Orbital infrastructure for high-energy planetary injection and debris risk assessment

This study presents a feasibility assessment of a space elevator (SE) as an integrated infrastructure for future interplanetary missions, addressing both environmental survivability and energy-saving trajectory transfers. First, we conduct a station-specific debris damage assessment for SE nodes from LEO to GEO. Using ESA’s MASTER-8.0.5 model combined with NASA ballistic limit equations and Poisson penetration models, we evaluate altitude-dependent impact environments and calculate annual and 10-year probabilities of non-penetration. While debris flux is highest in LEO, the results show that GEO stations face non-negligible long-term risks due to persistent debris populations. Comparative analyses of monolithic, standard Whipple, and Stuffed Whipple shields indicate that the Stuffed Whipple design achieves equivalent safety with significant mass reduction. This extends shielding evaluation to the low-velocity GEO regime and provides realistic protection requirements for long-duration SE infrastructure. Second, we develop an infrastructure-driven energy accessibility framework based on the SE slingshot mechanism. By modeling release dynamics at 100,000 km altitude and mapping attainable characteristic energy onto Earth-to-planet porkchop plots, we reinterpret trajectory maps as feasibility regions constrained by elevator release conditions. The results show that Mercury, Venus, and Mars are accessible under favorable conditions, while outer planet missions benefit from substantial reductions in required launch energy. Higher release energy expands launch windows and enables shorter transfer times compared to conventional rocket-based constraints. Through debris survivability and release-energy-constrained trajectory analysis, we demonstrate that sustained interplanetary operations depend on both structural protection and accessible energy geometry, providing quantitative guidance for future SE-based mission design.