A photo from open sources
British experimental satellite “RemoveDEBRIS” entered on days in history as the first device that was successful capture space debris with a harpoon.
By turning on the video below, you can see this accurate shot with your own eyes. Perhaps in the foreseeable future similar technology will begin to be used to clean the near-Earth space from the many debris of our space activities flying there.
Experts report that at the moment in our orbit planets present over 750 thousand useless artificial objects and their fragments, the total weight of which exceeds 7600 tons. The average speed of space debris is more than 40 thousand kilometers per hour. As you might guess, a collision any of these debris with a working satellite, ISS or a spaceship can turn into very deplorable the consequences.
In recent years, global scientists have put forward dozens of ideas. against space debris. Some offer to bring him down lasers. According to others, the best option is catching debris by nets. Still others say it’s necessary to build special “space sailboats” that will collect metal pieces with powerful magnets. Fourth want to change orbit of debris by ion beams. Classic harpooning looks on this list the least effective but most realistic option.
Euro 5.2 million RemoveDEBRIS probe engineers of the company “Airbus” and the University of Surrey, has dimensions a small fridge. It is planned that such satellites will collect as many debris as possible, then rush into the atmosphere Lands where they can burn forever with their prey.
