Biomimetic space debris removal: conceptual design of bio-inspired active debris removal scenarios

Abstract

The ever-increasing number of man-made space debris creates the need for new technologies to mitigate it. Therefore, within the ESA-funded project BIOINSPACED, biologically inspired solutions for active debris removal were investigated, conceptualized and integrated to innovative and comprehensive scenarios. In the following, the collection process of existing and new biomimetic concepts as well as the evaluation of ten concepts based on a feasibility analysis will be presented. Out of the ten, the three most promising scenarios, were chosen for further investigation and further elaborated in detail specifying the biological models incorporated as well as how the scenario could be implemented in a simple demonstrator. The first scenario (A) is a gecko kit canon and describes a system that fires deorbiting kits towards the target from a safe distance. The second scenario (B) involves a robotic arm with a gecko-adhesive end-effector and a bee-inspired harpoon to achieve a preliminary and subsequent rigid connection to the target. The last scenario (C) is mimicking a Venus Flytrap and its bi-stale mechanism to capture its prey. One of these scenarios will be manufactured and built into a demonstrator to showcase biology’s potential for the development, optimization and improvement of technologies, especially within the space industry.

Biomimetics for innovative and future-oriented space applications - A review

“…Collected ideas were assessed to identify the most promising ones, that were then integrated into holistic mission scenarios. As the last step, one of Frontiers in Space Technologies frontiersin.org these scenarios was selected for a low-tech implementation in the form of a simple demonstrator depicted in Figure 8, underlining the benefits and variety of applications for bio-inspired technical solutions for space debris removal (Banken et al, 2021(Banken et al, , 2022.…”

“…Nevertheless, many of the previously specified bio-inspired concepts applicable to space debris removal can also be beneficial for servicing and repair activities. Contactless containment of a small satellite based on the example of a mouth or Venus flytrap (Shahinpoor, 2011;Banken et al, 2022), for example, would allow safe repairs and maintenance without the risk of spare parts, tools and spacecraft appendages to escape as additionally generated space debris. The Venus flytrap has already been used as an inspiration for advances in the fields of robotics (Shahinpoor, 2011;Falk et al, 2022;Tauber et al, 2022).…”

A Flytrap‐Inspired Bistable Origami‐Based Gripper for Rapid Active Debris Removal

“…Therefore, reliable and affordable systems for space debris removal are essential to guarantee safe and sustainable access to Earth's orbits. [ 5 ] And capturing small‐scale space debris may become a key space mission in the future. Existing capture methods include contact and noncontact capture, [ 6 ] where contact capture has been validated in real space.…”

“…In-depth studies of these biological capture mechanisms have promoted the design of robots. [5,17] For example, as an insectivorous plant, the Venus flytrap can be closed rapidly and then locked using tip bristles. Experiments have demonstrated that during the capture process, the flytrap leaf can complete approximately 60% of its total displacement within approximately 100 ms, which is closely related to its bistable structure.…”

“…[ 18 ] Moreover, the soft leaves can adapt to the shapes of different insects, providing a promising approach for space debris capture. [ 5 ] Kim et al developed a biomimetic flytrap robot with a bistable unsymmetrically laminated structure. [ 19 ] The robot was driven by shape memory alloy (SMA) springs to achieve fast closure.…”