
input value must be a positive numeric value greater than 90 and
less than or equal to 100,000. In addition, the apogee altitude
must be equal to or greater than the perigee altitude.
Area-To-Mass The object’s average cross-sectional area (m2) divided by its
final mass (kg). The input value must be a positive numeric
value greater than or equal to 0.00001 (m2/kg) and less than or
equal to 1000 (m2/kg).
This value is only required when all or part of the orbit resides in
the range of GEO ± 200 km.
The “Run” button sends the user input to the calculating routines. If input values are valid, the
output fields will display the calculated results. Messages and comments developed during
calculation are displayed on the dialog, below the output data.
The “Reset” button clears all input values from the dialog.
46
Table 4 - 3: Maneuver to Storage Orbit Output Data
Storage Orbit – Perigee The suggested storage orbit perigee required to minimally
Altitude satisfy the postmission disposal requirement.
Storage Orbit – Apogee The suggested storage orbit apogee required to minimally
Altitude satisfy the postmission disposal requirement.
Transfer Orbit – Perigee The calculated perigee altitude attained after Delta-V (first
Altitude burn).
Transfer Orbit – Apogee The calculated apogee altitude attained after Delta-V (first
Altitude burn).
First Burn Delta-V The Delta-V required to place the object on the minimum-
energy transfer orbit connecting the initial and storage orbits.
Second Burn Delta-V The Delta-V required to move the object from the transfer
orbit to the storage orbit.
Total Delta-V The Delta-V required to maneuver the object from initial to
disposal orbit, using a two-burn, minimal energy transfer.
This quantity represents the sum of the first and second burn
Delta-V’s.
Message The possible returned messages include the following:
 No associated message for object
 Input orbit parameters do not satisfy any storage
categories
 Initial perigee is low enough that user should
consider disposal by atmospheric reentry
 Initial orbit is in (non-semi-synchronous) medium
Earth orbit; no disposal maneuver is necessary
4.1.3 Reentry Survivability Analysis
This utility provides a tool to study reentry survivability without changing the input characteristics
of the actual mission (as specified in the Mission Editor). A single object and its subcomponents
can be assessed, rendering the demise altitude, total debris casualty area, and kinetic energy for each
item.
Based on empirical and theoretical values, the outermost structure (i.e., the “parent” object) is
assumed to break apart at an altitude of 78 km. The first level of “child” objects are exposed at this
point. The objects are then subjected to the various forces of the reentry model. If a child object is
destroyed (“demises”) due to the reentry forces, it does not affect the final casualty area calculation.
If a child object contains further levels of children, those children are exposed at the same point at
which their immediate parent object demises. This process allows a more realistic progression of
the exposure of nested structures.
This utility supports the definition of a single object and its sub-components. See Table 3-3
(Sect. 3.9) for a description of the input data. Figure 4-5 shows the input dialog, and Table 4-4
describes the output values.
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Figure 4 - 4: Reentry Survivability Analysis Dialog
48
Output Data:
The displayed data for the root element and its sub-components’ survivability are shown in
Table 4-4. Note that since the root object is assumed to break up at 78 km, its output will only
contain the sum of its sub-components’ debris casualty area.
Table 4 - 4: Reentry Survivability Output Data

Sub-Component Object The name provided for the subcomponent object.
Demise Altitude Predicted demise altitude in kilometers. An altitude of
zero (0) indicates surviving debris is expected to
impact Earth.
Total Debris Casualty Area Predicted casualty area of debris in square meters.
Objects demising above Earth’s surface will have a
debris casualty area of zero (0).
Kinetic Energy The impacting kinetic energy in joules.
4.2 Orbit Evolution Analysis

Requirement 4.6, the “postmission disposal of space structures.”
Two utilities are available within this group. Apogee/Perigee Altitude History for a Given Orbit
is a plotting utility that plots Apogee/Perigee History over time. Orbit Lifetime/Dwell Time
calculates Orbit Lifetime and LEO Dwell Time, and the final year of propagation.
49
4.2.1 Apogee/Perigee Altitude History for a Given Orbit
This utility creates a predicted “history” of Perigee and Apogee Altitudes for the user-entered orbit
elements. The output of this utility is a plot of Altitude (in kilometers) along the vertical axis and
Time (in years) along the horizontal axis. For LEO objects, the plot may indicate the orbital decay
rate and reentry date. Figure 4-5 shows the input dialog, and Table 4-5 describes the values.
Figure 4 - 5: Apogee/Perigee Altitude History for a Given Orbit Input Dialog
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Table 4 - 5: Apogee/Perigee Altitude History for a Given Orbit Input Data
Perigee Altitude The perigee altitude (in kilometers) for the object currently
under study. The input value must be a positive numeric
value greater than 90 and less than or equal to 100,000. In
addition, the perigee altitude must be less than or equal to the
apogee altitude.
Apogee Altitude The apogee altitude (in kilometers) for the object currently
under study. The input value must be a positive numeric
value greater than 90 and less than or equal to 100,000. In
addition, the apogee altitude must be greater than or equal to
the perigee altitude.
Inclination The orbital inclination angle. Positive, numeric degrees
between zero and 180 (inclusive). Decimal numbers are
accepted.
R.A. of Ascending Node Right Ascension of Ascending Node must be a positive
numeric value (in degrees) greater than or equal to 0 and less
than or equal to 360. Decimal entries are valid.
Although all input fields are required, entry into this field
will not affect the calculations when the apogee altitude is
less than 2000 km.
Argument of Perigee A positive numeric value (in degrees) greater than or equal
to 0 and less than or equal to 360. Decimal entries are valid.
less than 2000 km.
Mean Anomaly Positive numeric value (in degrees) greater than or equal to 0
and less than or equal to 360. Decimal entries are valid.
less than 2000 km.
Area-To-Mass Ratio The object’s average cross-sectional area (m2) divided by its
final mass (kg). The input value must be a positive numeric
value greater than or equal to 0.00001 (m2/kg) and less than
or equal to 1000 (m2/kg). Decimal entries are valid.
Start Year The beginning date (in decimal years) for the time period
currently under study. The input value must be a positive
numeric value equal to or greater than 2015 and less than or
equal to 2100. In addition, the sum of the Start Year and the
Integration Time must not exceed the year 2100.
Integration Time The length of time (decimal years) desired for propagation.
This input value must be a positive numeric value greater
than zero. In addition, the sum of Integration Time and Start
Year must not exceed 2100.
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Depressing the “Plot” button sends input values from the dialog to the calculating routines. As the
utility processes the data, a Processing dialog will appear. To cease processing, depress the “Stop”
button on the dialog.
If no points are calculated, a message box will appear notifying the user. The user must then select
“OK” to exit the message box.
Output Data:
The generated plot is viewable in a separate plot window. See Figure 4-6 for an example plot.
Section 2.6, Using the Plot Viewer provides information on plot utility functions.
Figure 4 - 6: Apogee/Perigee Altitude History for a Given Orbit
52
4.2.2 Orbit Lifetime/Dwell Time
This utility calculates the Orbital Lifetime and LEO Dwell Time of an object in a specified orbit.
These values relate directly to the assessment of the Requirements imposed on LEO debris. The
Message area (below the Output area) of the dialog will display a message to users upon process
completion. Figure 4-7 shows the input/output dialog. The input and output values are described in
Tables 4-6 and 4-7, respectively.
Figure 4 - 7: Orbit Lifetime/Dwell Time Dialog
53
Table 4 - 6: Orbit Lifetime/Dwell Time Input Data
Start Year The beginning date (in decimal years) for the time
period currently under study. The input value must be
positive, numeric, and fall in the range of 2010-2100.
Perigee Altitude The perigee altitude (in kilometers) for the object
currently under study. The input value must be a
positive numeric value greater than 90 and less than or
equal to 100,000. In addition, the perigee altitude
must be less than or equal to the apogee altitude.
Apogee Altitude The apogee altitude (in kilometers) for the object
currently under study. The input value must be a
positive numeric value greater 90 and less than or
equal to 100,000. In addition, the apogee altitude
must be greater than or equal to the perigee altitude.
Inclination The orbital inclination angle. Positive, numeric
degrees between 0 and 180 (inclusive). Decimal
numbers are accepted.
R. A. of Ascending Node Right Ascension of Ascending Node must be a
positive numeric value (in degrees) greater than or
equal to 0 and less than or equal to 360. Decimal
entries are valid. Although all input fields are
required, entry into this field will not affect the
calculations when the apogee altitude is less than
2000 km.
Argument of Perigee A positive numeric value (in degrees) greater than or
equal to 0 and less than or equal to 360. Decimal
entries are valid. Although all input fields are
required, entry into this field will not affect the
calculations when the apogee altitude is less than
2000 km.
Area-to-Mass The object’s average cross-sectional area (m2) divided
by its final mass (kg). The input must be a positive
numeric value greater than or equal to 0.00001
(m2/kg) and less than or equal to 1000 (m2/kg).
Decimal entries are valid.
The “Reset” button will clear all input from the dialog.
The “Run” button sends the user input to the calculating routines. If input values are valid, the
output fields will display the calculated results. Messages and comments developed during
calculation are displayed on the dialog, below the output data.
54
Output Data:
Table 4 -7: Orbit Lifetime/Dwell Time Output Data

