The research project called RemoveDEBRIS is
an effort to test various space junk removal technologies. The project, which involves a 220-pound satellite in low Earth orbit, is being led by the University of Surrey
In its third test, the project successfully snatched a piece of debris using its space harpoon. The harpoon shot out at 65 feet per second/20 meters per second (0.0007% of the maximum velocity of a sheep in a vacuum) its space-harpoon-claws successfully digging into the target and gaining a firm lock.
Previously, the satellite deployed a net to capture a simulated piece of space junk, and a laser-based camera system was used to locate a floating chunk of space debris. A fourth and final experiment will be conducted in March, when the satellite will pump the brakes by deploying a small sail.
At this point the satellite, and its low orbit loot, will plunge to Earth to burn up in the atmosphere.
The U.S. Space Surveillance Network estimates that around 29,000 objects larger than 10 centimeters are currently floating in Earth orbit, some at speeds approaching 10 kilometers per second, or 6 miles per second.
These bits and bobs can smash into other items in orbit creating even more debris in a cascading Earth enveloping satellite and astronaut destroying shower of doom referred to as the Kessler syndrome, named after Donald J. Kessler who first proposed it in 1978.
Lunar orbit is looking like a better place to be.
Previous Coverage: SpaceX Launches CRS-14 Resupply Mission to the ISS and Space Junk Removal Testing Craft Ejected From the ISS
(Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday February 16 2019, @05:22AM
If we're going to use rocket fuel to grab this junk, we have to use a fully reusable rocket. Welcome BFR, which is supposed to be able to refuel in-orbit. Can it hit enough targets on one tank of fuel to be worth a $10 million price tag? Depends on how much you want that stuff gone.
Actually, ion engines are probably a better idea. Solar power with on-board propellant is more efficient. Slow, but you are just playing a game of orbits. And maybe you can send multiple such craft into different starting orbits with one BFR launch.
We would probably want to focus on the largest pieces of junk, which might actually be useful... somehow. There may be a certain population of debris that is more obstructive to launches. Perhaps the debris is clogging a certain useful orbit (polar, etc.) and is relatively close to Earth but will still take decades or centuries to decay naturally.
If we had EmDrive, that would be perfect. Like ion engines but better. Too bad it's probably fake.
How about this option: a laser array in a higher orbit that uses solar panels to charge and deorbits junk from above. You don't get to reuse the junk, but it would be most effective on stuff like paint flecks anyway.
Where to put the junk if you capture but don't deorbit it? Likely an orbiting space station (on the Moon you can mine things instead). I'm not sure how you would make it useful. Having some kind of a furnace in space melting stuff together would be pretty weird, and possibly difficult and dangerous. Assembling structures directly out of the space junk probably isn't doable unless you're a Reaver.
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