Setting A Satellite To Catch A Satellite

The target is set: a large derelict satellite currently silently tumbling its way through low orbit. If all goes to plan, in 2023 it will vanish – and efforts against space debris will have made a giant leap forward.

- Cesare de VIlliers

That is the vision underpinning e. Deorbit, intended as the world’s first mission to remove a large piece of space junk – if it is given the initial go-ahead by Europe’s space ministers at the Agency’s Ministerial Council in December.

The basic idea is simple: set a satellite to catch a satellite. e.Deorbit will rendezvous with, grapple, and hard-capture the drifting satellite, then push the pair down to burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere.

More than 75% of trackable space debris whizzes around in Earth’s heavily trafficked low orbits, below 2 000 km altitude. Even if all launches stopped tomorrow, the level of debris would go on rising, driven by continuing collisions.

The only way to stabilize debris levels over the long run will be to remove entire large items.

“While the concept is straightforward, the implementation is a note. Deorbit will be like nothing ESA has ever attempted before,” explains Robin Biesbroek, ESA’s study manager.