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Researchers aim to put the brakes on space junk problem

AEOLDOS is a lightweight, foldable "aerobrake" that can be added to small satellites. [Image: University of Glasgow]

 

 

Scientists at the University of Glasgow in Scotland have developed a practical solution to the increasing problem of space debris.

Millions of pieces of space junk are orbiting the Earth as a side effect of human exploration and exploitation of space. The pieces range from tiny fragments of bigger objects (such as rocket boosters) to full-size pieces of now-defunct equipment. Working satellites and spacecraft can be damaged by collisions with debris, which can travel at velocities of several kilometers per second.

The problem is compounded by every collision, which, in turn, creates even more debris. In 2009, the collision of a non-operational Russian communications satellite and a working U.S. satellite created more than 700 pieces of debris.

Dr. Patrick Harkness of the University's School of Engineering has led the development of the Aerodynamic End Of Life Deorbit System, or AEOLDOS, to help ensure that objects sent into space in the future can be removed from orbit at the end of their operational cycle.

AEOLDOS is lightweight, foldable "aerobrake" that can be added to small satellites (also known as CubeSats) before they are launched into low Earth orbit. Once the satellite has reached the end of its operational life, the lightweight aerobrake, made from a thin membrane supported by super-cool tape-measure-like struts, springs open to generate aerodynamic drag against the extremely thin upper atmosphere that exists in near-Earth space. As the satellite falls out of orbit, the aerodynamic effects increase, causing the satellite to harmlessly burn up during its descent. This ensures that it does not become another piece of potentially harmful space debris.

Glasgow-based SME Clyde Space, which builds small and micro spacecraft systems, is working with Harkness to apply AEOLDOS technology to the CubeSats it provides to customers all over the world. CubeSats are used for space-related research projects and are generally sent into space as secondary payloads on larger launch vehicles.

"It's only been 55 years since Sputnik, the first man-made satellite, was sent into orbit, but since then we've managed to make made quite a mess of the space around our planet," says Harkness. "The rate at which we're putting objects into orbit is accelerating each year, which is why it's vital for us to take more control over how they can be removed from orbit once they have served their purpose.

"CubeSats are currently aimed at lower orbits than is necessarily desired to ensure they will re-enter the Earth's atmosphere within 25 years in order to meet official recommendations set by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. This can curtail the full scientific potential of CubeSats, but AEOLDOS gives users much more control over the end of their project's life and could enable missions to take place at much higher altitudes because they know we can always produce the drag they will need to dispose of the spacecraft in time."

The tape-measure-like deployment system has been developed by Malcolm McRobb, also from Glasgow's School of Engineering. Coiling the tapes stores energy within them, which can be released years later to deploy the membrane. He believes that AEOLDOS has applications beyond space-debris control.

"The technology could be used to enable solar sailing missions, where spacecraft can maneuver using the pressure of sunlight," says McRobb. "Or it could form the basis of deployable antennae, increasing the sensitivity of small, low-powered spacecraft.

"We expect that another year to 18 months of development will see the AEOLDOS system available for commercial use through our licensing agreement with Clyde Space. After we have demonstrated that the technology can work in space, we are looking forward to designing these new and exciting applications for the device."

The development of the AEOLDOS project is part of the University of Glasgow's Space Glasgow Research Cluster, which draws together researchers from across the College of Science and Engineering to work on pioneering space-related projects.

For more information on the Space Glasgow Research Cluster, click here.

Source: University of Glasgow

Published December 2012

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