Patent ID: 9038959
Filing Date: 2015-05-26
Classification: B64G

Abstract:
1. A space debris remover for a space debris object of the size of a dead spacecraft, a rocket booster or a debris object from an anti-satellite weapon that presents a threat of collision to an unmanned or manned spacecraft, and presents a risk of crashing in populated area in case of reentry to the earth's atmosphere and scattering hazardous chemicals, the space debris remover comprising: a vision sensor capturing a video image of the space debris object while the space debris remover chases, leads or travels in parallel with the space debris object maintaining constant distance with the space debris object; a center of gravity estimator estimating center of gravity of the space debris object as an intersection of two segments: a segment connecting a first point on the space debris and a second point on the space debris that is different from the first point at a time instant, and a segment connecting the first point and the second point at a later time instant; a rendezvous controller calculating a rendezvous control signal to propel the space debris remover towards the center of gravity of the space debris object, and to let a form bonding mechanism stick to the space debris object when the space debris remover comes in contact with the space debris object; a star tracker measuring radial position of the space debris object with respect to the earth and angular position of the space debris object with respect to the earth; a space debris mass estimation controller generating a space debris mass estimation control signal to apply mass estimation force that is constant force to the space debris object for a period of time; a space debris mass estimator estimating mass of the space debris object by dividing the mass estimation force based on the space debris mass estimation control signal from the space debris mass estimation controller by a product of the radial position of the space debris object with respect to the earth and a second order time derivative of the angular position of the space debris object with respect to the earth from the star tracker; an angular thrust calculation unit calculating angular thrust as an impulse function of time with amplitude thereof inversely proportional to desirable time of travel of the space debris object to the sun; an angular momentum estimator estimating angular momentum of the space debris object by subtracting a first order time integral of the angular thrust from a product of effective mass of the space debris object and the earth that is inverse of sum of one divided by mass of the space debris and one divided by mass of the earth, a square of radial position of the space debris object with respect to the earth and a first order time derivative of the angular position of the space debris object with respect to the earth; a radial thrust calculation unit calculating radial thrust as a function of the first order time integral of the angular thrust, the angular momentum of the space debris object, the mass of the space debris object and the radial position of the space debris object with respect to the earth inversely proportional to a square of the radial position of the space debris object with respect to the earth; a space debris removal controller calculating time of travel of the space debris object to the sun as a function of the radial position of the space debris object with respect to the earth and a first order time derivative of the angular position of the space debris object with respect to the earth inversely proportional to a square of the radial position of the space debris object with respect to the earth and the first order time derivative of the angular position of the space debris object with respect to the earth; and calculating firing time that is time for a plurality of first stage thrusters to generate the radial thrust and the angular thrust; the plurality of first stage thrusters propelling the space debris remover towards the center of gravity of the space debris object based on the redezvous control signal from the rendezvous controller; applying the mass estimation force to the space debris object based on the space debris mass estimation control signal from the space debris mass estimation controller; and generating the radial thrust and the angular thrust based on the space debris removal control signal from the space debris removal controller; a stage separator separating a first stage of the space debris remover comprising the plurality of first stage thrusters, and a second stage of the space debris remover comprising a plurality of second stage thrusters and a foam bonding mechanism at separation time that is a time instant after the radial thrust decreases below a predetermined value; the plurality of second stage thrusters generating the radial thrust and the angular thrust after the separation time, and propelling the space debris object towards the sun; and the foam bonding mechanism sticking to the space debris object when the space debris remover comes in contact with the space debris object.