DSMC Analysis of DiskSat in Very Low Earth Orbits

Satellite containerization is a key factor in the expansion of the aerospace sector. In addition, the container provides a highly simplified launch interface, reducing the launch provider’s integration costs. In this scenario, DiskSats have been proposed as a new standard for a high-power-to-mass-ratio platform that can be easily stacked within a launcher fairing. However, their behavior in Very Low Earth Orbits remains underexplored. The primary research objective of this study is to characterize the macroscopic aerothermodynamic behavior and aerodynamic footprint of a DiskSat platform operating in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) at altitudes of 100, 150, and 200 km. At such altitudes, the continuum hypothesis is no longer valid, and a particle-based method should be used for computations in the rarefied-flow regime. In this way, the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method was employed to analyze the flowfield structure around a DiskSat at different altitudes. In the present investigation, the Knudsen number associated with each altitude ranged from 0.14 to 240. According to the computational results, a compressed shock layer with higher temperature was observed over the DiskSat at an altitude of 100 km. However, the 200 km case shows a highly diffuse interaction that extends significantly upstream due to the larger mean free path. In addition, a thermally frozen, near-vacuum wake region is observed across all altitudes. These findings characterize the aerodynamic footprint of planar geometries, establishing a critical baseline for future analyses of orbital lifetime and stability in the transition and free-molecular regimes.