China has developed a tool for collecting space debris

Chinese scientists have developed the concept of a high-tech hybrid "membrane network" designed to capture and safely dispose of space debris from orbit. On July 6, the journal reported on the results of a study by specialists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the country's University of Electronic Sciences and Technology. Phys.org .

Unlike the existing prototypes, the new system is reusable. It is a multilayer flexible membrane with a thickness of only 10 microns, which integrates electronics, batteries and shape memory alloys. The use of such alloys allows the structure to remain rigid when capturing an object and automatically collapse after completing the mission to return to the interceptor satellite.

Allegedly, the membrane tightly wraps around the fragment and holds it during deorbitation (spacecraft descent from orbit) until it enters the dense layers of the atmosphere. After that, it folds up and retracts back into the device, which is ready for the next launch.

The capture process begins with the hunter satellite approaching the target and firing four projectiles attached to the corners of the net at an optimal angle of 30 degrees. The researchers modeled the operation of the system using a multiparticle method that allowed them to calculate the loads on the material.

Scientists have proposed ways to deal with space debris

The simulation showed that the impact force is critically affected by distance: at a distance of 2 m, a force of 3,374 N acts on the membrane, but when the distance is increased to 3 m, the load is halved. At the same time, the authors note that the current tests were conducted in a simplified environment without taking into account the pressure of solar radiation and atmospheric resistance.

The introduction of such hybrid systems can solve the main problem of current garbage collection networks — their single-use nature, which makes missions economically unprofitable. Despite the theoretical success of the development, scientists believe that it may take years or decades before the technology is actually used in space. Currently, alternative capture methods such as robotic arms and magnetic plates are being developed in parallel.

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What measures will prevent negative scenarios?

Phys.org On July 5, he reported on a test of the Earth 's protection system from space bodies. During the mission, the Japanese Hayabusa 2 space probe flew in close proximity to the near-Earth asteroid Torifune. According to the publication, the probe's onboard cameras recorded data on the asteroid's surface, including its texture, geographical features, and temperature.