Russia Today has an interesting story about a $4 million micro-satellite that JAXA wants to launch to clean up debris in low Earth orbit:
Japan’s space agency (JAXA) is planning to use microsatellites to clear orbits from space junk. The robotic cleaner grabs debris with a robotic arm and then lunges down to force the dangerous pieces back into atmosphere.
The 140-kilogram device uses electrodynamics tethers to drag down the debris. The tethers are conductive wires with lengths of up to several kilometres, which can be used to generate propulsion.
The Japanese cleaner approaches debris, attaches itself to it with a robotic arm, and then moves to a lower orbit, unwinding the tether from a reel. An electric current is generated in the tether, which interacts with Earth’s magnetic field to create drag, which slows down the debris making it re-enter the atmosphere and subsequently burn up. The satellite, of course, is destroyed in the process as well.
It’s not clear whether the $4 million cited in the story includes the cost of launch. But, that is still not cheap. You would have to choose targets very carefully, making sure it took down a piece of debris that was threatening something. And if the Iridium/Cosmos satellite collision taught us anything, that’s not always easy to determine.
On the other hand, the cost of these micro-satellites pales in comparison to losing a comsat or crewed vehicle. The Associated Press reports that space station astronauts are dealing with yet another collision scare this week:
Another piece of space junk is drifting toward the international space station just as the space shuttle is headed that way.
NASA will decide later Monday whether to fire the space station’s engines to nudge it out of the path of an orbiting piece of a Russian satellite.
The satellite debris is projected to come within about half a mile of the space station early Tuesday.
Space station astronauts had to move into an emergency capsule last week for about 10 minutes because another piece of space junk came too close for comfort.
This is a very difficult problem to solve. I hope the space agencies of the world can come up with a solution before anyone gets hurt.
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