Page 2 - Spec Tech Vol 1 Issue 06
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Nanoracks tests tech to slice up space junk
in orbit for 1st time
Image Credit: Space.com
A SpaceX rideshare flight recently hosted a rocket stages, in the near future, but this first
robot that softened up metal through friction, demonstration took place aboard a rideshare
demonstrating a technique that could one day rocket.
be used against rogue space debris.
There's still more to learn for future Outpost
missions, emphasized the participating
With tens of thousands of pieces floating entities (Nanoracks, Voyager and Maxar,
around in orbit, and more satellites launched which provided the robotic arm.)
into low Earth orbit by the day, the U.S.
government and private companies alike are The mission met its goal in cutting up a single
seeking more solutions to protect the zone "coupon" or sample of corrosion-resistant
from cluttering up too much for space steel similar to what is found on the outside of
exploration. NASA, Congress and the Federal a United Launch Alliance Vulcan
Communications Commission have all Centaur rocket, but the robot didn't make it to
released new frameworks addressing space two extra coupons available as a "reach
debris in recent weeks. goal."
The technique demonstrated on "We will dig into why the two extra coupons
the Transporter-5 mission earlier this year is were not cut," Marshall Smith, Nanoracks
called friction milling, "which uses a cutting tool senior vice president of space systems, said
operating at high rotations per minute to soften in the statement.
the metal," experiment host Nanoracks wrote
(opens in new tab) in a recent statement. (The The mission was called Outpost MarsDemo-1
robotic arm and samples were completely and aims to be the first in a series of
sealed up in this experiment as a further demonstrations towards metal cutting in
precaution against generating new space space. With the demonstrator now safely
debris.) burned up in Earth's atmosphere, officials say
they will analyze the available telemetry
Nanoracks (which hosts U.S. experiments before announcing efforts for a second
aboard the International Space Station) is mission.
aiming to develop a series of Outpost stations
that would host payloads aboard expired
Space Explorer 2022 2
