Active Debris Removal Vehicle Autonomous Capture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Orbital debris in low Earth orbit poses a significant threat to space missions, with large debris objects creating smaller hazardous debris, necessitating an effective removal method to mitigate this global problem.
Innovation Solution
An active debris removal vehicle (ADRV) is designed to autonomously rendezvous, assess, and capture debris objects, using a spacecraft control unit, dynamic object characterization unit, and capture and release system to deorbit targets, with capabilities to handle tumbling rates of up to 25 degrees per second and accommodate various target rotations and masses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If automated rendezvous and docking technologies are used for debris removal, then capture capability is improved, but the system cannot adequately handle high tumbling rates and complex target dynamics
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs dynamic rate-matching maneuvers where the chaser spacecraft actively adjusts its rotation rate to match the target's tumbling motion. This dynamic adaptation allows the chaser to synchronize with targets experiencing high tumbling rates (up to 25 degrees per second), enabling reliable capture despite complex target dynamics that would defeat static docking approaches
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters by adjusting the chaser's rotational velocity to match the target's tumbling rate during approach. This parameter adjustment transforms the relative motion dynamics, allowing the capture mechanism to engage successfully with tumbling targets that would otherwise be impossible to capture using conventional stationary docking procedures
2Adaptability or versatility
If a robust capture system is designed to handle various target masses and rotations, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The capture system operates autonomously by automatically characterizing the target's mass properties and rotational dynamics through onboard sensors, then self-adjusting the capture mechanism parameters without external intervention. This self-service capability allows the system to adapt to various target masses and rotations while avoiding the complexity of manual configuration systems
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates real-time feedback from sensors that measure target mass distribution and rotational characteristics during the approach phase. This feedback loop enables the capture system to dynamically adjust its parameters to match the specific target being captured, providing versatility across different target types without requiring complex pre-programmed configurations for each scenario
3Productivity
If propellant is used for deorbit maneuvers, then debris removal effectiveness is improved, but propellant consumption increases operational cost and mission duration
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the chaser spacecraft from its orbital path after capturing the debris target, using a minimal propellant impulse to transfer the combined mass to a lower orbit. This extraction approach removes the need for large propellant reserves that would be required for direct deorbit burns, reducing propellant consumption while maintaining debris removal effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The captured debris target serves as an intermediary mass that the chaser uses to perform deorbit maneuvers. By capturing the target and using its mass as a propellant-free reaction mass, the system can execute deorbit trajectories with minimal propellant expenditure, effectively using the debris itself as a resource for the removal operation
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, apparatuses, and methods for removal of orbital debris are provided. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a spacecraft control unit configured to guide and navigate the apparatus to a target. The apparatus also includes a dynamic object characterization unit configured to characterize movement, and a capture feature, of the target. The apparatus further includes a capture and release unit configured to capture a target and deorbit or release the target. The collection of these apparatuses is then employed as multiple, independent and individually operated vehicles launched from a single launch vehicle for the purpose of disposing of multiple debris objects.