Net Launcher to Capture Space Debris
This page overviews my senior design capstone project, sponsored by the University of Colorado, Boulder, and Sierra Space. Detailed design information is at the bottom of the page.
I worked with a team of 7 other engineering students on this project. My official role was financial manager, successfully keeping us on budget, managing lead times, and procuring goods. Additionally, I worked on the conceptual design and CAD for the winch gearbox, launch mechanism, damping mechanism, and structural plates. I also designed and manufactured all 3D printed components (white polycarbonate).
I was incredibly grateful to have teammates who allowed me to focus on what I do best by handling the coding, custom PCB and wiring, risk analysis, testing, net design, and so much more.
The Problem
Space debris poses an active threat to satellites, spacecraft, and future crewed space missions. It is in the best interest of both SV designers and LV providers to address this threat before the problem compounds.
Without intervention, Earth’s orbit may experience Kessler Syndrome—when debris collision creates a chain reaction, resulting in a debris cloud too dense to travel through.
Requirement Definition
The team worked closely with Sierra to refine requirements.
To meet schedule and budget constraints, the scope was modified to remove thermal-vacuum and vibration testing. The end product was defined as an Earth-based prototype capable of demonstrating mechanical functionality.
Concise, verifiable requirements and transparent communication established challenging yet achievable deliverables.
Con-Ops
If the debris were stationary relative to the capture vehicle, a net launcher would be overkill. An arm or claw would suffice. Unfortunately, even if the SV can match the orbit/translation of the debris, it's still rotating about 3 axes. The challenge isn't capture, it's dissipating the angular momentum of an uncontrolled RSO (Resident Space Object).
The slides below walk through our concept of operations.
Winch
A winch is a common device used by many industries. The team would have preferred a COTS winch, but couldn't find one that satisfied our size, torque, and rpm constraints.
Launcher
A spring-powered, simultaneous-release mechanism that shoots 6 weights. These weights are tethered to a net large enough for RSO capture. Safety was the primary concern for this subsystem.
Damping
A rotational braking clutch mechanism. As the winch pulls in line, friction increases.