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Astronauts eject UK-led space junk demo mission
A UK-led project to showcase methods to tackle space junk has just been pushed out of the International Space Station.
The RemoveDebris satellite was ejected a short while ago with the help of a robotic arm.
The 100kg craft, built in Guildford, has a net and a harpoon.
These are just two of the multiple ideas currently being considered to snare rogue hardware, some 7,500 tonnes of which is now said to be circling the planet.
Previously: SpaceX Launches CRS-14 Resupply Mission to the ISS
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Space Junk Removal Testing Craft Ejected From the ISS
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You are taking yourself far too seriously.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday June 22 2018, @04:45PM (1 child)
Idea for a re-usable space junk removal craft.
It puts itself into an orbit to intersect the desired piece of junk. It then winds up a giant spring. Then with a giant kick of the spring the target junk moves into a new lower perigee, and the removal craft into a higher new apogee. The junk craft now gets a more atmospheric drag at each perigee. The removal craft either has enough prop to put itself into another intersection orbit, or it becomes a new replacement piece of space junk.
The Centauri traded Earth jump gate technology in exchange for our superior hair mousse formulas.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Friday June 22 2018, @04:58PM
I was thinking of a big oven to melt the captured object and eject the result as propellant.
The problem is to keep the nozzle clean despite the unavoidable clumps. Sending mama to space to clean up could be dangerous for people's health.