A Portuguese startup based at the University of Porto Science and Technology Park (UPTEC) has developed space debris cleanup technology that will allow satellites to be reassembled after a mission in low Earth orbit has been completed.
In a statement released this Monday, UPTEC alleges that the solution developed by the Portuguese company is aimed at responding to the growth in the number of satellites launched in recent years into low Earth orbit, i.e. below 2,000 kilometers.
There are 8,000 active and inactive satellites in this orbit, 25% of which were launched in 2022 alone.
The technology “sets out to solve one of the major aerospace challenges, responding to a message from the US that puts a restriction on the removal of these satellites up to five years after the end of the mission, and that the European Space Agency (ESA) also accept sooner.”
In that sense, the solution developed by Eptune Engineering uses “a kind of friction generator parachute” to collect satellites five years after the end of the mission.
An inflatable space parachute differs from others in that it “becomes stiff once inflated” and “reduces fuel consumption during the orbital maneuver”.
“The inflatable object uses the rarefied atmosphere as a source of friction, which reduces the time it takes for satellites to deorbit at the end of their lives by a factor of five to ten,” emphasizes UPTEC.
The project, funded by 212,000 euros under the Norte 2020 program, aims to develop the technological foundations of this solution, namely the inflatable structure, heat shield, manufacturing processes and testing of materials and components.
The startup’s founder, João Pedro Loureiro, quoted in the statement, said the goal at the moment is to implement the solution on all satellites entering orbit.
“In this first phase, we intend to use this technology in new satellites that will be launched into orbit, and in the medium term, our solution can be delivered into space and connected there with a decommissioned satellite. which we intend to return to Earth, ”he clarifies.
“To make the prototype a reality”, additional analytical activities were carried out with the Instituto Superior Técnico (Lisbon) and various prototypes and components were tested at the Product Design and Development Center (CEiiA).
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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