Southampton University’s featherweight plans knockout blow for space debris

Dr Minkwan Kim’s micro plasma thruster is a de-orbiting propulsion system designed to attach to CubeSats – miniature satellites employed for space research.

With hundreds of CubeSats in orbit, used for applications such as remote sensing or communications, their presence raises concerns about the growth in pollution from debris, both in space and the Earth’s atmosphere.

The environmental problem is compounded by the lengthy de-orbiting timescale for satellites, which can take more than 100 years at present. European Space Agency estimates suggest there are 36,500 objects in orbit greater than 10cm, but a further 1 million tmeasuring up to 10cm, and 130 million up to to 1cm.

However, Southampton’s new system, which is meant to provide a tiny amount of thrust equivalent to the weight of a feather, enabling safe and controlled removal of end-of-life satellites, is estimated to take around just two years to effect a de-orbit. 

Southampton Astronautics Professor Hugh Lewis, an expert on space debris and space said of the project:

“Quickly de-orbiting a spacecraft at the end of its mission is vital for reducing the risk of a collision, which would help other users of space and prevent the generation of even more space debris.

"The demonstration of this thruster represents an important step toward having this capability for CubeSats, which represent a substantial proportion of satellites in Earth orbit. 

The plasma thruster was launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Florida, USA.

Dr Kim described the event as welcome news for the university and industry partner, Magdrive, adding that the research team had developed the novel thin-layer vacuum arc thruster AL-printed Propulsion System for a nanosatellite with the support of European Space Agency.

“The launched thruster is the machined version of ALPS for demonstrating its concept, and we thrilled to see it perform so well in orbit. We look forward to continuing to push the boundaries of what is possible in the field of micropropulsion technology,” said Kim.

He added that the team will begin studying the effect of the thruster in the coming months, stating: “The host spacecraft operators Endurosat are currently commissioning the spacecraft. Magdrive will then be able to commission the payload and slowly bring the voltage up to the point where the thruster is firing.

"We will then perform a series of tests on our control system, demonstrating fine control over the thruster, and measure the torque induced on the host spacecraft.”

At the end of a five-year mission, the satellite will be de-orbited and will burn up upon re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere.