Space debris removal device and space debris removal method

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a space debris removal device and a space debris removal method capable of efficiently removing small space debris of which the orbits and behaviors cannot be determined. [Solution] A propulsion part 11 has an ionization chamber 21, a control nozzle 23 provided in the ionization chamber 21, a removal nozzle 24 provided on the opposite side of the control nozzle 23 of the ionization chamber 21, and a control coil 25 provided around the control nozzle 23. A removal coil 12 is provided around the removal nozzle 24. The propulsion part 11 generates ions or plasma inside the ionization chamber 21, and is provided so as to be capable of ejecting ions or plasma from the control nozzle 23 by making a current flow through the control coil 25. In addition, by passing a current through the removal coil 12, ions or plasma are ejected from the removal nozzle 24, and a force of 0.5 mN / m2 or more is applied to the space debris.

Description

Space debris removal device and space debris removal method

[0001] The present invention relates to a space debris removal device and a space debris removal method.

[0002] Removing space debris from Earth's satellite orbit is an urgent task in order to maintain activities in space around the Earth. For this reason, various methods for removing space debris have been proposed in recent years. Relatively large pieces of space debris have already been cataloged by NASA, and their orbits and behavior can be understood from satellite images. In contrast, the orbits and behavior of small pieces of debris (10 cm or less) cannot be understood, and their numbers are expected to be orders of magnitude greater than those of large pieces of debris.

[0003] As methods for removing space debris, for example, a method of capturing space debris with a net or arm (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1) and a method of equipping future satellites with magnetic materials and capturing them with the magnetic force of an electromagnet (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 2) have been proposed. However, these methods have the problem that, since they directly contact the debris during capture, there is a high risk that the removal satellite will be damaged or deorbited. Another problem is that the magnetic capture method cannot capture debris from satellites that have already been launched and are made of non-magnetic materials, such as aluminum structures.

[0004] Therefore, as methods for removing debris without coming into contact with it, there have been proposed methods for removing debris by changing the orbit of the debris or slowing it down using laser ablation (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 3), and a method for removing debris by changing the orbit of the debris or slowing it down using an ion beam (the ion beam shepherded (IBS) method) (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 4). Of these, the debris removal method using an ion beam generates a thrust on the satellite in the opposite direction to the direction of removal so that the distance between the debris and the removal satellite does not increase due to the influence of the thrust from the ion beam that applies a deceleration force to the debris, and keeps the thrust on the satellite at zero for the entire satellite, which requires two ion engines, which increases the cost of manufacturing the satellite.

[0005] To solve this problem, the present inventors have proposed a space debris removal device that uses a single thruster consisting of an electrodeless magnetic nozzle high-frequency plasma thruster to simultaneously eject plasma flows in two opposite directions, with one plasma flow exerting force on the debris and the other plasma flow maintaining zero thrust on the removal satellite (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 5). This device can be powered by a large amount of power, and can accelerate and decelerate the satellite by controlling the two ejected plasmas using only a magnetic field structure.

[0006] The present inventors have reported that in a thruster consisting of an electrodeless magnetic nozzle high-frequency plasma thruster that ejects plasma in only one direction, thrust performance can be improved by controlling the formation of a cusp magnetic field inside the plasma source when ejecting plasma (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 6).

[0007] Shan, M., Guo, J. & Gill, E., “Review and comparison of active space debris capturing and removal methods”, Prog. Aerospace Sci., 2016, Vol.80, astroscale, “ELSA-d”, [online], [searched on April 10, 2024], Internet <URL: https: / / astroscale.com / ja / missions / elsa-d / > Rubenchik, A. M., Fedoruk, M. P. & Turitsyn, S. K., “The effect of self-focusing on laser space-debris cleaning”, Light: Sci. Appl., 2014, Vol.3, e159 Bombardelli, C. & Pelaez, J., “Ion beam shepherd for contactless space debris removal”, J. Guid. Control. Dyn., 2011, Vol.34, 916 Kazunori Takahashi, Christine Charles, Rod W. Boswell & Akira Ando, “Demonstrating a new technology for space debris removal using a bidirectional plasma thruster”, Scientific Reports, 26 September 2018, DOI:10.1038 / s41598-018-32697-4 Kazunori Takahashi, “Thirty percent conversion efficiency from radiofrequency power to thrust energy in a magnetic nozzle plasma thruster”, Scientific Reports, 2022, https: / / doi.org / 10.1038 / s41598-022-22789-7