Calculated Orbit Lifetime Orbital Lifetime is calculated from the Start Year.
Calculated Orbit Dwell Time The time spent in LEO during Orbital Lifetime.
Last Year of Propagation The year that the object either reentered or exceeded the
propagation time limit.
Messages The message area displays a textual message after
completion of “Run.”
The possible returned messages include the following:
 No associated message for object
 Object will remain in orbit and above LEO for
the foreseeable future (>100 years)
o NOTE: The orbit is NOT processed.
 Object reentered
 Object did not reenter within the maximum years
of propagation.
4.3 Delta-V for Postmission Maneuver

Requirement 4.6, the “postmission disposal of space structures.” These utilities calculate the
change in velocity required for maneuvers needed to achieve atmospheric reentry within 25 years.
Two utilities are available within this group. Delta-V for Decay Orbit Given Orbital Lifetime
plots area-to-mass contour points corresponding to the Delta-V required to move an object, with a
specified orbital lifetime, from an initial circular LEO orbit to a decay orbit. The user specifies a
list of area-to-mass contour values. Delta-V for Decay Orbit Given Area-To-Mass plots lifetime
contour points corresponding to the Delta-V required to move an object, with a specified area-to-
mass ratio, from an initial circular LEO orbit to a decay orbit.
4.3.1 Delta-V for Decay Orbit, Given Orbital Lifetime
This utility plots Area-To-Mass ratio contour points corresponding to the Delta-V required to move
an object, with specified Orbital Lifetime, from an initial circular LEO to a decay orbit. The user
specifies a list of Area-To-Mass contour values. The plot allows the user to explore the cost of
deorbiting a vehicle. Figure 4-8 shows the input dialog, and Table 4-8 describes the values.
55
Figure 4 - 8: Delta-V for Decay Orbit Given Orbital Lifetime Dialog
Table 4 -8: Delta-V for Decay Orbit Given Orbital Lifetime Input Data
Start Year The beginning date (in decimal years) for the time period currently
under study. The input must be a positive numeric value equal to or
greater than 2010 and less than or equal to 2100. In addition, the
sum of the Start Year and the Orbital Lifetime must not exceed the
year 2100.
Orbit Lifetime The length of time (decimal years) the object is expected to stay in
orbit. This input value must be a positive numeric value greater
than or equal to 0.01 and less than or equal to 10,000.0; however,
the sum of Orbital Lifetime and Start Year must not exceed 2100.
Area-To-Mass Each Area-To-Mass ratio contour value is entered into the edit box
below the list. Once entered, the user depresses the “Add” button
to load the value into the list. The user may remove a contour value
by highlighting the value in the list and depressing the “Remove”
button.
The maximum number of entries is 20. This input must be a
positive numeric value greater than or equal to 0.0001 (m2/kg) and
less than or equal to 1000.0 (m2/kg). Decimal values are valid.
56
Output Data:
The generated plot is viewable in a separate plot window. Delta-V (m/s) is along the vertical axis
and Altitude (km) is along the horizontal axis. On the plot, A/M increases from the top and left
toward the bottom and right. See Figure 4-9 for an example plot. Section 2.6, Using the Plot
Viewer provides information on plot utility functions.
Figure 4 - 9: Delta-V for Decay Orbit Given Orbital Lifetime
57
4.3.2 Delta-V for Decay Orbit, Given Area-to-Mass
This utility plots Orbital Lifetime contour points corresponding to the Delta-V required to move an
object, with specified area-to-mass ratio, from an initial circular low Earth orbit to a decay orbit.
The user specifies a list of Orbital Lifetime contour values. The plot allows the user to explore the
cost of deorbiting a vehicle over a range of decay lifetimes. Figure 4-10 shows the input dialog and
Table 4-9 describes the values.
Figure 4 - 10: Delta-V for Decay Orbit Given Area-To-Mass Dialog
58
Table 4 -9: Delta-V for Decay Orbit Given Area-To-Mass Input Data
Start Year The beginning date (in decimal years) for the time period currently
under study. The input must be a positive numeric value equal to or
greater than 2010 and less than or equal to 2100. In addition, the
sum of the Start Year and the Orbital Lifetime must not exceed the
year 2100.
Area-To-Mass The area-to-mass ratio is the object’s average cross-sectional area
(m2) divided by its final mass (kg). The input must be a positive
numeric value greater than or equal to 0.00001 (m2/kg) and less
than or equal to 1000 (m2/kg). Decimal entries are valid.
Orbit Lifetime Each Orbital Lifetime contour value is entered into the edit box
below the list. Once entered, the user depresses the “Add” button
to load the value into the list. The user may remove a contour value
by highlighting the value in the list and depressing the “Remove”
button.
The maximum number of entries is 20. The input value must be a
positive numeric value greater than or equal to 0.01 (yr) and less
than or equal to 10000.0 (yr); however, the sum of Orbital Lifetime
and Start Year must not exceed 2100.
Output Data:
The generated plot is viewable in a separate plot window. Delta-V (m/s) is along the vertical axis
and Altitude (km) is along the horizontal axis. On the plot, orbital lifetime increases from the top
and left toward the bottom and right. See Figure 4-11 for an example plot. Section 2.6, Using the
Plot Viewer provides information on plot utility functions.
59
Figure 4 - 11: Delta-V for Decay Orbit Given Area-To-Mass
4.4 Delta-V for Orbit-to-Orbit Transfer

This Science and Engineering Utility may assist users in the assessment of compliance with
Requirement 4.6, the “postmission disposal of space structures.” This utility calculates the
minimum change in velocity required to maneuver from one orbit to a second, co-planar orbit.
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4.4.1 Orbit-to-Orbit Transfer
This utility calculates the Delta-V required for a coplanar orbit transfer. Figure 4-12 shows
input/output dialog, and Tables 4-10 and 4-11 describe the values, respectively.
Figure 4 - 12: Delta-V for Orbit-to-Orbit Transfer Dialog
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Input Data:
Table 4 - 10: Delta-V for Orbit-to-Orbit Transfer Input Data
First Orbit Perigee Altitude The perigee altitude (in kilometers) for the object
currently under study, immediately before the orbit
transfer maneuver. The input must be a positive
numeric value greater than 90 and less than or equal
to 100,000. In addition, the perigee altitude must be
less than or equal to the apogee altitude.
First Orbit Apogee Altitude The apogee altitude (in kilometers) for the object
currently under study, immediately before the orbit
transfer maneuver. The input must be a positive
numeric value greater than 90 and less than or equal
to 100,000. In addition, the apogee altitude must be
equal to or greater than the perigee altitude.
Second Orbit Perigee Altitude The final (destination) perigee altitude (in kilometers)
for the object currently under study. The input must
be a positive numeric value greater than 90 and less
than or equal to 100,000. In addition, the perigee
altitude must be less than or equal to the final apogee
altitude.
Second Orbit Apogee Altitude The final (destination) apogee altitude (in kilometers)
for the object currently under study. The input must
be a positive numeric value greater than 90 and less
than or equal to 100,000. In addition, the apogee
altitude must be equal to or greater than the final
perigee altitude.
The “Reset” button will clear all input values from the dialog. The “Run” button sends the user
input to the calculating routines. If input values are valid the output fields will display the
calculated results.
Table 4 - 11: Delta-V for Orbit-to-Orbit Transfer Output Data

