EX-Fusion, a startup in Osaka, Japan, plans to develop a ground-based laser system capable of removing space debris from Earth. If this innovative approach is successful, it could be a valuable way to free up the increasingly crowded space around our domestic world. Space junk refers to man-made objects discarded in orbit, such as old satellites and used rocket stages. This debris, which varies in size, poses a collision risk to operational spacecraft and the International Space Station. Even debris just a few millimeters in size can cause problems when it collides with functioning satellites and spacecraft.
As a result, the need to detect and remove smaller space debris is growing as space-related activities expand around the world. For example, Nikkei Asia reports that a Tokyo startup, Astroscale Holdings, plans to launch a special satellite to remove relatively large space debris. Another company is Japan’s Sky Perfect JSAT, which is working with Riken and other partners to develop a satellite-mounted laser that redirects space junk into Earth’s atmosphere, where it burns. EX-Fusion stands out for its bottom-up approach, where the startup uses its arsenal of originally developed laser technology to generate fusion energy. In October, EX-Fusion signed a memorandum of understanding with EOS Space Systems, an Australian contractor with space debris detection technology. EX-Fusion has announced plans to install a high-power laser system at the EOS Space Observatory near Canberra.
In the first phase of this project, laser technology will be developed to detect space debris smaller than 10 cm. This debris has traditionally been difficult to find with ground-based lasers. During the second phase, EX-Fusion and EOS Space will use laser beams fired from the ground to eliminate space debris. The method involves intermittently firing the laser in the opposite direction of the debris to slow it down. This decrease in orbital velocity should, in theory, cause debris to enter Earth’s atmosphere and burn up. The EOS Space Group currently supplies laser weapons systems to destroy drones, but powerful lasers also have other applications. EOS Space Executive Vice President James Bennett, Nikkei Asia reports, said that lasers intended for removing space debris are not the same as weapon lasers. Current laser weapons often use fiber lasers to cut, weld metal, and destroy drones by emitting continuous heat.
However, EX-Fusion’s method will use diode-pumped solid-state lasers (DPSS). These lasers are pulsed to apply force to fast-moving debris, stopping it like a brake. “The power of a laser to destroy space debris is an order of magnitude lower than that of nuclear fusion, but they share technical challenges such as control via special mirrors,” said Kazuki Matsuo, CEO of EX-Fusion. EX-Fusion’s plan to shoot down space junk from the ground faces development issues in terms of precision and power. However, it has the advantage that improvements and maintenance can easily be performed on Earth. The technology could potentially be used alongside debris removal services from companies like Astroscale.
Bron: Interesting engineering
2024-01-17 19:28:10
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