Company proposes ‘Terminator Tape’ solution to decrease space debris

5 Feb 2020

Company proposes ‘Terminator Tape’ solution to decrease space debris

Company proposes ‘Terminator Tape’ solution to decrease space debrisWe have previously read about space debris and how the ESA (European Space Agency) is launching a self-destructing robot to remove space debris.

Now, an aerospace company called Tethers Unlimited has also come up with a solution to tackle space debris (space waste - dead satellites, etc).

What is their solution?

It involves a 230-feet long strip of conductive tape, which they call the Terminator Tape. The Tape is a small module about the size of a notebook
 	The module is designed to attach itself to satellites.
 	Then, via a signal or on a timer, it deploys the long tape which drags the satellite down to a much lower orbit. As its orbit lowers, eventually the satellite will burn up in the planet’s atmosphere.

Does this solution work?

To test the system, Tethers Unlimited attached a Terminator Tape module with an automated timer to the Porx-1 satellite.
 	This was launched in 2019 by the US Air Force Research Laboratory’s University Nanosatellite Program.
 	When the timer activated the Tape in 3 months, the satellite immediately began de-orbiting over 24-times faster.

Tethers Unlimited will test the Tape further but they believe that this is a lightweight, effective and cost-friendly solution to getting rid of dead satellites.

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