Transfer Orbit Perigee The perigee altitude attained after Delta-V (first burn).
Transfer Orbit Apogee The apogee altitude attained after Delta-V (first burn).
Delta-V (First Burn) First Burn Delta-V is the Delta-V required to place the
object on the minimum-energy transfer orbit connecting
the first and second orbits.
Delta-V (Second Burn) Second Burn Delta-V is the Delta-V required to move
the object from the transfer orbit to the second
(destination) orbit.
Delta-V (Total) Total Delta-V is the total Delta-V required to maneuver
the object from first to second orbit, using a two-burn,
minimum-energy transfer. This quantity represents the
sum of the first and second burn Delta-Vs.
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4.5 Other Utilities
Utilities not directly related to specific requirements are provided to support the definition of data
related to orbital mechanics.
4.5.1 Two Line Element Converter
This utility provides the user with a means to convert a two-line element (TLE) set into orbital
parameters that can be used in DAS.
Figure 4 - 13: Two Line Element Conversion Dialog
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Input Data:
The TLE converter has only one input area: the edit box at the top of the window. The TLE text
can be hand typed, pasted from the clipboard, or loaded from a file. When loading from a file, this
utility converts only the first two line of input text.
DAS will detect and process the current 69-character TLE. A two-line element set consists of two
lines of text data which can be used to determine the position and velocity of an object orbiting
Earth. Tables 4-12 and 4-13 contain descriptions of the current format of TLE lines 1 and 2.
Table 4 --12: Two-Line Element Set Format Definition, Line 1
Field Column Description

1.1 01 Line Number of Element Data
1.2 03-07 Satellite Number
1.3 08 Classification
1.4 10-11 International Designator (Last two digits of launch year) (Four-digit launch
year)
1.5 12-14 International Designator (Launch number of the year)
1.6 15-17 International Designator (Piece of the launch)
1.7 19-20 Epoch Year (Last two digits of year) (Four-digit year)
1.8 21-32 Epoch Day (Day of the year and fractional portion of the day)
1.9 34-43 One-half the First Time Derivative of the Mean Motion
1.10 45-52 One-sixth the Second Time Derivative of Mean Motion (decimal point assumed)
or “AGOM”
1.11 54-61 BSTAR drag term (decimal point assumed)
1.12 63 Ephemeris type
1.13 65-68 Element number (Removed from line 1 of proposed format)
1.14 69 Checksum (Modulo 10) (Letters, blanks, periods, plus signs=0; minus signs=1)
Table 4 -13: Two-Line Element Set Format Definition, Line 2

2.1 01 Line Number of Element Data
2.2 03-07 Satellite Number
2.3 09-16 Inclination [Degrees]
2.4 18-25 Right Ascension of the Ascending Node [Degrees]
2.5 27-33 Eccentricity (decimal point assumed) (decimal point included, no leading digit)
2.6 35-42 Argument of Perigee [Degrees]
64
2.7 44-51 Mean Anomaly [Degrees]
2.8 53-63 Mean Motion [Revs per day]
2.9 64-68 Revolution number at epoch [Revs]
2.10 69 Checksum (Modulo 10)
Output Data:
Figure 4 - 14: Elements Converted to DAS Input Values
The DAS Input Area displays the values that are obtained from running the TLE Converter. These
values will be useful for specifying the orbital parameters needed throughout the DAS. Note that
the DAS orbit propagator, designed for long-term propagation, assumes the mission inputs are mean
orbital elements.
4.5.2 Calculate Cross-Sectional Area
This Science and Engineering Utility may assist users in estimating the effective cross-sectional
area of a structure. This quantity is divided by the structure’s mass to produce the area-to-mass
ratio, used in Requirement assessment.
This utility provides a means to create a “wire-frame” model of a spacecraft and to estimate the
average cross-sectional area of a spacecraft. This cross-sectional area can be used to calculate the
area-to-mass ratio entry in the DAS Mission Editor. For many projects, this tool will not need to be
65
used; it is included here to augment the standard area estimation techniques outlined in the NASA-
STD-8719.14B. Subsection 4.3.4.1 of the Standard gives simple methods for estimating an object’s
average cross-sectional area.
The model is constructed using a series of triangles, cylinders, and spheres. The wire-frame plot
feature may be used to check for errors in data entry. The cross-sectional area estimation tool is
intended to provide a basic, but reasonably accurate, estimate of average cross-sectional area. The
fidelity of the result will depend upon the level of detail provided by the user. Figure 4-15 shows
the input/output dialog.
Figure 4 - 15: Calculate Cross-Sectional Area Dialog
Input Data:
The user must first define the spacecraft’s orientation as being “random tumbling,” “gravity
gradient,” or “fixed orientation.”
 Random tumbling – No axes will be fixed during the orbital lifetime in question.
 Gravity gradient – The gravity (nadir) direction will be maintained with respect to the
spacecraft during the orbital lifetime in question.
 Fixed orientation – The velocity (ram) direction and gravity (nadir) direction will be
maintained with respect to the spacecraft during the orbital lifetime in question.
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For objects that are “gravity gradient” or have “fixed orientation,” the coordinate system shall be
defined as U, V, and W, where +U is “up” (the opposite direction from gravity), +V is in the
direction of velocity, and W is “port” (orthogonal: U×V).
Component data are entered into the input grid by typing in any field in the last line of the grid
(labeled as row “*”). Users input values for shape, point coordinates, and radius as required. The
units need only be consistent, as the resulting units of area are simply the square of the input length
(position) units. Note that this module can process a maximum of 1000 objects.
Component shapes are defined as follows:

