Issue |
Volume 4, 2013
Progress in Propulsion Physics
|
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Page(s) | 789 - 802 | |
Section | Chapter Eight. Mitigation and removal of space debris | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/eucass/201304789 | |
Published online | 05 March 2013 |
Ion beam shepherd satellite for space debris removal
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
Madrid 28040, Spain
A novel contactless space debris removal system is proposed in which the debris orbital motion is actively controlled by exploiting the momentum transmitted by a collimated beam of quasi-neutral plasma impinging against its surface. The beam can be generated with state-of-the-art ion engines from a “shepherd spacecraft” coorbiting nearby. This spacecraft, placed at a distance of 10-20 m from the object, would use a state-of-the-art ion thruster pointed towards the debris, as well as a second propulsion system to compensate for the beam reaction in order to keep a constant distance between the debris and the shepherd satellite throughout the deorbiting process. The key aspects of the concept, including the propulsion requirements, the modeling of the plasma beam, the momentum transfer to the body, and the dynamics and control of the system, are discussed.
© Owned by the authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2013