Apparatus and Methods for Orbital Debris Removal

Abstract

An orbital debris interception vehicle includes a satellite bus and a debris interception module releasably coupled to the satellite bus. The debris interception module includes a debris impact pad, such as a pancake-shaped Whipple shield. A plurality of such vehicles can be deployed into an equatorial orbit and maneuvered to intercept orbital debris as it passes through the equatorial plane. In particular, the satellite bus can release the debris interception module before an intercept and reconnect to it after the intercept.

1 . A vehicle for intercepting orbital objects, comprising:
 a satellite bus; and   an interception module releasably and reattachably coupled to the satellite bus, wherein the interception module comprises an expendable impact pad.   
     
     
         2 . The vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the expendable impact pad comprises a Whipple shield. 
     
     
         3 . The vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the expendable impact pad is pancake-shaped. 
     
     
         4 . The vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the interception module further comprises a propulsion system and a control unit configured to activate the propulsion system to maneuver the interception module to intercept a targeted orbiting object. 
     
     
         5 . The vehicle according to  claim 4 , wherein the control unit is further configured to activate the propulsion system to maneuver the interception module to avoid a non-targeted orbiting object. 
     
     
         6 . The vehicle according to  claim 5 , wherein the control unit is configured to activate the propulsion system to maneuver the interception module to avoid intercepting a non-targeted orbiting object by reorienting the interception module to present a minimum cross-section along a direction of travel of the non-targeted orbiting object. 
     
     
         7 . The vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the satellite bus comprises a docking probe and the interception module comprises a complementary receiver for the docking probe, to releasably and reattachably secure the interception module to the satellite bus. 
     
     
         8 . The vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the impact pad comprises a ceramic cloth. 
     
     
         9 . The vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the impact pad comprises a para-aramid synthetic fiber. 
     
     
         10 . A method of intercepting an orbital object, comprising:
 deploying at least one interception vehicle into an equatorial orbit, the at least one interception vehicle comprising:
 a satellite bus; and 
 an interception module releasably and reattachably coupled to the satellite bus, wherein the interception module comprises an expendable impact pad; and 
   commanding the interception module to maneuver such that the expandable impact pad of the interception module intersects an orbital pathway of a targeted orbital object.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 commanding the interception module and the satellite bus to disconnect from each other before the targeted orbital object impacts the expendable impact pad; and   commanding the interception module and the satellite bus to reconnect to each other after the targeted orbital object impacts the expendable impact pad.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein commanding the interception module to maneuver such that the expandable impact pad of the interception module intersects an orbital pathway of a targeted orbital object comprises commanding the interception module to maneuver such that the expendable impact pad of the interception module intersects the orbital pathway of the targeted orbital object after commanding the interception module and the satellite bus to disconnect from each other. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising commanding the interception module to maneuver such that the interception module does not intersect an orbital pathway of a non-targeted orbital object. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein commanding the interception module to maneuver such that the interception module does not intersect an orbital pathway of a non-targeted orbital object comprises commanding the interception module to present a minimum cross-section along the orbital pathway of the non-targeted orbital object. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein deploying at least one interception vehicle into an equatorial orbit comprises deploying a plurality of interception vehicles into the equatorial orbit.