Development and Tests of a Deorbiter for Active Space Debris Removal

This paper introduces the development and testing, and their lessons learned of a deorbiter for active space debris removal. Conventional methods of active space debris removal suffer from poor economic viability and removal performance due to the removal satellite directly capturing and removing space debris. This research aims to improve the economics and efficiency of space debris removal by separating the deorbiter, which captures and removes space debris, from a cleaning satellite which transports it. The deorbiter consists of three parts: tractor, catcher, and deployer. The tractor and catcher work together to capture the space debris, and the deployer deploys a drag sail to induce the space debris captured by the deorbiter to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere. The deorbiter deploy their payloads by self-deployment that utilize the elastic energy of the material to achieve both economic efficiency and reliability. Many problems occurred during the testing of the deorbiter, particularly in the deployer, which is a common issue with solar sail deployment systems. This paper aims to contribute to the future development of active space debris removal and solar sail propulsion systems by discussing the problems and solutions in the development and testing of the deorbiter.