Net Captures Orbital Debris

[AlphaAtlas]

The US Space Surveillance Network estimates that there are over 7500 tons of "space junk" in orbit, representing a significant hazard to future missions, which is why a large consortium is working on cleaning it up. On September 16, the aptly named RemoveDEBRIS satellite successfully captured a piece of orbital debris with a net. The researchers behind the project say it was the first demonstration of active debris removal technology in human history, and that this was the culmination of 6 years of testing. Vision-based navigation, harpoons, and drag nets to deorbit objects are to be tested in the coming months.

Check out the footage of RemoveDEBRIS's net capturing some junk here.

Professor Guglielmo Aglietti, Director of the Surrey Space Centre, said: "We are absolutely delighted with the outcome of the net technology. While it might sound like a simple idea, the complexity of using a net in space to capture a piece of debris took many years of planning, engineering and coordination between the Surrey Space Centre, Airbus and our partners - but there is more work to be done. These are very exciting times for us all."

 

[kju1]

Oh great they shot it with a net...did they deorbit it? No? so they just made it more massive. Way to go guys...way to go.

 

[kju1]

Think about it as baby steps, if that makes it easier for you to understand: You have to learn to crawl before you can walk.

Oh really? Thank you for enlightening poor little old me. /sarcasm.

There are better ways to learn than to dump more shit into orbit.

 

[sirmonkey1985]

Oh great they shot it with a net...did they deorbit it? No? so they just made it more massive. Way to go guys...way to go.

all depends on the altitude of the object(the object captured wasn't a piece of debris, it was a purpose placed object in orbit to use for testing) and whether or not it's already on a decaying orbit along with how fast the net was traveling toward the object which would effect it's orbit speed thus causing it to decay faster..

"The spacecraft began the experimental phase of its mission on Sunday 16 September, when it used a net to capture a deployed target simulating a piece of space debris."

 

[Marstg]

And who is paying for this?

 

[Lazorz_Go_PewPew]

And who is paying for this?

The Brits

https://www.surrey.ac.uk/surrey-space-centre/about

 

[jonathonball]

In other news, an irretrievable giant net was added to our planets collection of orbiting garbage today.....

 

[katanaD]

FTFA:

The spacecraft began the experimental phase of its mission on Sunday 16 September, when it used a net to capture a deployed target simulating a piece of space debris.

hmm, so they deployed a simulator and then captured it. Interesting.

the first harpoon capture technology used in orbit; and a drag-sail that will finally bring RemoveDEBRIS into the Earth’s atmosphere where it will be destroyed, bringing its mission to a close.

so it will try to harpoon something to capture it then use a drag-sail to de-orbit it and the 2 captured items.

sounds interesting, but an expensive way to clean up things in LEO.

 

[The Mad Atheist]

Just send people up there .......

 

[theBrownLlama]

didn't the japanese try an experimental net before?

 

[katanaD]

I'm certainly no expert but I do not believe that any cleanup will not be expensive.

no, but sending up many space ships that deorbit isnt going to be fiscally viable long term. They will need to send up ships that stay up there and most likely use lasers to deorbit debris

 

[Uncle]

Oooops did we just grab your satellite by mistake. Part of the military resurrected Starwars program.

 

[serpretetsky]

Oooops did we just grab your satellite by mistake. Part of the military resurrected Starwars program.

Plus the international outrage is less.
"On monday <nation1> destroyed <nation2>'s satellite with a missile"
vs
"On monday <nation1> accidently threw a cute little net over <nation2>'s satellite. When reached for comment <nation1> replied 'oops! sorry! just trying to clean up trash' "

 

[alxlwson]

Plus the international outrage is less.
"On monday <nation1> destroyed <nation2>'s satellite with a missile"
vs
"On monday <nation1> accidently threw a cute little net over <nation2>'s satellite. When reached for comment <nation1> replied 'oops! sorry! just trying to clean up trash' "

When reading this, my brain read it in the style of Bruce from Family Guy

 

[Spidey329]

Oh great they shot it with a net...did they deorbit it? No? so they just made it more massive. Way to go guys...way to go.

I get the joke/sarcasm.

But I assume the net puts it in a trajectory of slowly deorbiting. But yeah, a net I think is short term testing (as another said, baby steps). The ultimate goal here has to be able to continuously collect debri and deorbit it safely. It can't be a one-off devicd, it's too expensive. Needs to be reusuable. Like a Roomba for space.

 

[Madoc]

They just need to switch the Space Maid from "blow" to "suck", and everything will be fine.

 

[alamox]

once upon a time there was debris roaming in space, now there is debris and a net roaming in space

 

[Nobu]

They just need to orbit a bit slower than the debris, catch a bunch, attach a retrograde rocket to it and send it off.

 

[serpretetsky]

When reading this, my brain read it in the style of Bruce from Family Guy

Heh. I watched a little bit of family guy but I didn't remember who Bruce was. None the less, the instant you connected family guy to that statement I visualized the correct character! Confirmed it afterwards.

 

[[21CW]killerofall]

They just need to switch the Space Maid from "blow" to "suck", and everything will be fine.

 

[DocNo]

I was going to post this sounds familiar and the below video but I think I like @[21cW]killerofall better