 Triangles – U, V, and W for three corner points are needed. For square or rectangular
surfaces, two adjoining triangles must be entered. While this is a tedious way to enter the
data, it is necessary to ensure that each surface remains in a plane, a requirement of the
cross-sectional area estimation software. For thin plates, such as solar panels, the thickness
may be ignored.
 Cylinders – U, V, and W for the center points and radii of each end disk are needed. The
cylinder may have end disks of different radii. A cone would have one end disk with a
radius of 0. A flat disk can be entered as cylinder with a minimal distance between the two
end disks.
 Spheres – U, V, and W for the center and its radius are needed.
Triangles are two-dimensional, while cylinders and spheres are three-dimensional. Surfaces that are
interior to another surface will not affect the cross-sectional area estimation. For example, if the
center point for a sphere is identical to one of the end points for a cylinder, only the portion of the
sphere that is exterior to the cylinder will be considered. Surfaces that are entirely interior do not
need to be defined.
If the configuration of the object can change (i.e., moving solar panels), the average of cross-
sectional area over each anticipated configuration may be used, based upon an intelligent
assumption about the expected time spent in each configuration.
For more detailed projects, the user might find it useful to edit the comma separated value (CSV)
file xsectional.csv within the Project directory, rather than use the graphical user interface.
Depressing the “Plot” button sends input values from the dialog to the plotting tool.
The purpose of the plotting tool is to provide a basic “sanity check” of the input values. This visual
depiction should assist the user in constructing the objects for cross-sectional evaluation, but it is
not necessary for actual calculation of cross-sectional area.
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The plotting tool generates three, two-dimensional plots showing the V-W (top), V-U (side), and
W-U (front) orthogonal views of the triangles, cylinders, and spheres used to define the spacecraft.
However, because of the difficult nature of showing complex, three-dimensional objects in two-
dimensional plots, there are two basic limitations:
1. To be plotted, the axis of a cylinder (i.e., the line between the centers of the two end disks)
must be defined in only one or two of the three user-defined UVW directions. If the axis of
a cylinder varies in the U, V, AND W directions, it will be omitted on the graph. It is
important to note, the omission does NOT affect the cross-sectional area calculation. All
cylinders, regardless of their orientation, will be considered when the cross-sectional area is
estimated.
2. For visual clarity, all points interior to a perfect cylinder (end disk radii identical) will be
removed if the axis of the cylinder is in a primary (U, V, or W) direction only. Any cylinder
axis in two directions or any cylinder with end disks of different radii will not “hide” any
interior points. All points interior to a sphere will be removed for visual clarity, as well.
Output Data:
Output is the average projected cross-sectional area of the defined object. Output units are the
square of the input units.
By clicking the “Plot” button, the user may generate a three-view representation of the wire-frame
model. The generated plot is viewable in a separate plot window. An example of this can be seen in
Figure 4-16. This is useful for finding data-entry errors that may have occurred during definition of
the model points. Section 2.6, Using the Plot Viewer provides information on plot utility
functions.
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Figure 4 - 16: Three-View Cross-Sectional Area Plot
Note: Depending on the size and complexity of the object, the process may take several minutes to
converge upon a result.
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Appendix A: Glossary of Terms and Acronyms
Aero mass – The aerodynamic mass of an object is the mass of that specific object plus the mass of
all internal fragments. Consequently, the aero mass must be at least equal to the object’s
mass.
Altitude – The height above Earth’s surface (distinguished from radius, measured from Earth’s
center).
Apogee – The point on the orbit that is the farthest from the center of Earth. The apogee altitude is
the distance of the apogee point above the surface of Earth.
Apsis (pl. apsides) – The point in the orbit where a satellite is at the lowest altitude (perigee) or at
the highest altitude (apogee). The line connecting apogee and perigee is the line of apsides.
Area-to-Mass ratio (AOM, A/M) – The area-to-mass ratio, which is a measurement of the effective
cross-sectional area of an orbiting object divided by its mass. Normal units are square
meters per kilogram. Higher AOM will yield faster decay for LEO objects, while lower
AOM (a more dense object) yields slower decay. AOM should include deployed surfaces
(e.g. solar panels).
Argument of perigee – The angle between the line extending from the center of Earth to the
ascending node of an orbit and the line extending from the center of Earth to the perigee
point in the orbit, measured from the ascending node in the direction of motion of the
satellite.
Ascending node – The point in the orbit where a satellite crosses Earth’s equatorial plane in passing
from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere.
Casualty – Injury to a person on the surface of Earth, caused by being struck by an object with
kinetic energy of 15 joules or greater.
Combo box – A GUI component with a drop-down arrow that users click to display an associated
list of choices. The current selection appears in an editable or noneditable text field next to
the drop-down arrow. The user displays the list by clicking or dragging the drop-down
arrow.
Cratering flux – The number of impacts per square meter per year of objects which will leave a
crater at least as large as a specified diameter.
Critical surface – A surface in a component of a payload that, when the surface is damaged by
impact, will cause the component to fail.
Debris flux – The number of impacts per square meter per year expected on a randomly-oriented
planar surface of an orbiting space structure.
A-1
Debris flux to limiting size – The number of impacts per square meter per year of debris objects of a
specified diameter or larger.
Delta-V, V – The change in the velocity vector caused by thrust, measured in units of meters per
second.
Demise – The total destruction of a reentering object, caused mainly by frictional heating with the
atmosphere.
Dialog – A top-level GUI window, with a title and a border, which is typically used to take some
form of input from the user.
Disposal orbit – The final orbit of an object after a completed mission. The project may elect to
alter the end-of-mission orbit via a maneuver to a disposal orbit so that it may satisfy
Requirement 4.6.
Eccentricity – A measure of an orbit’s ellipticity, calculated as the orbit’s apogee altitude minus its
perigee altitude, divided by twice its semi-major axis. Eccentricity is zero for circular orbits
and less than one for all elliptical (i.e., bound) orbits.
F10.7 – An index of solar activity; typically a 13-month running average of the energy flux from
the Sun measured at a wavelength of 10.7 cm, expressed in units of 104 janskys or Solar
Flux Units (sfu).
Final mass – The expected mass after all propellants and fluids have been burned or vented and all
mission related debris have been released.
Geosynchronous orbit (GEO) – An orbit with a period equal to the sidereal day. A circular GEO
orbit with 0 inclination is a geostationary orbit, i.e., the sub-satellite point is at a fixed
longitude on Earth’s equator. The altitude of a circular GEO orbit is 35,786 km.
Geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) – A highly eccentric orbit with perigee within or near LEO
altitude and apogee near or above GEO altitude.
Grid – A GUI control to display the fields of a data source as columns in a table. Each row in the
control represents a record in the data source.
GUI – Graphical user interface for computer software. The dialog window provided for user
interface with an application’s functional process.
High Earth Orbit, High Altitude Orbit (HEO) – An orbit with a mean altitude greater than 2000 km
or, equivalently, an orbit with a period greater than 127 minutes.
Inclination – The angle an orbital plane makes with Earth’s equatorial plane.
Initial mass – The mass of the object at the beginning of the mission, including propellants.
A-2
Jansky – A unit of electromagnetic power density equal to 10-26 watts/m2/Hz.
Launch (GUI) – An action within a GUI dialog causing an additional dialog to open for user
application interface.
Launch vehicle – Any space transportation mode, including expendable launch vehicles (ELVs),
reusable launch vehicles (RLVs).
Line of apsides – The line connecting the apogee and perigee points in an orbit. This line passes
through the center of Earth.
Line of nodes – The line formed by the intersection of the orbit plane with Earth’s equatorial plane.
This line passes through the center of Earth. The ascending node is the point where a
satellite crosses the equator from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere.
Low Earth Orbit (LEO) – An orbit with a mean altitude less than or equal to 2,000 km, or
equivalently, an orbit with a period less than or equal to 127 minutes.
Mean anomaly – An angle measure, the product of the orbiting object’s mean motion (mean angular
rate) and the time since periapse passage.
Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) – An orbit (or the region itself) between LEO and GEO.
Meteoroids – Naturally occurring particles associated with solar system formation or evolution
processes. Meteoroid material is often associated with asteroid breakup or material
released from comets.
Mission duration – The length of time that a mission is actively supported by ground operations.
Near-GEO – An orbit that has low eccentricity and both the perigee and apogee points are within
the altitude range of (GEO-500 km) and (GEO+300 km).
NOAA – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, part of the U.S. Department of
Commerce. NOAA’s Space Environment Center provides historical and predicted solar flux
data.
Operational orbit – The orbit of an object during its primary (and extended) missions.
Orbital debris – Artificial objects, including derelict spacecraft and spent launch vehicle orbital
stages, left in orbit, which no longer serve a useful purpose. In this document, only debris of
diameter 1 mm and larger are considered.
Orbital lifetime – The length of time an object remains in orbit. Objects in LEO or passing
through LEO lose energy as they pass through Earth’s upper atmosphere, eventually
getting low enough in altitude that the atmosphere removes them from orbit.
Orbital stage – A part of the launch vehicle left in a parking, transfer, or final orbit during or after
payload insertion; includes liquid propellant systems, solid rocket motors and any propulsive
unit ejected from a spacecraft.
A-3
ORDEM – NASA’s Orbital Debris Engineering Model. This is a statistical model, based on
observations, that describes the orbital debris environment between 200 and 2000 km
altitude. DAS 3.0 uses ORDEM 3.0, which describes the orbital debris environment
between the altitudes of 100 and 40,000 km. NOTE: Increased fidelity of the ORDEM 3.0
comes at the cost of greatly-increased DAS run times.
ORSAT – The Object Reentry Survival Analysis Tool, NASA’s computer code for predicting the
reentry survivability of satellite and launch vehicle upper-stage components entering from
orbital decay or from controlled entry.
Penetration debris flux – The number of impacts per square meter per year that will penetrate a
surface of specified orientation with specified materials and structural characteristics.
Perigee – The point in the orbit that is nearest to the center of Earth. The perigee altitude is the
distance of the perigee point above the surface of Earth.
Right ascension of ascending node – The angle between the line extending from the center of Earth
to the ascending node of an orbit and the line extending from the center of Earth to the
vernal equinox, measured from the vernal equinox eastward in Earth’s equatorial plane.
Semi-major axis – Half the sum of the distances of apogee and perigee from the center of Earth (or
other body); equal to half the length of the major axis of the elliptical orbit.
Semi-synchronous Orbit– An orbit with approximately a 12-hour period. A circular semi-

