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This is a sheet of stealthy radar-transparent material that can be placed in the orbit of an unwanted satellite. Like the solar sails, this could be a kilometer or two on a side, and could be placed well in advance of the arrival of the offending satellite. The compressed unit could be dropped off innocently
by a supposedly innocent research bird, and unfurl to make the intercept.
Upon contact of any part of the target, the material either gives way, leaving stuff that interferes with its systems, or encases the offender in a diaphanous shroud that does the same thing. This system avoids the fragmentation and danger of exploding a satellite (the Kessler effect) and eventually the thing will burn up in the atmosphere once it cannot be controlled. Any part of the sheet that is not carried away by the satellite decomposes in sunlight into harmless molecules.
Pashute’s Idea
Satelite_20thrower
Bounced off this [minoradjustments, Feb 04 2024]
RemoveDebris
https://en.wikipedi...g/wiki/RemoveDEBRIS
[a1, Feb 10 2024]
RemoveDebris - home page
https://www.surrey....ssions/removedebris
[a1, Feb 10 2024]
Before snagging it
https://arstechnica...st-catch-up-to-one/
You have to get there. [a1, Feb 20 2024]
And Astroscale has proven they can get there
https://www.bbc.com...nvironment-68903801
[a1, Apr 26 2024]
[link]
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The RemoveDebris project (link) tested several ways to de-orbit junk, nets and sails among them. Not very different from your "space condom." |
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If you rename it that I'll give it a bun. |
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[a1] Holy Christ! I don’t have anything on the NASA noodleheads. I wouldn’t have the balls to propose a satellite that harpoons another satellite, but they actually made one. Hat’s off… |
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I think I mistakenly X’d your link to the RemoveDebris page. |
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Replaced w/ Wikipedia article. Don't recall if that's what I linked before but it covers the important bits. |
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//I don’t have anything on the NASA noodleheads.// |
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{A furtive figure sidles up and offers to sell you something on them. Buy the whole dossier and get your first month's subscription free.} |
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After harpooning the target, the RemoveDebris satellite uses a large solar sail to propel the offending bird into a destructive or harmless orbit. The SGW wrapper is only concerned with gumming up and interfering with the operation of the offending satellite, without leaving a cloud of debris zooming around at 17000mph and posing existential problems for ‘friendly’ birds. |
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We have not heard much more about the harpoon thing. Gone dark or gone away? |
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// more about the harpoon thing ... ? // |
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The harpoon thing was built by Airbus, who might not be willing to talk much about it. But the whole project was coordinated by Surrey Space Centre and academics are often happy to reply to inquiries. |
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Try email ... head-of-ssc@surrey.ac.uk |
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I can’t seem to shake the long gummy tentacle concept from anti-drone drones and applying it to a sticky spider-silk trolling filament that sticks to the satellite and falls onto it like a spaghetti strand dropped straight down on the floor. The bird may work for a while, eventually failing for some unknown reason (lol) and the killer satellite moves on to cast its web on another victim. Unless there were cameras meant to monitor the target satellite itself the owner would likely never know what happened. |
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