[0008] The space debris removal methods described in Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2 directly capture debris, so for safety reasons, it is necessary to understand the trajectory and behavior of the debris. While they can be used to remove relatively large debris, they have difficulty in removing small debris. Furthermore, the space debris removal methods described in Non-Patent Documents 3 and 4 have a problem in that, because the irradiation range of the laser or ion beam is spatially narrow, they can be used to remove relatively large debris whose trajectory and behavior can be understood, but they also have a problem in that they are difficult to use to remove small debris. Furthermore, the space debris removal device described in Non-Patent Document 5 was proposed for removing large debris weighing several tons or several meters in size, such as rocket remnants, and did not take into consideration the removal of small debris.

[0009] The present invention has been made with a focus on these issues, and aims to provide a space debris removal device and a space debris removal method that can efficiently remove small space debris whose orbits and behavior cannot be determined.

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, the space debris removal device of the present invention is a space debris removal device that removes space debris from Earth's satellite orbit, and comprises an ionization chamber, a control jet nozzle provided in the ionization chamber, and a control coil provided around the control jet nozzle, and is configured to generate ions or plasma inside the ionization chamber and to inject the ions or plasma from the control jet nozzle by passing a current through the control coil, a removal coil provided on the opposite side of the center of the ionization chamber from the control coil, and a current control unit that passes a current through the control coil and the removal coil and is configured to be able to independently control the current passed through the control coil and the current passed through the removal coil, and ２ The device is characterized in that it is configured to apply the above force.

[0011] The space debris removal device according to the present invention is mounted on a satellite and used by launching the satellite into the Earth's satellite orbit in order to remove space debris from the Earth's satellite orbit. The space debris removal device according to the present invention applies a current to the removal coil, thereby applying a current of 0.5 mN / m to the space debris around the removal coil. ２ By applying these forces, it is possible to change the orbit of space debris or slow it down. In this way, even small space debris whose orbit and behavior cannot be determined can be efficiently removed by applying force.

[0012] The space debris removal device according to the present invention can use a current control unit to independently control the current flowing through the control coil and the current flowing through the removal coil, while passing current through the control coil and the removal coil. This allows for independent control of the ejection speed of ions or plasma from the control nozzle and the force applied to space debris by the removal coil. When a force is applied to space debris, the space debris removal device according to the present invention also applies a force to the onboard satellite due to the reaction. However, by ejecting ions or plasma from the control nozzle, it is possible to control the thrust applied to the satellite. This makes it possible, for example, to move the satellite to a desired position, to zero the thrust applied to the satellite to maintain the satellite in a desired position, or to control the satellite's position so as to maintain its position relative to the space debris to be removed, thereby continuously applying a force to the space debris to be removed.

[0013] In the space debris removal device according to the present invention, as a configuration for applying a force to space debris, for example, the propulsion unit may have a removal jet nozzle provided on the opposite side of the ionization chamber from the control jet nozzle, and the removal coil may be provided around the removal jet nozzle, and when a current is passed through the removal coil, the ions or plasma may be ejected from the removal jet nozzle in the opposite direction to the ejection direction from the control jet nozzle. In this case, by ejecting ions or plasma from the removal jet nozzle, a force of 0.5 mN / m may be applied to the space debris. ２ More force can be applied.