synchronous is at an altitude of 20,200 km.
Solar flux unit (sfu) – Equal to 104 janskys measured at a wavelength of 10.7 cm.
Space debris – General class of debris, including both meteoroids and orbital debris.
Stabilized – When the spacecraft maintains its orientation along one or more axes.
Station-Keeping – During its mission duration, the payload is precluded from natural orbital decay
by active station-keeping devices, e.g. thrusters.
Thermal mass – The thermal mass is strictly the mass of one specific object. This is the mass used
for determining how much material needs to burn up.
Vernal equinox – The direction of the Sun in space when it passes from the southern hemisphere to
the northern hemisphere (on March 20 or 21) and appears to cross Earth’s equator. The
vernal equinox is the reference point for measuring angular distance along Earth’s
equatorial plane (right ascension). It is one of two angles usually used to locate objects in
orbit (the other being declination).
Wet/Dry mass – Wet mass is the mass of an object (payload or orbital stage) including propellant or
any other expendable fluid, while dry mass is the mass of an object less any expendables.
A-4
Appendix B: NASA Technical Standard 8719.14B Requirements
4.3. ASSESSMENT OF DEBRIS RELEASED DURING NORMAL
OPERATIONS
Orbital debris analyses assess the amount of launch vehicle and spacecraft debris released in
normal operations. This requirement area applies to all space structures while in Earth or lunar
orbit. Operators are encouraged to limit the release of debris while in Mars orbit or in the vicinity
of Sun-Earth or Earth-Moon Lagrange Points.
NASA programs and projects assess and limit the amount of debris released as part of the mission.
REQUIREMENTS
4.3-1. Debris passing through LEO – released debris with diameters of 1mm or larger:
4.3-1a. All debris released during the deployment, operation, and disposal phases shall be limited
to a maximum orbital lifetime of 25 years from date of release.
4.3-1b. The total object-time product shall be no larger than 100 object-years per mission. For the
purpose of this standard, satellites smaller than a 1U standard CubeSat are treated as
mission-related debris and thus are bound by this definition to collectively follow the same
100 object-years per mission deployment limit.
4.3-2. Debris passing near GEO:

For missions leaving debris in orbits with the potential of traversing GEO (GEO altitude ± 200 km
and ± 15 degrees inclination), released debris with diameters of 5 mm or greater shall be left in
orbits which will ensure that within 25 years after release the apogee will no longer exceed GEO -
200 km or the perigee will not be lower than GEO + 200 km, and also ensures that the debris is
incapable of being perturbed to lie within that GEO ± 200 km and ± 15 zone for at least 100 years
thereafter. For the purpose of this standard, satellites smaller than a 1U standard CubeSat are
treated as mission-related debris and thus are bound by this definition to follow this requirement.
B-1
4.4. ASSESSMENT OF DEBRIS GENERATED BY EXPLOSIONS
AND INTENTIONAL BREAKUPS
Orbital debris analyses assess accidental explosion probability and intentional breakups during and
after completion of mission operations. Section 4.4 is not intended to mandate the use of techniques
that could cause unreasonable passivation errors or malfunctions that involve nonreversible
passivation methods.
NASA programs and projects assess and limit the probability of accidental spacecraft and launch
vehicle orbital stage explosion during and after completion of deployment and mission operations.
REQUIREMENTS
4.4-1. Limiting the risk to other space systems from accidental explosions during deployment and mission
operations while in orbit about Earth or the Moon:
For each spacecraft and launch vehicle orbital stage employed for a mission (i.e., every individual
free-flying structural object), the program or project shall demonstrate, via failure mode and effects
analyses, probabilistic risk assessments, or other appropriate analyses, that the integrated
probability of explosion for all credible failure modes of each spacecraft and launch vehicle does
not exceed 0.001 (excluding small particle impacts).
4.4-2. Design for passivation after completion of mission operations while in orbit about Earth or the
Moon:
Design of all spacecraft and launch vehicle orbital stages shall include the ability and a plan to
either 1) deplete all onboard sources of stored energy and disconnect all energy generation sources
when they are no longer required for mission operations or postmission disposal or 2) control to a
level which cannot cause an explosion or deflagration large enough to release orbital debris or
break up the spacecraft. The design of depletion burns and ventings should minimize the probability
of accidental collision with tracked objects in space.
NASA programs and projects assess and limit the effect of intentional breakups of spacecraft and
launch vehicle orbital stages on other users of space.
REQUIREMENTS
4.4-3. Limiting the long-term risk to other space systems from planned breakups for Earth and lunar
missions:
Planned explosions or intentional collisions shall:
a) be conducted at an altitude such that for orbital debris fragments larger than 10 cm the object-
time product does not exceed 100 object-years. For example, if the debris fragments greater
than 10 cm decay in the maximum allowed 1 year, a maximum of 100 such fragments can be
generated by the breakup.
b) not generate debris larger than 1 mm that remains in Earth orbit longer than one year.
B-2
4.4-4. Limiting the short-term risk to other space systems from planned breakups for Earth orbital
missions:
Immediately before a planned explosion or intentional collision, the probability of debris, orbital
or ballistic, larger than 1 mm colliding with any operating spacecraft within 24 hours of the breakup
shall be verified to not exceed 10-6.
B-3
4.5. ASSESSMENT OF DEBRIS GENERATED BY
ON-ORBIT COLLISIONS
Orbital debris analyses assess the ability of the design and mission profile of a space system to limit
the probability of accidental collision with known resident space objects during the system’s orbital
lifetime. Requirement 4.5 applies for all space structures in Earth and lunar orbits.
NASA programs and projects assess and limit the probability that the operating space system
becomes a source of debris if it collides with orbital debris or meteoroids.
REQUIREMENTS
4.5-1. Limiting debris generated by collisions with large objects when in Earth orbit:
For each spacecraft and launch vehicle orbital stage in or passing through LEO, the program or
project shall demonstrate that, during the orbital lifetime of each spacecraft and orbital stage, the
probability of accidental collision with space objects larger than 10 cm in diameter does not exceed
0.001. For spacecraft and orbital stages passing through the protected region ± 200 km and ±15
degrees of geostationary orbit, the probability of accidental collision with space objects larger than
10 cm in diameter shall not exceed 0.001 when integrated over 100 years from time of launch.
4.5-2. Limiting debris generated by collisions with small objects when operating in Earth orbit:
For each spacecraft, the program or project shall demonstrate that, during the mission of the
spacecraft, the probability of accidental collision with orbital debris and meteoroids sufficient to
prevent compliance with the applicable postmission disposal maneuver requirements does not
exceed 0.01.
B-4
4.6. POSTMISSION DISPOSAL OF SPACE STRUCTURES
NASA space programs and projects are to plan for the disposal of spacecraft and launch vehicle
orbital stages and space structures at the end of their respective missions. Spacecraft disposal
can be accomplished by one of three methods: a). Earth atmospheric reentry, b). Maneuvering to
a storage orbit, (including Earth escape) or c). Direct retrieval. Requirement area 4.6 applies to
all space structures when in Earth orbit.
REQUIREMENTS
4.6-1. Disposal for space structures in or passing through LEO:

