RemoveDEBRIS Mission

(Last edited: Saturday, 30 September 2023, 11:22 PM)

Source:https://www.airbus.com/sites/g/files/jlcbta136/files/styles/airbus_1440x1440/public/2021-10/Spacecraft_infographic.jpg?itok=IaLkM9ST)

Definition:

A mission under the supervision of the Surrey Space Centre of the University of Surrey (supported by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd., Airbus Defense and Space, Innovative Solutions in Space, CSEM, Inria and Stellenbosch University) that aimed to find the best method of capturing and removing space debris. The project was based on a satellite containing several pieces of equipment (a net, a harpoon, a drag sail and vision-based navigation equipment, as well as a set of targets simulating space debris), which remained in orbit between 2018 and 2021.

The satellite platform for the project RemoveDEBRIS was launched using SpaceX Falcon 9, was delivered to the International Space Station and later deployed into orbit, where a series of experiments on debris removal were conducted, using several pieces of equipment:

a space net (ejected by the DebrisSat-1 at the distance of 7 meters from the target, aiming to entangle the targeted debris)
vision-based navigation equipment (the DebrisSat-2 is used to identify and track the debris)
a harpoon (firing at a 10*10 cm target extending from the platform at the distance of 1,5 m)
a drag sail (used to deorbit the platform itself – unfortunately, the sail was not fully deployed during the in-orbit demonstration)