[0014] Furthermore, when ejecting from this removal jet nozzle, the current control unit may pass currents through the control coil and the removal coil so as to form a cusp magnetic field inside the ionization chamber. More specifically, for example, the ionization chamber may have an elongated tube shape, with the control jet nozzle and the removal jet nozzle at both ends, respectively, the control coil and the removal coil having substantially the same characteristics, and the current control unit may pass currents of substantially the same magnitude through the control coil and the removal coil so as to form a cusp magnetic field inside the ionization chamber. Forming a cusp magnetic field can improve the thrust performance of the ejection from the control jet nozzle and the removal jet nozzle. This allows the force applied to the space debris to be increased and the force to be continuously applied to the space debris, thereby enabling efficient removal of the space debris.

[0015] Furthermore, when ejecting from this removal nozzle, the thrust performance of the ejection from the control nozzle and the removal nozzle can be improved by increasing the inner diameter of the ionization chamber. Therefore, the ionization chamber may be shaped like a long, thin tube with an inner diameter of 5 cm or more, with the control nozzle and the removal nozzle at each end. This allows for a greater force to be applied to the space debris, making it possible to remove the space debris efficiently. Furthermore, since the diameter of the ejected ions or plasma can be increased, force can be applied to a wide range of space debris.

[0016] In another configuration for applying force to space debris in the space debris removal device according to the present invention, for example, the removal coil may be arranged to protrude outward from the propulsion section, and the current control unit may be configured to pass a pulse current or an AC current through the removal coil so that a fluctuating magnetic field is generated in the removal coil, and the fluctuating magnetic field generated by the removal coil may be configured to apply force to the space debris on the opposite side of the removal coil from the propulsion section. In this case, the fluctuating magnetic field generated by the removal coil can generate eddy currents in space debris made of a conductor that is located on the opposite side of the removal coil from the propulsion section. The magnetic field formed by the eddy currents repels the fluctuating magnetic field generated by the removal coil, and a force of 0.5 mN / m is applied to the space debris. ２ Furthermore, since the magnetic field lines of the varying magnetic field diverge toward the outside of the removal coil, it is possible to apply force to space debris over a wide area.

[0017] In the space debris removal device according to the present invention, the propulsion unit is preferably an electric propulsion unit such as a Hall thruster, an ion engine, or a plasma thruster. In this case, the high fuel efficiency of the electric propulsion unit allows for efficient removal of space debris.

[0018] The space debris removal method according to the present invention is a method of removing space debris by using a space debris removal device according to the present invention mounted on a satellite in a satellite orbit around the Earth, and the current control unit applies a current to the control coil to control the thrust of the satellite, while the current control unit applies a current to the removal coil to apply a 0.5 mN / m current to the space debris. ２ The above force is applied to remove the space debris from the Earth's satellite orbit.

[0019] The space debris removal method according to the present invention uses the space debris removal device according to the present invention, and therefore can efficiently remove small space debris whose orbits and behavior cannot be determined.

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a space debris removal device and a space debris removal method that can efficiently remove small space debris whose orbits and behavior cannot be determined.

[0021] The present invention is a space debris removal device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a perspective view showing the state of use. (a) A cross-sectional view showing the experimental configuration for an experiment to examine the propulsion performance of the space debris removal device according to an embodiment of the present invention using a cusp magnetic field. (b) The current (I Bdown ) is set to 12 A, and the current flowing through the control coil (I Bup 2(a) is a graph showing the calculated distribution of magnetic field strength (Bz) when the magnetic field strength (Bz) is set to 12 A, 0 A, and -12 A. Bdown When the force is 12 A, (a) the force applied to the target plate and I Bup (b) the thrust of the propulsion unit and I Bup 2(a) is a graph showing the relationship between I Bdown = 12 A and I Bup = -15 A, the force applied to the target plate (force to target), the thrust of the propulsion unit (thrust), and the power of the RF antenna (P rf 10 is a graph showing the relationship between the magnetic field strength and the magnetic field strength. FIG. 11 is a side view showing the use state of a modified example of the space debris removal device according to the embodiment of the present invention, in which a varying magnetic field is generated by the removal coil.