A spacecraft or orbital stage with a perigee altitude below 2,000 km shall be disposed of by one of
the following three methods:
a. Atmospheric reentry option:
1) Leave the space structure in an orbit in which natural forces will lead to atmospheric reentry
within 25 years after the completion of mission or
2) Maneuver the space structure into a controlled de-orbit trajectory as soon as practical after
completion of mission.
b. Storage orbit option: Maneuver the space structure into an orbit with perigee altitude above
2,000 km and ensure its apogee altitude will be below 19,700 km, both for a minimum of 100
years.
c. Direct retrieval: Retrieve the space structure and remove it from orbit within 10 years after
completion of mission.
4.6-2. Disposal for space structures near GEO:
A spacecraft or orbital stage in an orbit near GEO shall be maneuvered at EOM to a disposal orbit
above GEO with a predicted minimum perigee of GEO + 200 km (35,986 km) or below GEO with
a predicted maximum apogee of GEO – 200 km (35,586 km) for a period of at least 100 years after
disposal.
4.6-3. Disposal for space structures between LEO and GEO:
1) Between LEO and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO): A spacecraft or orbital stage shall be left in an
orbit with a perigee altitude greater than 2000 km and apogee altitude below 19,700 km for
100 years.
2) Between MEO and GEO: A spacecraft or orbital stage shall be left in an orbit with a perigee
altitude greater than 20,700 km and apogee altitude below 35,300 km for 100 years.
4.6-4. Reliability of postmission disposal maneuver operations in Earth orbit:

NASA space programs and projects shall ensure that all postmission disposal operations to meet
Requirements 4.6-1, 4.6-2, and/or 4.6-3 are designed for a probability of success as follows:
a. Be no less than 0.90 at EOM, and
b. For controlled reentry, the probability of success at the time of reentry burn must be sufficiently
high so as not to cause a violation of Requirement 4.7-1 pertaining to limiting the risk of human
casualty.
B-5
4.7. ASSESSMENT OF DEBRIS SURVIVING ATMOSPHERIC REENTRY
Orbital debris analyses assess the risks associated with the disposal of a space vehicle in Earth’s
atmosphere. Requirement area 4.7 applies to all spacecraft and launch vehicles returning to the
surface of Earth from an altitude of greater than 130 km.
NASA space programs and projects that use atmospheric reentry as a means of disposal for
space structures need to limit the amount of debris that can survive reentry and pose a threat to
people on the surface of the Earth. This area applies to full spacecraft as well as jettisoned
components.
REQUIREMENTS
4.7-1. Limit the risk of human casualty:
The potential for human casualty is assumed for any object with an impacting kinetic energy in
excess of 15 joules.
a. For uncontrolled reentry, the risk of human casualty from surviving debris shall not exceed
0.0001 (1:10,000).
b. For controlled reentry, the selected trajectory shall ensure that no surviving debris impact with a
kinetic energy greater than 15 joules is closer than 370 km from foreign landmasses, or is within
50 km from the continental U.S., territories of the U.S., and the permanent ice pack of
Antarctica.
c. For controlled reentries, the product of the probability of failure to execute the reentry burn and
the risk of human casualty assuming uncontrolled reentry shall not exceed 0.0001 (1:10,000).
B-6
4.8. ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR
TETHER MISSIONS
Orbital debris analyses assess the potential hazard of tethered systems considering both an intact
and a severed system. A tether is a long flexible structure greater than 300 meters in length. Tethers
can have a variety of purposes, but are typically used electro-dynamically for power generation or
to impart changes in linear or angular momentum. The potential to damage operating spacecraft
can be larger than would be expected solely from the tether mass and cross-sectional area.
Requirement area 4.8 applies to all space structures using tethers in Earth orbits.
NASA programs and projects assess and limit the collision hazard posed by tether systems on
other users of space and on the near-Earth environment.
REQUIREMENTS
4.8-1. Mitigate the collision hazards of space tethers in protected regions of space:
Intact and remnants of severed tether systems in Earth orbit shall limit the generation of orbital
debris from on-orbit collisions with other operational spacecraft postmission. Tether systems should
generally not remain deployed after the completion of their mission objectives. After mission
objectives are met, such tethers should have provisions for disposal (full retraction/stowing and/or
removal from Earth orbit) with a >0.90 probability of success, including an assessment of the
reliability of the disposal system and accounting for the possibility of damage to or cutting of the
tether prior to disposal.
B-7
Appendix C: DAS Technical Notes
C.1 Orbit Propagators
DAS 3 uses the NASA propagators “PROP3D” and “GEOPROP”. GEOPROP calculates the
motion of objects in geosynchronous orbits, while PROP3D calculates the orbits of all other objects.
A geosynchronous orbit is defined as having orbital eccentricity less than 0.1, inclination less than
15°, and period between 0.95 and 1.05 days. The propagators are designed to maintain integration
accuracy over long propagation periods (decades) with reasonable computation speed.
Both propagators account for all significant perturbing forces. Table C-1 lists the perturbations and
some of the reference models used. PROP3D propagates five orbital elements, describing the shape
and orientation of the orbit, but not the position of the object along that orbit. GEOPROP
propagates all six orbital elements, based on the disturbing-function formulation of Van der Ha [1].
Table C - 1: Perturbations included in the DAS orbit propagators

Perturbation PROP3D GEOPROP
Atmospheric drag Oblate, rotating None
atmosphere [2, 3]
Solar & Lunar gravity Yes [4] Yes
Solar radiation pressure (SRP) Yes Yes
Earth’s shadow for SRP Yes Neglected
Earth’s gravity field Zonal harmonics: J2, J3, Zonal harmonics: J2, J3, J4
J4, (J2)2 [5] Tesseral harmonics: J2,2, J3,1,
J3,3, J4,2, J4,4
For DAS 3, the coefficient of drag is assumed to be 2.2. The coefficient of reflectivity (for the solar
radiation pressure perturbation) is assumed to be 1.25. For reference, a perfectly transparent object
would have a coefficient of reflectivity of zero, while a planar mirror normal to the (solar) flux
would have a coefficient of 2.0.
1. Van der Ha, J.C., “Long-term evolution of near-geo orbits,” J. Guidance, 9, p. 363-370, 1986.
2. Jacchia, L.G., Thermospheric Temperature, Density and Composition: New Models, Smithsonian
Astrophysical Observatory, Special Report 375, 1977.
3. King-Hele, D., Satellite Orbits in an Atmosphere, Blackie & Son, LTD., London, 1987.
4. Cook, G.E., “Luni-solar perturbations of the orbit of an Earth satellite,” The Geophysical Journal
of the Royal Astronomical Society, 6, p. 271-291, 1962.
5. Vallado, D.A., Fundamentals of Astrodynamics and Applications, McGraw-Hill, NY, 1997.
C-1
C.2 Orbital Elements
Orbital elements are mathematical quantities used to describe the path (trajectory) of an object
traveling through space. DAS uses a set of Keplerian mean orbital elements. Figures C-1 and C-2
depict the physical nature of the elements, which are listed in Table C-2. One common format of
the orbital elements is the “two-line element” (TLE) format, described in Sect. 4.6.1 of this Guide.
For more information, the reader should consult any basic celestial mechanics textbook.
Figure C - 1: Orbital Elements in the Orbital Plane
C-2
Figure C - 2: Orbital Elements
Table C - 2: Description of the Orbital Elements

Orbital Element Symbol Description
Semi-major axis a Half the sum of the distances of apogee and perigee
from the center of Earth. Half the length of the
major axis of the elliptical orbit.
Eccentricity e A measure of an orbit’s ellipticity, calculated as the
orbit’s apogee altitude minus its perigee altitude,
divided by twice its semi-major axis.
Inclination i The angle an orbital plane makes with Earth’s
equatorial plane.
Right ascension of the Ω The angle between the line extending from the center
ascending node of Earth to the ascending node of an orbit and the
line extending from the center of Earth to the vernal
equinox, measured from the vernal equinox eastward
in Earth’s equatorial plane.
Argument of perigee ω The angle between the line extending from the center
of Earth to the ascending node of an orbit and the
line extending from the center of Earth to the perigee
point in the orbit, measured from the ascending node
in the direction of motion of the satellite.
Mean anomaly M An angle measure: the product of the orbiting
(not pictured) object’s mean motion (mean angular rate) and the
time since periapse passage.
C-3
C.3 Orbital Debris Environment Model
DAS 3.0 incorporates the orbital debris environment model of ORDEM 3.0, the Orbital Debris
Engineering Model also developed by the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office. The higher-
fidelity ORDEM 3.0 has greatly increased run-times compared to ORDEM2.0 (a.k.a.
ORDEM2000) used in DAS versions 2.X. Because DAS performs an ORDEM analysis for each
year an object is in orbit, these increased run-times are multiplied. Highly elliptical orbits, crossing
a wider parameter space, will see the greatest increase in run-time.
The ORDEM 3.0 debris populations have been simplified to reduce storage requirements and
computation times. Debris sizes below 316 μm are excluded, and the extended time period from
2036 to 2100 (the ORDEM 3.0 time period is 2010-2035) does not include small debris (i.e., sizes
below 10 cm). An important result of this is that DAS cannot assess Requirement 4.5-2 for
missions operating after 2035. This shall be addressed in a future version of DAS.
In DAS 3, two Assessments use functions derived from ORDEM 3.0. The increase in run-time
depends on the number of times DAS must call the ORDEM functions.
Table C - 3: DAS Functions that use ORDEM

