CDM comparison shows how each mitigation plan for a conjunction event would change its risk. Every mitigation plan is reported beside a single reference CDM in the same risk metrics and the same B-plane and encounter-plane plots, so the effect of acting on it is measurable before committing to it.
A collision avoidance project designs and evaluates collision avoidance maneuvers using a selected Conjunction Data Message (CDM). Projects include risk analysis for both the primary conjunction and any impacted tertiary conjunction events.
Differential drag changes a spacecraft's trajectory by varying its drag profile rather than by burning propellant, using attitude adjustments or deployable components such as solar panels. The effect is an in-track delta-V, so it can substitute for an in-track burn on a spacecraft with limited or no propulsion. It only works at low altitude, below 1200 km, where atmospheric drag is strong enough to move the spacecraft relative to common conjunction geometries.
The Impulsive maneuver type varies the ignition time and delta-V magnitude of a single, instantaneous burn with a fixed delta-V direction. Impulsive maneuvers are commonly used to model short burns, and are most commonly used with chemical propulsion systems with significant delta-V capabilities. Because the modeling of the maneuver is simplified, Impulsive tradespaces can typically be generated significantly faster than other maneuver types.
The Maneuver Designer enables operators to construct, simulate, and analyze spacecraft maneuvers in the context of active conjunctions or orbital planning. Operators define maneuver parameters, evaluate trajectory changes, and assess the impact on conjunction risk.
The Multi-burn maneuver type varies the centroid and delta-V of a sequence of between 2 and 20 burns with a fixed delta-V direction. Multi-burn mode can model both impulsive and finite burns, and is most commonly used for low-thrust propulsion platforms which are unable to achieve sufficient delta-V to effectively mitigate collision risk with a single burn.