Towards a Sustainable Approach to the Space Debris Problem
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The entry of private assets into the space sector promises to offer a growing number of services, yet the expected increase in the number of space debris challenges the sustainability of space activities in low Earth orbits. The disposal of abandoned vehicles will be necessary to reduce the risk for operational satellites. Tethered cable nets are a promising concept for active debris removal (ADR) missions. We developed a finite element model for the net device. Nets are flexible and kinematically indeterminate structures that undergo both large displacements and large deformation. Cables have different responses to tensile and compressive forces. Multiple unilateral contacts with the tumbling target are considered by the method of Lagrange multipliers. The simulation tool can drive the effective design of deployable cable nets for ADR missions.