DAS function Number of times ORDEM routines are called
Assessment of Requirement 4.5-1: Once for every calendar year in orbit (not just
Limiting Debris Generated by Collisions mission lifetime)
with Large Objects [orbital lifetime × 1]
Assessment of Requirement 4.5-2: Once for every calendar year of mission
Probability of Damage from Small Debris lifetime
[mission lifetime × 1]
For further details and references, please see:
Krisko, P.H, “The New NASA Orbital Debris Engineering Model ORDEM 3.0,” AIAA/AAS
Astrodynamics Specialist Conference, San Diego, CA, USA, 4-7 Aug. 2014.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2514/6.2014-4227
Orbital Debris Engineering Models (ORDEM 3.0),

https://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/modeling/engrmodeling.html (retrieved 05 March 2019).
NASA Orbital Debris Engineering Model ORDEM 3.0 – User’s Guide, NASA/TP-2014-217370,
NASA Orbital Debris Program Office, NASA-JSC, Houston, TX, USA, April 2014.
C.4 Solar Flux Model
The value of the solar flux at a wavelength of 10.7 cm (2800 MHz), often called the F10.7 value, is
used as a measure of Solar activity. In DAS, the F10.7 value is used to compute the temperature,
and therefore density, of Earth’s upper atmosphere. The user enters a starting date and a mission
C-4
length, and the software looks up the appropriate F10.7 values in an included data table. The table
includes historical values archived by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s
(NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) (https://www.swpc.noaa.gov), as well as the
SWPC’s “near-term” predictions. For epochs beyond the near term, a curve-fit technique using
sixth-order sine and cosine terms was performed to fit historical daily solar flux values from 1947
through the end of the daily solar flux data available from NOAA. This curve-fit equation was then
used to generate future flux predictions.
The DAS solar flux input table is updated periodically. The updated file should be downloaded
from the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office website and placed in the DAS “data” directory.
For further information, see:
Whitlock, D.O., “Modeling the Effect of High Solar Activity on the Orbital Debris Environment,”
NASA Orbital Debris Quarterly News, vol. 10, no. 2, p. 4, April 2006.
(https://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/quarterly-news/newsletter.html)
C.5 Human Casualty Expectation
Human casualty expectation is the product of the population density and the computed debris
casualty area. The probability of a surviving debris object striking a person on the ground is
defined as the reciprocal of the casualty expectation. Since DAS is typically concerned with objects
reentering years or even decades in the future, the population density must be treated statistically.
Therefore, the population density is averaged over longitude, and the population density along an
object’s ground-track is a function of its orbit inclination. The computed casualty area is a function
of the debris size and the size of an “average” person.
For further details and references, please see:
Opiela, J.N., and M.J. Matney, “Improvements to NASA's Estimation of Ground Casualties from
Reentering Space Objects,” Space Debris and Space Traffic Management Symposium, AAS
Science and Technology Series, vol. 109, p. 385-392, 2004.
Ostrom, C.L., “Improving Estimation of Ground Casualty Risk from Reentering Space Objects,” 9th
International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety Conference, Toulouse, 2017.
C-5
C.6 Properties of the Default Materials
DAS includes a built-in list of the most common materials used in space vehicles. Three material
properties are used in assessment of an object’s reentry survivability: specific heat, heat of fusion,
and melt temperature. DAS also uses mass density to make sure a component’s mass and size are
consistent. The properties of the DAS built-in materials are listed in the table below. Note that the
specific heat of many of the materials is a function of the materials’ temperature.
Table C - 4: Properties of DAS 3 Built-In Materials

