ESA's active debris removal mission: e.Deorbit

ESA's Clean Space initiative is studying an active debris removal mission called e.Deorbit, which will target an ESA-owned derelict satellite in low orbit, capture it, then safely burn it up in a controlled atmospheric reentry. e.Deorbit will be the world's first active debris removal mission, and will provide an opportunity for European industries to showcase their technological capabilities to a global audience.

[zazenmonkey]

As an inhabitant of Earth, and on behave of all Earth inhabitants, I beg you to continue research into the development of ways to remove space debris. May I also suggest that research be conducted into ways of preventing any further additional production of space waste.

[llliiimmmeee]

If I eventually get a job like I hope that is centered around space, I want to work on this. This is the most important thing at the moment about space.

[MagneBugten]

A custom arduino board, two servos, a battery and whatever standard solid rocket needed for deorbit burn should be plenty. I bet you can strap 50 of those onto a 1x1x1m orbital tug.
If you had something like that, the rendezvous probably dont need to be planned out in advance either. The tug can kill the rotation and find the center of mass, program the deorbiter, attach it with foam or glue or something and go on to the next satellite. Some lucky person in a control room somewhere would get the satisfaction of pressing a big red "SCUTTLE" button.

[danczer]

Ty for doing it! Do it ASAP. If any collisions happens which escalate the collisions then the space will be unreachable.
I vote for the net it's looks cheap. Cheaper than the robotic arm.

[MultiKauz]

Are there plans for cleaning up big amounts of debris in case of a chain reaction (after some big collision) that leads to the destruction of most satellites?

[kednar]

Great video but please, the topic is already amazing and interesting, no need for the action music and dramatic tone.

[piranha]

Is there a designed target yet?

(Envisat?)

[FutureAIDev]

this might even become a new industry.

[timmurphy]

It's a slight pity that we put all that stuff up there and can't reuse it where it is. e.g. build a new space station out of old bits of metal. That is a silly idea of course in a way but suppose we had a spaceship that could sort all the metals, grind them to powder and then 3d-print a new satellite? Then we would never have to lauch that mass again - we could endlessly repurpose it.

[alphaadhito]

Start the move just by deorbiting upper stage is a huge help. Nice concept though

[alanmartin]

I am pretty sure that the Council of Ministers will never fund such a project because there is no return on investment which can be measured in Euros (or is it still AUs?)

[alejandrocristopherdejesus]

está muy bien la iniciativa de recolectar la basura espacial en el entorno terrestre, pero, considero, que en vez de tirarlo contra la atmósfera, lo mejor sería, reciclarlo en el espacio dentro de una estación espacial, dedicada específicamente para ésta tarea., dentro de la misma se podrían producir diversas herramientas y dispositivos espaciales.

[dpwright]

Just think about all the follow up sectors and industries that will spring from this in the future. It needs to happen as we humans are a messy bunch so we may as well get started developing systems and processes now

@DPWright79

[jemuelmongado]

Why don't we build bigger ships that have enough fuel to get themselves back into orbit after the deorbit burn? Or maybe even retrieve debris for recycling in some sort of orbital recycling station? Won't that be cheaper in the long run?

[ossie]

Well done ESA! Sadly, leaving a trail of garbage seems part of the human condition. On my daily walk the trash on the side of the road is enough to make you cry! We are an ignorant species!

[Secifelam]

La question qui tue : Mais comment avez-vous pu, avec tous les spécialistes que vous avez, laisser autant de débris, en se disant (ou pas) (peut-être) boooaaarrrffff c'est petit y a de la place ça gênera paaasss ? je sais pas moi, mais vraiment, y avait (y a) pas moyen de pas laisser (autant) de débris ?

[ReRe-yldq]

I don't agree with the idea of deorbiting old space craft (crash them into our atmosphere). We should recycle their usable parts to construct new things in space. Get a extruder, 3d printer, and some sorting storage containers and don't make us pay twice for getting some materials to space that are already up there. And make everything sent into space for now on reusable, resuppliable, or recyclable.

[balf]

We still not figured out how to clean up plastic bottles from the sea and you wanna clean up satellites in space. Not in this century I'm afraid

[shipwreck]

Why can't we just make a global array of strong lasers on the ground that can pinpoint debris, and use the force of the light to slow the debris so that it falls out of orbit?
This would still be expensive, but it would be cheaper than the e.deorbit.
It would be more renewable, and it would be constantly working.

[GANTZpts]

It's all really interesting at all, but I'm not a big fan of the one-to-one ratio here. I mean unless you can launch like several hundred of these things per launch. And they don't cost several millions of dollars each, it's not very practical.