A New Net-Membrane Could Clean Up Some Tricky Space Debris

Image of the RemoveDEBRIS debris removal demonstration satellite, which used a net to prove the concept of deorbiting debris with that implement. Credit - NASA/Expedition 56 crew

We’ve reported on all kinds of wacky ideas for capturing and deorbiting space debris safely. From electric tethers to lasers, engineers and scientists have been trying everything they can think of to deal with the ever-increasing orbital debris problem. But one simple design keeps popping up over and over again - a net. A new paper from researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China details one of the most advanced net concepts yet - but whether we can actually build one remains to be seen.

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