'Sling-Sat' Could Remove Space Junk on the Cheap

Now this is an interesting idea. We (the human race) has left a LOT of space junk floating around out there. IT's about time we start thinking of cleaning up after ourselves.

'Sling-Sat' Could Remove Space Junk on the Cheap

The idea was developed at Texas A&M University, and the article states:

The TAMU Space Sweeper with Sling-Sat, or 4S for short, would harness the momentum imparted by capturing and ejecting one object to slingshot on to the next chunk of space junk, its developers say.

I just wish there was more "meat on the bone" of this story. Does anyone else here know more, or can provide any insight here?

this sounds similar to an idea I posted in another thread - but without the "harpoon"

I sort of like a harpoon-type of solution, but with some modifications.

I think that a harpoon could be spring-powered like the old toy dart guns. Instead of having to have compressed gas, it could just have an electric motor reel in a harpoon on an attached cable. Everything could be electric -- powered by solar panels. An option to what to have on the end of the harpoon might be a large clamp instead of a spear-point to "grab" the target instead of piercing it.

Once the target is brought in closer, the satellite could then salvage useable parts for re-use later. Now, when the object is "cleaned" and ready for "disposal", I'm thinking that instead of having the entire satellite and its collected junk sent back to burn up, it could have electric gyros onboard that would cause everything to spin. Then at a precisely calculated time, the space junk would be released so that it is "thrown" into the atmosphere to burn up, while the satellite would be sent in the opposite direction that is calculated to also bring it close to its next targeted space junk.

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reply to post by Krakatoa


Sn F

I actually have a design for a system for junk removal and salvaging sitting at home. All i need is funding and an engineer, real talk. Without saying too much, its a mobile manufacturing/salvaging platform with 'drones'... Think beehive. Some assembly required via ISS.

I'm personally in favor of corralling all the junk into one or several localities for later use as raw material.

We spent scads of money to get the stuff up there. Leave it, and recycle the materials 10, 20, 50, 100 years from now.

Just push, pull, scoop up, and gather all the bits over long term.
Clump enough of the junk and we may have the beginnings of a tiny artificial moon, plus the wealth of prefabricated raw materials that could be repurposed, refit toward new purpose.

Originally posted by Druscilla

I'm personally in favor of corralling all the junk into one or several localities for later use as raw material.

We spent scads of money to get the stuff up there. Leave it, and recycle the materials 10, 20, 50, 100 years from now.

Just push, pull, scoop up, and gather all the bits over long term.
Clump enough of the junk and we may have the beginnings of a tiny artificial moon, plus the wealth of prefabricated raw materials that could be repurposed, refit toward new purpose.

I like this idea the bestest but, could we maybe turn the moon into the salvage yard? Nice platform to work from and all. I'd totally go dig a hole on the moon to live in so I could be the satelite scrapper!

Originally posted by Druscilla
Just push, pull, scoop up, and gather all the bits over long term.

Unfortunately its the "just" part that has us stymied. The energy required to intercept multiple craft makes it an impractical proposition with available technology.

reply to post by CraftBuilder


I'm not talking direct intercept missions specifically for the purpose of cleanup.

Something more along the lines of planning future missions for insertion of payloads into orbit where a small hitch-hiker payload could be added, and deployed to manage a single target of opportunity with low energy expenditure requirement for intercept from the secondary detachable and independently maneuverable hitch-hiker payload would be a more economic solution.

Every satellite that gets launched in the future would serve dual purpose; it's primary mission, and as host for a lightweight mite that hops off during deployment for junk management.

It'd take just as long if not longer in managing all the junk floating around up there as it has in putting it up there to begin with in using this method, but, over time, cheap disposable piggy-back cowboys could gradually push, pull nudge junk into more synchronous clumpy orbits.
Dump enough into close enough proximity each other, and even a miniscule mass attraction between junk bits over longer periods could equate into natural accretion.

I presume you all know, but don't want to mention, that all that junk is covered in human solid waste ejected from the ISS? I hope all that junk wont be brought back to earth, there could be cosmic ray induced mutations that we would be better off without.

reply to post by Druscilla


If you have done the math and have a practical method for doing that in mind then I would suggest putting a proposal together and presenting it to a number of agencies, public or private.