Rendezvous with and Capture / Removal of Non-Cooperative Bodies in Orbit: The Technical Challenges

Removal of debris from orbit becomes an increasing ur- gency because the growing amount of non-controlled spacecraft, residuals from launchers and other items or- biting around the Earth pose an increasing threat of colli- sion with operational satellites. Also, for larger bodies in lower orbits the threat of uncontrolled impact on ground after re-entry exists. Whereas in very low orbits all bodies will decay after some time due to the residual atmosphere, in higher orbits they will stay for considerable time or practically forever. For objects in higher orbits and for those posing the threat of uncontrolled impact, active re- moval will be the sole remedy. The tasks to be performed from approach to contact and the technical challenges to be mastered to achieve capture and removal from orbit are discussed in this paper. The major challenges are the far range approach without navigation interfaces on the tar- get, relative position control of the chaser in close vicinity of a tumbling target, capture of such target without cap- ture interfaces and the establishment of a structural con- nection, which is stiff enough for controlled deorbitation. 1 DEBRIS IN DIFFERENT ALTITUDES ABSTRACT Removal of debris from orbit becomes an increasing ur- gency because the growing amount of non-controlled spacecraft, residuals from launchers and other items or- biting around the Earth pose an increasing threat of colli- sion with operational satellites. Also, for larger bodies in lower orbits the threat of uncontrolled impact on ground after re-entry exists. Whereas in very low orbits all bodies will decay after some time due to the residual atmosphere, in higher orbits they will stay for considerable time or practically forever. For objects in higher orbits and for those posing the threat of uncontrolled impact, active re- moval will be the sole remedy. The tasks to be performed from approach to contact and the technical challenges to be mastered to achieve capture and removal from orbit are discussed in this paper. The major challenges are the far range approach without navigation interfaces on the tar- get, relative position control of the chaser in close vicinity of a tumbling target, capture of such target without cap- ture interfaces and the establishment of a structural con- nection, which is stiff enough for controlled deorbitation. ABSTRACT Removal of debris from orbit becomes an increasing ur- gency because the growing amount of non-controlled spacecraft, residuals from launchers and other items or- biting around the Earth pose an increasing threat of colli- sion with operational satellites. Also, for larger bodies in lower orbits the threat of uncontrolled impact on ground after re-entry exists. Whereas in very low orbits all bodies will decay after some time due to the residual atmosphere, in higher orbits they will stay for considerable time or practically forever. For objects in higher orbits and for those posing the threat of uncontrolled impact, active re- moval will be the sole remedy. The tasks to be performed from approach to contact and the technical challenges to be mastered to achieve capture and removal from orbit are discussed in this paper. The major challenges are the far range approach without navigation interfaces on the tar- get, relative position control of the chaser in close vicinity of a tumbling target, capture of such target without cap- ture interfaces and the establishment of a structural con- nection, which is stiff enough for controlled deorbitation. 1 DEBRIS IN DIFFERENT ALTITUDES