The amount of space debris as a result of human activity has nearly doubled over the last 15 years, posing a threat to the International Space Station and satellites around it. The debris – consisting of satellites, rocket bodies and fragments from collisions – has a total mass of approximately 3,000 tons. A group of international researchers say they can solve this ever-growing issue with a machine boasting a high-efficiency laser.
The debris exists in different orbits, making it extremely difficult to come up with a remediation solution. However, a team of international scientists says it might be able to solve the problem thanks to the EUSO telescope, which was initially developed to spot ultraviolet light.
“We realized that we could put it to another use,” says Toshikazu Ebisuzaki of Japan’s RIKEN research institute, one of the groups working on the project. “During twilight, thanks to EUSO’s wide field of view and powerful optics, we could adapt it to the new mission of detecting high-velocity debris in orbit near the ISS.”
Ebisuzaki and his team, decided to integrate another device, the CAN laser, which is made using optical fibers that help the system produce strong laser pulses. It was initially developed with the purpose of powering particle accelerators.
The researchers say that combining these two instruments will create a device that can track down and deorbit high-risk space debris. It works as follows:
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The intense laser beam focuses on the debris
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This results in a high-velocity plasma ablation
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The reaction force reduces the debris’ orbital velocity
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The debris re-enters earth’s atmosphere
The team, which includes researchers from the universities of Paris 7 and California at Irvine, is set to deploy a proof-of-concept version on the ISS measuring just 20 centimeters. “If that goes well, we plan to install a full-scale version on the ISS, incorporating a three-meter telescope and a laser with 10,000 fibers, giving it the ability to deorbit debris with a range of approximately 100 kilometers,” adds Ebisuzaki. “Looking further to the future, we could create a free-flyer mission and put it into a polar orbit at an altitude near 800 kilometers, where the greatest concentration of debris is found.”
Their debris strategy differs drastically from traditional ones that are ground based. According to Ebisuzaki, his group’s device is cost effective and would offer a manageable solution to this issue.
“We may finally have a way to stop the headache of rapidly growing space debris that endangers space activities,” he says. “We believe that this dedicated system could remove most of the centimeter-sized debris within five years of operation.”