The Corporation will start developing project that would be able to clean up space junk on the geostationary orbit, as the “ Izvestia ” reports.
The cleaner design was directly told about by Oleg Gorshkov, Director General at the Central Research Institute of Machine Building (TsNIIMash).
Thus, the new vehicle will allow sweeping inactive spacecraft swiftly from orbit due to using a jet stream.
“The vehicle is equipped with ion engines on the opposite sides. The satellite comes close to a life-expired spacecraft and enables engines of equal power. In this way, it holds position and, using the jet stream of one of its engines, it changes parameters of the orbit of that inactive space vehicle. The latter gradually loses speed and goes out of orbit”, as told by the head of TsNIIMash.
Experts have repeatedly brought up their concern over the space debris orbit pollution. It is emphasized that in case of failure to act in this matter, the space flights would possibly experience serious troubles as earlier as in the coming 100-200 years.
