Reducing spacecraft drag in Very Low Earth Orbit through shape optimisation

There is increased interest in operating satellites within the Very-Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) region (less than 300km in altitude) especially for Earth observation missions. However, the aerodynamic forces acting on a satellite increase with decreasing orbital altitude. It is therefore desirable to minimise the drag in order to extend the life of the platform or to reduce the fuel mass fraction. The study presented here explores the use of surrogate models coupled with Direct Simulation Monte Carlo data to optimise the shape of the satellite to reduce the drag.