European Space Agency (ESA) has tested a special net to catch satellites. The tests were carried out in a "parabolic" (capable of descents fast enough to produce a microgravity environment in the cabin) Canadian made Falcon 20 aircraft. The project is overseen by the Polish SKA Polska. The first orbital tests are planned for 2021 during the European e.Deorbit mission. The link below has some interesting footage of the tests.
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Engineering_Technology/Clean_Space/Want_to_snag_a_satellite_Try_a_net
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ESA Tests a Net to Snag Satellites
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(Score: 3, Funny) by c0lo on Thursday March 26 2015, @03:40AM
I wonder why ESA didn't try the wheel: it's a more modern tech. Sorta like Javascript is to FORTRAN.
(grin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by M. Baranczak on Thursday March 26 2015, @05:18AM
It's patent-encumbered.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday March 26 2015, @06:39AM
Yea, it was patented [ipaustralia.gov.au] in 2001 [wikipedia.org], but the patent was revoked [ipaustralia.gov.au].
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by captain normal on Thursday March 26 2015, @06:22AM
How can you catch fish with a wheel?
Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts"- --Daniel Patrick Moynihan--
(Score: 5, Funny) by c0lo on Thursday March 26 2015, @06:41AM
Spin the wheel fast enough to create a wormhole in spacetime.
Then ... pick the worm and use it as bait.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 1) by MostCynical on Thursday March 26 2015, @05:22AM
To run the satellites over?
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 1) by MostCynical on Thursday March 26 2015, @05:27AM
Original ESA Title: "Weightless net testing for derelict satellite capture"
Weightless net. Wow.
Alas, it was the testing, not the net.
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 26 2015, @07:09AM
Why on earth (pun intended) would a weightless net perform a test to find out whether a broken satellite was actually captured?
(Score: 1) by MostCynical on Thursday March 26 2015, @07:15AM
Weightless net
Testing (being tested)
For defective satellite capture
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 26 2015, @07:17AM
Canadian owned, but I don't think it was Canadian made. TFA says nothing of it being Canadian built and the wikipedia page says nothing of them being made in Canada.
(Score: 2) by morpheus on Thursday March 26 2015, @11:48AM
My bad. The aircraft is, of course, French made (by Dassault). My guess is it was probably retrofit for parabolic flight in Canada, though (this probably involves the interior, different fuel pumps, tanks, etc---I am not sure how weightlessness affects a jet but I did have an engine quit on me because the carburetor float got stuck after I demonstrated 0g for an eager student ... followed by an engine off landing demonstration). I should have just left out `made' altogether.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 26 2015, @07:40AM
The project is overseen by the Polish SKA Polska.
[Insert pithy and appropriate Polish joke here]*
*Butthurt PC jerks and those with no sense of humor need not apply.
(Score: 2) by sudo rm -rf on Thursday March 26 2015, @03:35PM
I have no idea what you're talking about, but my first thought was "Polish SKA Polska would be a pretty good name for a party [wikipedia.org] next weekend"
Instead, it is some science-thingy [ska-polska.pl].
Oh, well...