[0022] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings and examples. Figures 1 to 5 show a space debris removal device and a space debris removal method according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the space debris removal device 10 is a device that removes space debris from a satellite orbit around the Earth, and includes a propulsion unit 11, a removal coil 12, and a current control unit (not shown). Note that in the following description, only the main parts of the space debris removal device 10 that removes space debris are shown, and details such as the housing that protects the space debris removal device 10 and the satellite on which it is installed are omitted.

[0023] The propulsion unit 11 is a magnetic nozzle RF plasma thruster and includes an ionization chamber 21, an RF antenna 22, a control jet nozzle 23, a removal jet nozzle 24, and a control coil 25. The ionization chamber 21 is cylindrical and can accommodate propellant introduced through a conduit or the like (not shown). The RF antenna 22 is wrapped around the outside of the ionization chamber 21 and is configured to be able to apply high-frequency power. The control jet nozzle 23 is provided at one end of the ionization chamber 21. The removal jet nozzle 24 is provided at the other end of the ionization chamber 21, i.e., on the opposite side of the ionization chamber 21 from the control jet nozzle 23. The control coil 25 is a solenoid coil and is wrapped around the control jet nozzle 23 on the outer periphery of one end of the ionization chamber 21.

[0024] The propulsion unit 11 stores a propellant such as argon gas inside the ionization chamber 21, and is capable of generating plasma inside the ionization chamber 21 by applying high-frequency power to the RF antenna 22. The propulsion unit 11 is also capable of ejecting the plasma generated inside the ionization chamber 21 from the control nozzle 23 toward the outside by passing a current through the control coil 25. Note that the propulsion unit 11 is not limited to a plasma thruster, and may be composed of other electric propulsion devices such as a Hall thruster or an ion engine.

[0025] The removal coil 12 is made of a solenoid coil and is wound around the outer periphery of the other end of the ionization chamber 21, i.e., around the removal nozzle 24 on the opposite side of the control coil 25 from the center of the ionization chamber 21. By passing a current through the removal coil 12, the space debris removal device 10 is able to inject plasma generated inside the ionization chamber 21 from the removal nozzle 24 towards the outside. As a result, the space debris removal device 10 is configured so that the injection direction from the removal nozzle 24 and the injection direction from the control nozzle 23 are opposite to each other.

[0026] The current control unit is provided to pass current through the control coil 25 and the removal coil 12. The current control unit is also provided so that the current passed through the control coil 25 and the current passed through the removal coil 12 can be controlled independently. The space debris removal device 10 is able to eject plasma from the control jet nozzle 23 and the removal jet nozzle 24 by passing current through the control coil 25 and the removal coil 12 with the current control unit. Furthermore, by independently controlling each current with the current control unit, it is possible to control the timing, jet speed, jet density, etc. of each plasma jet.

[0027] The space debris removal device 10 can suitably implement the space debris removal method according to the embodiment of the present invention. The space debris removal device 10 is mounted on a satellite and is used by launching the satellite into Earth's satellite orbit in order to remove space debris from the Earth's satellite orbit. As shown in FIG. 1, the space debris removal device 10 can apply a force of at least 0.5 mN / m to the space debris 1 by passing a current through the removal coil 12, thereby injecting plasma from the removal nozzle 24. ２ If a force of 0.5 mN / m can be applied, it is possible to change the orbit of the space debris 1 or to decelerate the space debris 1. In this way, even for small space debris 1 whose orbit and behavior cannot be grasped, a force of 0.5 mN / m ２ This allows for the application of a force greater than or equal to the above, and the material can be removed efficiently.

[0028] The space debris removal device 10 can use a current control unit to independently control the current flowing through the control coil 25 and the current flowing through the removal coil 12, while passing current through the control coil 25 and the removal coil 12. This allows for independent control of the plasma ejection speed from the control jet nozzle 23 and the removal jet nozzle 24. When the space debris removal device 10 applies a force to the space debris 1, a force is also applied to the onboard satellite due to the reaction. However, by ejecting plasma from the control jet nozzle 23, the thrust applied to the satellite can be controlled. This makes it possible, for example, to move the satellite to a desired position, to zero the thrust applied to the satellite to maintain the satellite in a desired position, or to control the position of the satellite to maintain its position relative to the space debris 1 to be removed, and continue to apply force to the space debris 1 to be removed.

