Robot to clear space junk.

[Gingerbread Demon]

Found this and it sounds neat

https://www.chinadailyasia.com/article/156990

A sort of tentacled robot that will one day remove space junk

 

[Malicia]

It's like an intergalactic cellar spider.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

It's like an intergalactic cellar spider.

It's delightful.

The future is tentacles

 

[Ethan13]

In general, there are already quite a few good projects for cleaning up space debris. Some of them have already started their work in space. A service satellite was launched in February. Its main task is to maintain satellites to extend its service life. (Northrop Grumman or something) But it can also clean up space debris. Several companies have also developed space tugs for the same purpose. I think by 2023 there will be many active projects.

 

[publiusr]

Just have cargo Starship release a slab of aerogel for the tiny stuff.

 

[Ethan13]

What is a space tug? I have seen many different descriptions of this device. And these descriptions suggest completely different devices. What do you think should be a device for removing large space debris? Space tug Skyrora seems futuristic to me, but it's real and tested. What do you think about it?

 

[XCV330]

What is a space tug? I have seen many different descriptions of this device. And these descriptions suggest completely different devices. What do you think should be a device for removing large space debris? Space tug Skyrora seems futuristic to me, but it's real and tested. What do you think about it?

a space tug should be able to alter an object, satellite, or other spacecraft's altitude and inclination. The latter is harder (takes a lot of delta v) . This is different from say, a spacecrafts own service module wich does most of the work of getting it around, or the kick motor on a satellite.

There haven't been any working full time space tugs, that I am aware of with the possible exception of the American Space Shuttles which definitely performed the role from time to time. (specifying, as Buran would not have been capable of this)

Early versions of Space Station Freedom (before it became Alpha and then ISS) had a tug.

Northrop's Cygnus can work as a tug, but hasn't been used as such. The propulsion module off Progress can do so, also, as can Fregat and formerly the Almaz.

 

[Deks]

Found this and it sounds neat

https://www.chinadailyasia.com/article/156990

A sort of tentacled robot that will one day remove space junk

It would be better if it would HARVEST the space junk, recycle it for raw materials and use it for construction of orbital habitats, new/better satellites... space based solar power... etc.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

It would be better if it would HARVEST the space junk, recycle it for raw materials and use it for construction of orbital habitats, new/better satellites... space based solar power... etc.

Easy, give it rudimentary AI and a program and let it evolve.