Astrium to study
removal of large space
debris
17 April 2013
Astrium, Europe’s
leading space technology
company, has been awarded a
study contract by the French
space agency CNES. The study
will analyse existing
concepts and technologies
and determine which can be
used to successfully tackle
large items of space debris,
such as launcher stages and
end of life satellites.
Entitled “The development of
concepts and technologies
for handling space debris”,
the study is being conducted
as part of the CNES’ Orbit
Transfer Vehicle (OTV)
programme. It will help
define the parameters
necessary for developing
suitable space vehicle
concepts through a two-step
approach named OTV-DEMO/X
technological demonstrator,
followed by a system
demonstrator known as
OTV-DEMO/Y.
It is expected that the
development of these
vehicles will be managed
through international
cooperation which will see
Astrium initiating
partnerships during this
study phase that will be
consolidated as the OTV
programme moves forward.
Partnering Astrium in the
study are Surrey Satellite
Technology Ltd (SSTL, UK),
an Astrium subsidiary, the
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale
de Lausanne (EPFL,
Switzerland), Bertin
Technologies (France) and
Oceaneering Space Systems
(USA).
The study awarded to Astrium
follows a 2011 study
contract that identified a
number of key concepts,
which will now be
consolidated, selected and
expanded on. The most
promising of them will be
assessed with a view to
identifying their cost and
development schedule.
The recovery of
“non-cooperative” space
debris is a complex task
that involves identifying it
and then being able to
approach it. Its state of
decay following several
decades in space and its
overall orbit must then be
assessed, prior to its
seizure by suitable means
and subsequent de-orbiting.
“Through this latest study,
Astrium will pave the way to
solving a major issue for
all space users,” said
Astrium Space Transportation
CEO Alain Charmeau. “In
mobilising our industrial
resources in conjunction
with those of national
agencies, we will put
forward innovative solutions
and technologies capable of
dealing with space debris
and thereby ensuring the
sustainable development of
space.”
Recent studies by the
European Space Agency and
NASA have shown that the
amount of space debris,
particularly in low-Earth
orbit, could cause
“collision cascading” also
known as the Kessler effect,
which would hamper all space
activity for 50 years. These
studies also point out that
the effect can be stabilised
by removing, between now and
2020, between five and 10
items of large space debris.
This is the scenario in
which the OTV study
entrusted to Astrium will be
conducted.
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