Plasma Contactor Deorbit Test Lab
Research by Moza Abdalla and Mayar Al Nayli. Supervised by Manal Mustafa.
Live model: contactor choice, circuit closure, tether current, Lorentz drag, acceleration, and decay time
Orbit and Force View
Vector visibility
Motional voltageGenerated by motion through Earth's field
Collected currentLimited by plasma, resistance, current, or heat
Lorentz dragContinuous electromagnetic braking force
Plasma forceSigned assist/opposition to drag
Net deorbit forceLorentz plus plasma contribution
Deorbit estimateEnergy-based time to target altitude
AccelerationFrom F = ma using debris+tether mass
Kinematic dropFrom altitude equation with initial radial speed 0
Tether massMaterial mass only
Resistance lossInternal voltage drop in tether
Plasma Contactor Test Bench
Scientific Feedback
Research Hypothesis
Plasma contactor efficiency controls circuit closure; stronger closure sustains current, increases Lorentz drag, and reduces deorbit time.
1. ContactorSelect the plasma contactor design to test.
2. Circuit closureMeasure how well plasma completes the return path.
3. CurrentMore closure allows more sustained tether current.
4. Lorentz dragF = I L B sin(theta), so current becomes braking force.
5. Deorbit timeHigher drag removes orbital energy faster.
Hypothesis Graph: Deorbit Time vs Plasma Contactor Type
Lab Testing Plan
Experimental focus: place each contactor or tether sample in a plasma chamber, vary plasma density and applied voltage, then measure current-voltage response, circuit closure, current stability, and power cost.
- Independent variable: plasma contactor type.
- Dependent variables: sustained current, circuit completion score, Lorentz drag, and predicted deorbit time.
- Controlled variables: plasma density, applied voltage, exposed tether length, material, magnetic-field alignment assumption, and debris mass.
- Control case: insulated tether, used to prove that weak plasma connection reduces current and deorbit efficiency.