Material Description Specific Heat Heat of Melt Density
(J/kg-K) Fusion Temper- (kg/m3)
(J/kg) ature (K)
Acrylic 1465 0.0 505.0 1170.00
Alumina 694.0 < Cp < 1219.0 106757.0 2305.4 3990.00
Aluminum (generic) 1100 390000.0 850.0 2700.00
Aluminum 1145-H19 904 386116.0 919.0 2697.00
Aluminum 2024 - T3 972.7 386116.0 856.0 2803.20
Aluminum 2024-T8xx 600.0 < Cp < 1100.0 386116.0 856.0 2803.00
Aluminum 2219-T8xx 864.5 < Cp < 981.6 386116.0 867.0 2812.80
Aluminum 5052 900.2 386116.0 880.0 2684.90
Aluminum 6061-T6 896 386116.0 867.0 2707.00
Aluminum 7075-T6 650.7 < Cp < 1177.9 376788.0 830.0 2787.00
Barium element 285 55824.0 983.0 3492.00
Beryllium element 1203.0 < Cp < 3595.0 1093220.0 1557.0 1842.00
Beta cloth 837.5 232.6 650.0 1581.00
Brass, Red (85% Cu, 15% Zn) 397.7 < Cp < 410.3 195372.0 1280.0 8746.00
Brass, Cartridge (70% Cu, 30%Zn) 397.7 < Cp < 414.5 179091.0 1208.0 8521.80
Brass, Muntz (60% Cu, 40% Zn) 397.7 < Cp < 427.0 167461.0 1174.0 8393.67
Carbon-Carbon Reinforced 707.0 < Cp < 1719.0 37650.0 2144.0 1688.47
Cobalt 313.6 < Cp < 690.0 259600.0 1768.0 8862.00
Cork 1629.2 2860980.0 922.0 261.29
Cu alloy 385.0 < Cp < 472.0 204921.0 1356.0 8938.00
Cu/ Be (0.5% beryllium) 397 204921.0 1320.0 8800.00
Cu/ Be (1.9% berylium) 460.5 < Cp < 652.0 204921.0 1199.0 8248.60
Fiberfrax 1130.5 0.0 2089.0 96.10
Fiberglass 1046.8 232.6 1200.0 1840.35
FRCI-12 (also LI-2200 w/ diff rho) shuttle tiles 293.0 < Cp < 1268.0 0.0 1922.0 192.22
Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) 325 0.0 1510.0 5316.00
Germanium 314.1 < Cp < 397.7 430282.6 1210.7 5320.00
Gold element 126.0 < Cp < 153.0 64895.0 1336.0 19300.00
Graphite epoxy 1 879 232.6 700.0 1550.50
C-6
Table C - 4: Continued
(J/kg) ature (K)
Graphite epoxy 2 879 232.6 700.0 1550.50
Hastelloy c (57% Ni, 15% Cr, 15% Mo, 5% Fe, 498.4 < Cp < 693.7 309803.0 1620.0 8920.67
4% W)
Hastelloy 25 (aka Haynes alloy 25, 51% Co, 403.0 < Cp < 590.0 309803.0 1643.0 9130.00
20% Cr, 10% Ni, 15% W)
Hastelloy 188 (aka Haynes alloy 188, 42% Co, 403.0 < Cp < 590.0 309803.0 1635.0 8980.00
22% Cr, 22% Ni, 14% W)
Hastelloy n ( 71% Ni, 7% Cr, 16% Mo, 55% Fe) 419.0 < Cp < 578.0 309803.0 1623.0 8576.40
Inconel x (aka x-750, Ni > 70%, 15% Cr, 7% 341.4 < Cp < 541.8 311664.0 1683.2 8297.50
Fe)
Inconel 600 (Ni >72%, 15% Cr, 18% Fe) 412.6 < Cp < 650.2 297206.0 1683.9 8415.00
Inconel 601 (Ni 60%, 23% Cr, 13% Fe) 412.6 < Cp < 650.2 311664.0 1659.0 8057.29
Inconel 625 (Ni >58%, 21% Cr, 9% Mo, 3% Nb) 410 311664.0 1593.0 8440.00
Inconel 718 (Ni 53%, 19% Cr, 17% Fe) 435 311664.0 1571.0 8190.00
Invar 500.0 < Cp < 653.2 274000.0 1700.0 8050.00
Iron (Armco) 307.0 < Cp < 709.0 272125.0 1812.0 7865.00
Lead element 130.5 < Cp < 138.8 23958.0 600.0 11677.00
Macor ceramic 790 236850.0 1300.0 2520.00
Magnesium AZ31 (3% Al, 1% Zn) 1008.0 < Cp < 1398.0 339574.0 868.0 1682.00
Magnesium HK31A (3% Th, 1% Zr) 1019.2 < Cp < 1340.6 325619.0 877.0 1794.00
Molybdenum 246.0 < Cp < 412.0 293057.0 2899.0 10219.00
MLI 1046.6 232.6 617.0 772.48
MP35N (35% Ni, 33% Co, 20% Cr, 10% Mo) 333.34 < Cp < 309803.0 1650.0 8430.00
622.15
Nickel 333.34 < Cp < 309803.0 1728.2 8906.26
622.15
Niobium (a.k.a. columbium) 270 < Cp < 345.0 290000.0 2741.0 8570.00
NOMEX 1256 232.6 572.0 1380.00
Platinum 129.0 < Cp < 146.0 113967.0 2046.4 21448.70
Polyimide 1130 232.6 723.0 1420.00
Polycarbonate (Lexan) 1260 0.0 573.0 1250.00
RCG Coating 627.0 < Cp < 1633.0 0.0 1922.0 1665.91
Rene41 (52% Ni, 19% Cr, 11% Co, 10% Mo) 346.9 < Cp < 914.9 311664.0 1728.0 8249.00
Silver element 222.5 < Cp < 243.0 105833.0 1234.0 10492.00
Sodium-Iodide 84 290759.6 924.0 3470.00
Stainless Steel (generic) 600 270000.0 1700.0 7800.00
Steel 17-4 ph (Precipitation Hardening SS, Fe + 666.8 286098.0 1728.0 7833.03
17%Cr + 4%Ni+ 3-4%Cu alloy)
Steel 21-6-9 (Stainless Steel, 64%Fe+ 21% Cr+ 439 286098.0 1728.0 7832.80
6% Ni+ 9% Mn alloy)
Steel A-286 (Stainless Steel, 60% Fe + 15% Cr 460.6 286098.0 1644.0 7944.90
+ 25% Ni alloy)
C-7
Table C - 4: Concluded
(J/kg) ature (K)
Steel AISI 304 (Stainless Steel, 69% Fe + 19% 482.0 < Cp < 608.0 286098.0 1700.0 7900.00
Cr + 10% Ni alloy)
Steel AISI 316 (Stainless Steel, 62% Fe + 18% 460.6 286098.0 1644.0 8026.85
Cr + 14% Ni alloy)
Cr + 11% Ni alloy)
Cr + 11% Ni alloy)
Steel AISI 410 (Stainless Steel, 86% Fe + 13% 485.7 286098.0 1756.0 7749.50
Cr alloy)
Strontium element 737 95599.0 1043.0 2595.00
Teflon 1674 0.0 533.0 2162.50
Titanium (generic) 600 470000.0 1950.0 4400.00
Titanium (6 Al-4 V) 450.0 < Cp < 1110.0 393559.0 1943.0 4437.00
Tungsten 127.0 < Cp < 187.6 220040.0 3650.0 19300.00
Uranium 115.0 < Cp < 178.5 52523.0 1405.0 19099.00
Uranium Zirconium Hydride (UZrH) 418.7 131419.0 2144.0 6086.80
Water 4300.0 < Cp < 6900.0 0.1 370.0 999.00
Zerodur 800.0 < Cp < 1600.0 250000.0 1424.0 2530.00
Zinc 372.0 < Cp < 444.0 100942.0 692.6 7144.20
Aluminum 2195 (Al-Li) 167.0 < Cp < 1088.0 386116.0 878.0 2700.0
Aluminum 2090 209.0 < Cp < 1109.0 386116.0 878.0 2574.2
A356 1109.0 389000.0 858.0 2691
Nextel 741.1 233.0 2073.0 2700
Kevlar 340.0 0.0 763.0 1206.0
C-8

Debris Assessment Software User's Guide: Orbital Debris Program Office

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Debris Assessment Software User’s Guide

Orbital Debris Program Office

National Aeronautics and

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

Since its founding, NASA has been dedicated to  CONFERENCE PUBLICATION.

Debris Assessment Software User’s Guide

Orbital Debris Program Office

National Aeronautics and

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

NASA STI Program National Technical Information Service

This report is also available in electronic form at http://www.sti.nasa.gov/ and http://ntrs.nasa.

REV. DESCRIPTION PUB.

List of Plots ........................................................................................................................................vi

2. DAS Main Window Features .................................................................................................... 4

3. Assessing Compliance with the NASA Debris Requirements .............................................. 19

Appendix A : Glossary of Terms and Acronyms .......................................................................A-1

Appendix B : NASA Technical Standard 8719.14B Requirements .......................................... B-1

Appendix C : DAS 3 Technical Notes ..........................................................................................C-1

Figure 3 - 1: Requirement 4.3-1 Debris Passing Through LEO Dialog ............................................ 20

Figure 4 - 1: Disposal by Atmospheric Reentry Input Dialog .......................................................... 42

Figure C - 1: Orbital Elements in the Orbital Plane ........................................................................ C-2

Table 3 - 1: Requirement 4.5-2 Outer Walls Input Grid ................................................................... 28

Table 4 - 1: Disposal by Atmospheric Reentry Input Data ............................................................... 43

Table C - 1: Perturbations included in the DAS orbit propagators ................................................. C-1

1.1 Scope and Limitations

1.2 Software Changes

1.2.1 Changes from DAS 2.1 to DAS 3.0

1.3 Software Installation and Removal

Recommended system for DAS 3.0:

DAS includes an automatic removal (“un-installer”) feature (DAS3.0-uninstall.exe), which is found

Figure 2 - 1: DAS Main Window

2.1 Viewing Toolbars

Science and Engineering

Toolbar contains buttons for the following commands:

The plot button launches the Plot Utility (ViewView Plots).

The log button launches the Activity Log (ViewActivity LogView).

Figure 2 - 2: DAS Mission Editor Dialog

Chapter 3 provides details of each assessment’s operations.

2.4 Science and Engineering Utilities

Chapter 4 provides details of the Science and Engineering Utilities.

2.6 Using the Plot Viewer

The utility provides the following buttons to manage plot files:

2.8 Viewing the Activity Log

3.1 Requirement 4.3-1: Debris Passing Through LEO

Figure 3 - 1: Requirement 4.3-1 Debris Passing Through LEO Dialog

3.2 Requirement 4.3-2: Debris Passing Near GEO

3.4 Requirement 4.5-1: Debris Generated by Collisions with Large Objects

3.5 Requirement 4.5-2: Probability of Damage from Small Debris

Table 3 - 1: Requirement 4.5-2 Outer Walls Input Grid

Figure 3 – 5: Block diagram of a “critical surface” within a spacecraft.

Figure 3 – 7: Critical Surface and shielding layers arrangement and separation.

 Requirement 4.6-1 – Disposal for space structures in or passing through LEO.

3.7 Requirement 4.6-4: Postmission Disposal Reliability

3.8 Requirement 4.7-1: Casualty Risk from Uncontrolled Reentry

Figure 3 – 9: Parent-child relationship of nested components in the DAS reentry assessment.

Each component is defined using the quantities shown in Table 3-3.

Table 3 - 3: Requirement 4.7-1 Sub-component Input Grid

Table 3 - 4: Requirement 4.7-1 Comma-Separated Sub-Component File Format