UK Engineers Develop Harpoon System for Old Satellites

[JMcEntegart]

Could harpoons be the answer to our space junk problem?

UK Engineers Develop Harpoon System for Old Satellites : Read more

 

[gtvr]

Wouldn't the harpoon create more space debris?

 

[Dangi]

And the satellite must have Pequod for it's name

 

[thecolorblue]

conservation of momentum and launching space projectiles are not a good combo for a small satellite.

launching a harpoon at a hard object also seems a little off.... shards of metal floating free from each impact? using ground-based cameras to align the harpoon???


not giving this a high probability of success

 

[Pennanen]

Just launch giant magnets into the orbit. They push things away into space or into atmosphere.

Magnets are wonders.

 

[alyoshka]

I don't really get it... isn't it just going to be pushed away by the harpoons inertia? Since there is no force resisting the onslaught....
But then I'm me.

 

[belardo]

What is needed is some sort of gravity device.

 

[Old_Fogie_Late_Bloomer]

[citation][nom]Pennanen[/nom]Just launch giant magnets into the orbit. They push things away into space or into atmosphere. Magnets are wonders.[/citation]
F--king magnets...how do they work?

 

[digiex]

Fuel to satellite catch ratio?

 

[TeraMedia]

Launching a satellite to catch a satellite isn't good enough. They need to launch one to catch 100. Problem is, catching 100 of anything that travels at 7000+ mph in different directions takes a lot of energy. And impacts with anything hard can cause more space debris. They need to use something "soft" to change the velocity and/or direction. Magnets don't interact strongly enough at a distance, or they'd help (provided the forces didn't bring down the garbage collector as well).

Something like a gas cloud might work. Create a cloud of gas in the path of the satellite by releasing something like liquid N2. It's soft enough that it might not create more space debris, and if it's dense enough it could perhaps slow the garbage satellite down enough to cause reentry. One large "cleaner" satellite could store several tanks of liquid N2, allowing it to clean up more than one garbage satellite.

One nice aspect of such an approach is that the decelerating gas quickly dissipates, leaving behind no additional space debris to impact other satellites on similar orbits. I just don't know if it's possible to create a cloud large enough to have the desired effect; especially with larger satellites, it might just change the orbit a bit instead.

 

[Guest]

Why not just launch nukes at the old satellites? do it on the 4th of July each year, would make for great fireworks and the satellites would be bombarded at incredible velocities towards our mortal enemies the Martians.

 

[MrKKBB]

Great, this is a perfect way to go after enemy satellites during a time of conflict.

 

[drapacioli]

[citation][nom]thecolorblue[/nom]conservation of momentum and launching space projectiles are not a good combo for a small satellite.launching a harpoon at a hard object also seems a little off.... shards of metal floating free from each impact? using ground-based cameras to align the harpoon??? not giving this a high probability of success[/citation]

Auxiliary rockets would do the trick. How else doe anything attach to anything in space? The space shuttle docked using rockets to position itself, a satellite can use rockets to negate the inertia from the harpoon launch. As for the idea as a whole, I'd like to see a much more efficient system than a 1:1 ratio for retrieving space junk...

 

[Guest]

A nuke detonated in space over earth would be on the level of a massive solar flare bypassing the earths natural magnetic defenses against these, raining a massive electromagnetic pulse down on the surface below, blowing out power grids. Would look like the aurora of high in north or south hemispheres, pretty, but dangerous. It's been done before, lookup 'starfish prime'.

 

[f-14]

stupidest idea i ever heard, why not just blow up the satellites while he is at it, ever harpooned a machine with lots of parts, that's just going to make an even bigger debris field that will wipe out whole solar panels and damage communications satellites.

seriously are all scientists on crack cocaine and using hemp for incense these days?