JAXA To Use Fishing Nets To Scoop Up Space Junk

An anonymous reader writes "We've seen high-fallutin proposals to tackling the space junk problem before — and now the Japanese space agency JAXA has teamed up with Japanese fishing net maker Nitto Seimo to haul in some of the 100,000-plus objects of space junk orbiting the planet. AJAXA satellite will deploy and release a kilometers-wide net made by Nitto Seimo of ultra-thin triple layered metal threads. The net will gradually be drawn into Earth's magnetic field and burned up along with the abandoned satellites, engine parts and other litter it's collected."

Comments

But, but...

[Locke2005]

What are they doing to make sure the net doesn't also entrap space dolphins?

Theoretical Problem.

[Onuma]

One potential snag in their line (see what I did there?) could be the fact that some of these objects are moving in different or opposing directions. A single BB at 20000 km/h can burn through a solar panel array, what's to stop it from passing through a fine net? It'll still clean up lots of junk even with a greater-than-anticipated amount of holes, but there will certainly be discrepancies between projected results and actual.

Re:Theoretical Problem.

[XiaoMing]

A single BB at 20000 km/h can burn through a solar panel array, what's to stop it from passing through a fine net?

The end problem is as you've stated, these micro-particles travelling at ridiculous velocities. However these particles are created by the breakup of much larger pieces of debris. There are ~100k+ pieces of large debris (out of which 22,000+ NASA monitors), and it's the collision/disintegration of these larger pieces that result in all the tiny deathballs. By playing Katamari Damacy, the space debris is formed into a giant blob that slowly loses energy via drag. Eventually the orbit decays and the space manatees burn up in the atmosphere (where all that energy is turned into thermal kinetic energy rather than deadly linear kinetic energy).

Metaphorically, it's not exactly saving fish from the microscopic plastic in the sea, but it's at least taking care of the floating plastic island.

News from the future:

[Stenchwarrior]

"ABC News reports that since JAXA launched it's 'Space Net', mysteriously all communication and research satellites have been taken offline, except the ones belonging to Japan. As a result, stock prices for communications companies world-wide have plummeted except, of course, in Japan and have created panic and chaos on a global scale. Companies are now struggling to build and deploy hundreds of new satellites, but in the meantime are forced to piggy-pack services across Japan-based companies. For now, ABC news must be referred to as JBC. Back to you, Chou Youn..."

Re:News from the future:

[Daniel Dvorkin]

That would have been a lot funnier if you'd used a Japanese name instead of a Chinese one in the punchline. But hey, Chinese, Japanese, what's the difference? "Arr rook arike" to you, I suppose.

Internet error. Not space net.

[SEWilco]

No space net involved.

If you look at the details, there is no net involved. A company which makes nets is also able to make webbed rope-like material, and this is being considered for installation on a satellite before launch. When the satellite is no longer useful, the electrically-conductive tether would be extended, and induced electromagnetic forces would drag the satellite out of orbit.

Re:Wha?

[gnieboer]

Yep, especially #2. Orbital dynamics means your not going just sweep stuff up in the same orbit you are in.

A fun way to see this all demonstrated is a little iPhone game called "Osmos", you're a mote have to go along and try to absorb smaller motes. Many of the scenarios involve a "sun" that everything is orbiting around. It quickly forced me to remember my school day courses on orbital dynamics and how to do a Hohmann transfer, etc. It's decent entertainment (and no I'm not the developer)

But as you'd see in the game, you need to be in a more eccentric orbit and sweep through other orbits if you want to pick other stuff up. And the delta V's involve lead direct to the parent's points #3 and #5... they will go right through the net.

Why not recycle it?

[Plazmid]

Instead of throwing all that potentially valuable material into the pacific ocean, why not coral it all into one big "trash heap" and recycle it? After, it takes a lot more energy to put something into orbit than it does to move something to another orbit. At the very least, the trash heap could serve as a testing ground for space manufacturing processes.