[0029] For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , when space debris 1 is moving from the right side to the left side in the figure, a rightward force (indicated by the arrow in the figure) can be applied to the space debris 1 to slow it down by passing a current through the removal coil 12 of the space debris removal device 10 and injecting plasma from the removal nozzle 24. At this time, a leftward force is applied to the satellite equipped with the space debris removal device 10, so by passing a current through the control coil 25 and injecting plasma from the control nozzle 23, the satellite's position can be controlled to maintain a constant distance from the space debris 1. This allows the space debris 1 to gradually decelerate while maintaining a constant distance between the satellite and the space debris 1. As the space debris 1 slows down and loses centrifugal force, it gradually lowers its altitude due to the Earth's gravity, allowing it to be removed from the satellite orbit and promoting its fall to Earth.

[0030] In a specific example, the space debris removal device 10 may be configured such that the ionization chamber 21 has a long, slender tube shape and has a control jet nozzle 23 and a removal jet nozzle 24 at each end, and a current control unit (not shown) passes current through the control coil 25 and the removal coil 12 so that a cusp magnetic field is formed inside the ionization chamber 21.

[0031] In this case, the inner diameter of the ionization chamber 21 is preferably 5 cm or more, since increasing the inner diameter of the ionization chamber 21 can improve the thrust performance of the jets from the control jet nozzle 23 and the removal jet nozzle 24. This allows for a greater force to be applied to the space debris, enabling it to be removed efficiently. In addition, the diameter of the jetted ions and plasma can be increased, allowing for a force to be applied to a wide range of space debris.

[0032] [Experiment to Investigate the Propulsion Performance of a Cusp Magnetic Field] An experiment to investigate the propulsion performance of a cusp magnetic field was conducted. The experiment was similar to the experiment described in Non-Patent Document 5. That is, as shown in Figure 2(a), the space debris removal device 10 was installed in a cylindrical vacuum chamber with a diameter of 1 m and a length of 2 m. In the experiment, a Pyrex (registered trademark) glass tube with an outer diameter of 11 cm and an inner diameter of 10.5 cm was used as the ionization chamber 21. The space debris removal device 10 was attached to a pendulum-type thrust stand 31 so that the ionization chamber 21 was horizontal. In addition, a target plate 32 with a diameter of 45 cm was suspended 30 cm downstream of the removal nozzle 24 instead of space debris. The control coil 25 and removal coil 12 had the same characteristics. The propellant was argon gas, and the flow rate of the propellant to the ionization chamber 21 was 80 sccm.

[0033] The experiment was carried out by exposing the inside of the vacuum chamber to -4 The experiment was carried out at a pressure of 100 Pa or less, and the displacement due to the thrust was measured by a laser displacement meter 33. Furthermore, the displacement of the target plate 32 due to the plasma ejected from the removal jet nozzle 24 was measured by an LED sensor 34 attached to the downstream side of the target plate 32. In order to calibrate the measured values ​​of the target plate 32, a solenoid coil 35 and a load cell 37 with a magnet 36 attached to its tip were installed downstream of the target plate 32. The calibration method for the thrust and the measured values ​​of the target plate 32 followed the calibration method used in the experiment in Non-Patent Document 5.

[0034] Before the experiment, the current (IBdown ) is set to 12 A, and the current (I Bup The distribution of magnetic field strength (Bz) was calculated when the I was set to 12 A, 0 A, and -12 A, respectively, and is shown in Figure 2(b). Bup The magnetic field lines when I = 12 A are shown by solid lines in Figure 2(a). As shown in Figure 2(b), Bup It was confirmed that when I = 12 A and -12 A, the magnetic field strength was symmetrical with respect to the center of the ionization chamber 21. Bup When the current was −12 A, the positive and negative magnetic fields were reversed on the left and right sides of the center of the ionization chamber 21, and it was confirmed that a cusp magnetic field was formed in the center of the ionization chamber 21 in the longitudinal direction.

