DragSphere for Removal of Orbital Debris

Issue
 Date
Patent No.
6,655,637
Category
Device or Machine

A deorbiting spacecraft includes a grabber for grabbing an orbiting debris object in space and a deorbitor for deorbiting the debris object. The grabber includes inflatable fingers with loop eyes for bending inflated fingers around and to grab the space debris object using controlled motors and tension lines. The deorbitor is a dragsphere for deorbiting low earth orbit debris objects into the atmosphere for burn up, or is a surface for collecting solar wind for pushing the debris into an outer disposal orbit, or is a thruster for transorbiting a high earth orbit debris object to an outer waste orbit.

Keywords: debris removal, spacecraft
International Class: B64G1/00, B64G1/10, B64G1/24, B64G1/64, B64C1/62