CleanSpace One

CleanSpace One is technology demonstration satellite in development by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. The satellite will test technologies to rendezvous, capture, and deorbit end of life satellites and space junk.[1] Destructive reentry will destroy both the captured satellites and itself.[2] To demonstrate the concept – a collapsible net that aligns and then collapses onto a satellite[3] – the spacecraft will collect SwissCube satellites that have expended their useful lifespan.

Design

Originally, the design included a claw for grabbing satellites.[4] However, after collaboration with students from the University of Applied Science in Geneva, the engineers concluded that a net that collapses onto satellites was the most agile and reliable collection system.[5]

The design will include optical sensors to detect the targeted SwissCube satellites.[6] According to a student working for the institute, guidance and navigation are particularly difficult operations due to the varying reflectivity of the satellites.[4] To accomplish visual recognition of the satellites, the organization plans to use cameras with a high dynamic range and process images in real time.[6]

Future

The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology plans to continue developing the technology demonstrator into a ready-made satellite for space junk and derelict satellites removal, eventually offering multiple sizes for different types of missions.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Coxworth, Ben (7 July 2015). "EPFL's CleanSpace One satellite will "eat" space junk". Gizmag. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  2. ↑ Volpe, Joseph (16 February 2012). "EPFL's CleanSpace One: clearing up cosmic clutter (video)". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  3. ↑ Wenz, John (6 July 2015). "The EPFL's Pac-Man Bot Can Snap Up Tiny Satellites". Popular Mechanics. Hearst Communications. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  4. 1 2 Starr, Michelle (7 July 2015). "Playing Pac-Man with space junk". CNET. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  5. ↑ "A giant Pac-Man to gobble up space debris". Phys.org. 6 July 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  6. 1 2 Pittman, Kagan (7 July 2015). "Pac-Man Inspires Engineering Solution to Clean up Space Debris". Engineering.com. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  7. ↑ "Switzerland to Build 'Janitor Satellite' to Clean Up Space". LiveScience. Purch. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.