Flight Testing of a Low Cost De-O rbiting Device for Small Satellites Dana Turse*, Phil Keller *, Robert Taylor *, Mark Reavis *, Mike Tupper *, Chris Koehler† Abstract Use of small and very small spacecraft is rapidly becoming more common. Methods to intentionally deorbit these spacecraft at the end of useful satellite life are required. A family of mass efficient Roll-Out De-Orbiting devices (RODEO™) was developed by Composite Technology Development, Inc. (CTD).RODEO™ consists of lightweight film attached to a simple, ultra-lightweight, roll-out composite boom structure. This system is rolled to stow within a lightweight launch canister, allowing easy integration to the small satellite bus. The device is released at the end of useful lifetime and the RODEO™ composite  boom unrolls the drag sail in a matter of seconds. This dramatically increases the deployed surface area,  resulting in the higher aerodynamic drag that significantly reduces the time until reentry. A RODEO™ flight demonstration was recently conducted as part of the Colorado Space Grant Consortium’s (COSGC)  RocketSat-8 program, a program to provide students hands-on experience in developing experiments for  space flight. The experiment was ultimately a success and RODEO™ is now ready for future CubeSat  missions. Introduction Operational satellites are at risk from a growing threat of orbital debris generated by satellite explosions  and collisions. There are currently 19,000 objects larger than 10 cm being tracked by the U.S. Space  Surveillance Network and an estimated 500,000 particles between 1 and 10 cm in diameter that are  hazardous to satellites but are too small to be tracked. 1The risk of orbital debris is also self-propagating,  as the recent collision of the Iridium 33 communications satellite and the derelict Russian Cosmos 2251 satellite demonstrated by generating more than 500 pieces of debris large enough to be tracked. 2 Addressing this concern, NASA has created a specification that requires all new satellites to launch with a  known reentry plan. According to NASA technical standard NASA-STD-8719.14, “Process for Limiting  Orbital Debris”, one of the three options for disposal includes atmospheric reentry where 1) the space structure is left in an orbit in which natural forces will lead to atmospheric reentry within 25 years after completion of the mission; or 2) the space structure is maneuvered into a controlled de-orbit trajectory as soon as practical after completion of mission. 3   However, the challenge faced by many small satellite mission teams is that small satellites are often  designed for rideshare opportunities without full knowledge of the final orbit where they will be placed. In this case, the mission team must assume the highest possible orbit for calculation of the de-orbit time. Also, many small satellites have high mass-to-area ratios because they are designed with body-mounted  solar arrays and minimal other deployable structures, such as a whip antenna. This lack of deployed area combined with a high possible orbit can lead to de-orbit times in excess of the NASA standard. To enable small satellites to meet the 25-year requirement, CTD has developed a family of highly mass  efficient Roll-Out De-Orbiting devices (RODEO™). Depicted in Figure 1 is a 3U CubeSat version of the RODEO™ de-orbit system. RODEO™ consists of lightweight film deployed and supported by a simple  roll-out composite boom. RODEO’s dramatic increase in the deployed surface area significantly reduces  the time until reentry for satellites within low earth and elliptical orbits. *Composite Technology Development, Inc., Lafayette, CO †Colorado Space Grant Consortium, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO /g51/g85/g82/g70/g72/g72/g71/g76/g81/g74/g86/g3/g82/g73/g3/g87/g75/g72/g3/g23/g21/g81/g71/g3/g36/g72/g85/g82/g86/g83/g68/g70/g72/g3/g48/g72/g70/g75/g68/g81/g76/g86/g80/g86/g3/g54/g92/g80/g83/g82/g86/g76/g88/g80/g15/g3/g49/g36/g54/g36/g3/g42/g82/g71/g71/g68/g85 /g71/g3/g54/g83/g68/g70/g72/g3/g41/g79/g76/g74/g75/g87/g3/g38/g72/g81/g87/g72/g85/g15/g3/g48/g68/g92/g3/g20/g23/g16/g20/g25/g15/g3/g21/g19/g20/g23/g3 183