[0035] The current (I Bdown ) is set to 12 A, and the current (I Bup The experiment was carried out while changing the power P of the RF antenna 22 in the range of -15 A to 12 A. rf was fixed at 3 kW. The force applied to the target plate 32 and I Bup The relationship between the thrust of the propulsion unit 11 and I is shown in Figure 3(a). Bup The relationship between the force and the thrust force is shown in Fig. 3(b). The force applied to the target plate 32 is positive when directed rightward in Fig. 2(a), and the thrust of the propulsion unit 11 is positive when directed leftward in Fig. 2(a).

[0036] As shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), I Bup It was confirmed that when I = -5 A, both the force applied to the target plate 32 and the thrust of the propulsion unit 11 reach their peaks. Bup When the magnetic field I is 12 A and -15 A, the thrust of the propulsion unit 11 is almost zero while applying force to the target plate 32. Therefore, under these conditions, the orbit of the satellite carrying the space debris removal device 10 is not changed, and it can be said that this condition is suitable for removing space debris. Bup When A is -15, I Bup It was confirmed that the force applied to the target plate 32 was slightly larger than when I = 12 A.Bup When I = -15 A, the thrust of the propulsion unit 11 becomes almost zero, but I Bdown = 12 A. This is thought to be because the positions of the RF antenna 22, removal coil 12, and control coil 25 are not completely symmetrical with respect to the center of the ionization chamber 21 but are slightly offset, and because the magnetic flux per unit current generated by the removal coil 12 and control coil 25 is slightly different.

[0037] Next, a cusp magnetic field is formed, I Bdown = 12 A and I Bup = -15 A, the power P of the RF antenna 22 rf The experiment was carried out while changing the power in the range of 2 to 5 kW. rf The relationship between these is shown in FIG.

[0038] As shown in Figure 4, P rf When increasing, P rf It was confirmed that regardless of the magnitude of P, the thrust of the propulsion unit 11 is maintained at approximately zero, while the force applied to the target plate 32 increases. rf = 5 kW, the force applied to the target plate 32 is about 25 mN, and the force density of the deceleration force applied to the space debris at this time is calculated to be 0.15 N / m 2 This magnitude is equivalent to the force density of 0.5 mN / m required to decelerate space debris. ２ As described above, it can be said that it is possible to efficiently decelerate space debris over a very wide range. The reason why the thrust of the propulsion section 11 is slightly greater than zero is thought to be because the positions of the RF antenna 22, removal coil 12, and control coil 25 are not completely symmetrical with respect to the center of the ionization chamber 21 but are slightly offset, and because the magnetic flux per unit current generated by the removal coil 12 and control coil 25 is slightly different.

[0039] In principle, to remove debris, it is necessary to inject equal amounts of plasma or ions from the control nozzle 23 and the removal nozzle 24, and it is preferable to place the cusp magnetic field and RF antenna 22 at the center of the length of the ionization chamber 21 and to arrange them symmetrically with respect to the center of the ionization chamber 21.

[0040] From these experimental results, it can be said that the space debris removal device 10 can improve the thrust performance of the jets from the control jet nozzle 23 and the removal jet nozzle 24 by forming a cusp magnetic field inside the ionization chamber 21, preferably near the RF antenna 22 (within a range of approximately ±5 cm, preferably ±3 cm from the center of the RF antenna 22). In this case, it is preferable that the magnitude of the currents flowing through the control coil 25 and the removal coil 12 be approximately the same, so that the thrust of the propulsion section 11 is maintained near zero. Specifically, it is preferable that the ratio of these currents be 0.75 to 1.3. This makes it possible to increase the force applied to the space debris and to continue applying force to the space debris, thereby enabling efficient removal of the space debris.

