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Once the proof of concept is demonstrated, an interesting development is to use a robotic arm to disassemble the junk and grind it into fine dust that can be us

Once the proof of concept is demonstrated, an interesting development is to use a robotic arm to disassemble the junk and grind it into fine dust that can be used as propellant for an electrostatic engine: https://arxiv.org/abs/1511.07246 https://arxiv.org/abs/1511.07246 This way, a single mission can hop from orbit to orbit bringing down hundreds of targets instead of a sole suicidal mission. Another way for serial junk cleanup is to have a number of electrodinamic tethers and attach one on each target after de-tumbling. Even a few hundred meters of conductor materials (carbon fibre) would drastically reduce time in orbit.

acqq 8y ago
“This paper has been withdrawn by the author due to a crucial sign error in figure 1”
- bumholio 8y ago
  Sorry, here's a cached copy: http://erewhon.superkuh.com/library/Space/Spacecraft/Debris%20Engine_%20A%20Potential%20Thruster%20for%20Space%20Debris%20Removal_%20Lei%20Lan_%20Jingyang%20Li_%20Hexi%20Baoyin_%20arxiv151107246.pdf http://erewhon.superkuh.com/library/Space/Spacecraft/Debris%... Regardless of any redaction errors, the basic idea is sound. While the particle engine is not able to produce the large impulse of ion drives (low specific ionization), it turns out the optimal impulse for such an application is in the 100-200 range. Any higher and the thrust drops too much prolonging the mission duration, for a given amount of electric power available. For this application the opposite is true: you want maximize thrust and throw away the full mass of the previous target before reaching the next one to be consumed.
  - acqq 8y ago
    “Regardless of any redaction errors, the basic idea is sound.” As far as I know the basic physics, the whole energy for the movement would still NOT come from the crushed satellite pieces but from some energy source in the satellite destroyer.
    - bumholio 8y ago
      Of course, it's electric propulsion so most likey solar. But the unlimited propellant mass allows for a much higher thrust than typical for satellites and quick (days, weeks) orbital hops.

acqq 8y ago

“This paper has been withdrawn by the author due to a crucial sign error in figure 1”

bumholio 8y ago
Sorry, here's a cached copy: http://erewhon.superkuh.com/library/Space/Spacecraft/Debris%20Engine_%20A%20Potential%20Thruster%20for%20Space%20Debris%20Removal_%20Lei%20Lan_%20Jingyang%20Li_%20Hexi%20Baoyin_%20arxiv151107246.pdf http://erewhon.superkuh.com/library/Space/Spacecraft/Debris%... Regardless of any redaction errors, the basic idea is sound. While the particle engine is not able to produce the large impulse of ion drives (low specific ionization), it turns out the optimal impulse for such an application is in the 100-200 range. Any higher and the thrust drops too much prolonging the mission duration, for a given amount of electric power available. For this application the opposite is true: you want maximize thrust and throw away the full mass of the previous target before reaching the next one to be consumed.
- acqq 8y ago
  “Regardless of any redaction errors, the basic idea is sound.” As far as I know the basic physics, the whole energy for the movement would still NOT come from the crushed satellite pieces but from some energy source in the satellite destroyer.
  - bumholio 8y ago
    Of course, it's electric propulsion so most likey solar. But the unlimited propellant mass allows for a much higher thrust than typical for satellites and quick (days, weeks) orbital hops.