AN CONCEPTUAL DESIGN FOR A SPACE DEBRIS REMOVAL SPACECRAFT

Paper number

IAC-15,A6,6,10,x31425

Author

Mr. Xin Qu, Beijing Institute of Electronic System Engineering, China

Coauthor

Ms. Heng Wang, Beijing Institute of Electronic System Engineering, China

Year

2015

Abstract

The increasing space debris have threatened the development of the man-kind aerospace industry.
Active removal spacecraft of space debris has arisen global attention. This article brings forward a novel
space debris removal spacecraft, and its general design thoughts, detailed scheme, the feasibility and the
future applications are also analyzed. The space debris removal spacecraft is composed of compound
detection system, guidance and control system, monitoring and communication system, power system,
electrical system, the structure system and the space debris capture system. The most important system
and also the different system with other spacecrafts is the space debris capture system. We consider
of two kinds of capture systems: the claw system and the attachment system. Comparing with other
removal methods, such as electric drive rope and laser burning method, the capture mode is much more
adaptable and it can remove the various scales of space debris in different orbits. Small satellite will be
the suitable carrier for the capture system and the measurements and capture technique of disoperative
objects, the actuator design technique, high effcient orbit transfer technique and the on-board computer
technique will be key techniques. The space debris removal technique has broad applications in the future.
It would offer a clean and safe space environment, in the mean while, it would protect the space station
and help the failed aircraft reentry the orbit.The removal technique is still under theoretical research and
experimental phase, there is a long way to achieve the goals in practice.

Abstract document

IAC-15,A6,6,10,x31425.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

(absent)