[0041] 5, the space debris removal device 10 may not have a removal jet nozzle 24, but may have a removal coil 12 protruding outward from the propulsion section 11, and a current control unit configured to pass a pulse current or an AC current through the removal coil 12 so that the removal coil 12 generates a fluctuating magnetic field. In this case, the fluctuating magnetic field generated by the removal coil 12 can generate eddy currents in the space debris 1 made of a conductor near the removal coil 12. The magnetic field formed by the eddy currents repels the fluctuating magnetic field generated by the removal coil 12, so a force can be applied to the space debris 1. Furthermore, because the magnetic field lines of the fluctuating magnetic field diverge outward from the removal coil 12, a force can be applied to a wide range of space debris 1.

[0042] In this case, the space debris removal device 10 also applies a force to the satellite it is on board due to the reaction of the force applied to the space debris 1, but it is possible to control the thrust applied to the satellite by injecting plasma from the control nozzle 23. In the specific example shown in Figure 5, the propulsion unit 11 is made up of a Hall thruster.

[0043] 1 Space debris 10 Space debris removal device 11 Propulsion section 21 Ionization chamber 22 RF antenna 23 Control jet nozzle 24 Removal jet nozzle 25 Control coil 12 Removal coil 31 Thrust stand 32 Target plate 33 Laser displacement meter 34 LED sensor 35 Solenoid coil 36 Magnet 37 Load cell

Claims

1. A space debris removal device for removing space debris from Earth's satellite orbit, comprising: an ionization chamber; a control nozzle provided in the ionization chamber; and a control coil provided around the control nozzle, which generates ions or plasma inside the ionization chamber and can inject the ions or plasma from the control nozzle by passing a current through the control coil; a removal coil provided on the opposite side of the center of the ionization chamber from the control coil; and a current control unit that passes a current through the control coil and the removal coil and can independently control the current passed through the control coil and the current passed through the removal coil, and which applies a force of 0.5 mN / m to the space debris by passing a current through the removal coil. ２ A space debris removal device characterized by being configured to apply a force of at least 1000 MPa.

2. The space debris removal device according to claim 1, characterized in that the propulsion section has a removal nozzle provided on the opposite side of the ionization chamber from the control nozzle, the removal coil is provided around the removal nozzle, and when a current is passed through the removal coil, the ions or plasma can be ejected from the removal nozzle in the opposite direction to the ejection direction from the control nozzle.

3. A space debris removal device according to claim 2, characterized in that the current control unit applies current to the control coil and the removal coil so that a cusp magnetic field is formed inside the ionization chamber.

4. The space debris removal device according to claim 2, characterized in that the ionization chamber has a long, thin tube shape and has the control jet nozzle and the removal jet nozzle at each end, the control coil and the removal coil have approximately the same characteristics, and the current control unit passes approximately the same amount of current through the control coil and the removal coil so that a cusp magnetic field is formed inside the ionization chamber.

5. A space debris removal device according to claim 2, characterized in that the ionization chamber is in the shape of a long, thin tube with an inner diameter of 5 cm or more, and has the control nozzle and the removal nozzle at both ends, respectively.

6. The space debris removal device according to claim 1, characterized in that the removal coil is positioned so as to protrude outward from the propulsion section, the current control section is configured to pass a pulse current or an alternating current through the removal coil so as to generate a fluctuating magnetic field in the removal coil, and the fluctuating magnetic field generated by the removal coil is configured to apply a force to the space debris on the side of the removal coil opposite the propulsion section.

7. A space debris removal device according to claim 1, characterized in that the propulsion unit comprises an electric propulsion unit.

8. A space debris removal device according to claim 1, characterized in that the propulsion unit is comprised of a Hall thruster, an ion engine, or a plasma thruster.

9. A space debris removal method for removing space debris using a space debris removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 mounted on a satellite in a satellite orbit around the Earth, wherein the current control section applies a current to the control coil to control the thrust of the satellite, while the current control section applies a current to the removal coil to apply a 0.5 mN / m current to the space debris. ２ A space debris removal method characterized by applying the above force to remove the space debris from the Earth's satellite orbit.

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