A new nanosatellite called the CubeSail could push space debris out of orbit.
You probably don’t give much thought to space junk. But consider this: there are estimated to be at least 600,000 defunct satellites and other man-made objects floating around in outer space right now, and we’re only able to track 19,000 of them. That means there’s a sizeable chance that spacecrafts could be on a collision course with debris—and there’s the constant risk of space junk falling to Earth, though experts say the risk of anyone being hurt is low.
Clean-up efforts can be complex in zero gravity. But a tiny new device known as the CubeSail could go a long way towards clearing out the trash in outer space.
The CubeSail, developed by the United Kingdom’s Surrey Space Centre, is a “nanosatellite” that weighs just 6.6 pounds, and measures 4 in x 4 in x 12 in. It can be attached to a spacecraft, and once in space, will unfurl a 25-square-meter plastic sheet. As the spacecraft flies, the sheet will force stray objects to fall to Earth at a predetermined location.
The CubeSail hasn’t been trialed in space yet, but the research team hopes to send it into orbit by the end of 2011, where it will circle the Earth, forcing stray debris out of its path.
“It would help make space a sustainable business,” one of the CubeSaile’s creators, Dr. Vaios Lappos, told BBC News. “We want to be able to keep on launching satellites to provide new services; but unless we do something, the amount of junk up there is going to grow exponentially.”
Assuming all goes well with the CubeSail’s mission, the researchers believe that the device could be used as a simple add-on for all future spacecrafts. After all, even astronauts should learn to pick up their trash.