BENGALURU: A team of students from PES University recently demonstrated a novel way to remove space debris and was one of the top 10 winners in the India Innovation Growth Programme (IIGP 2.0) University Challenge-2017.Called the ‘Ultra-thin Wire Drag Enhancement System (UWDES) for Space Debris Management in Low Earth Orbits (LEOs)’, the method aims to effectively control the number of debris from being generated in Low Earth Orbits (LEOs).
Explaining the method Yashwanth Amara, research associate at PES University and advisor to the team, Aranea, explains, “Not every satellite that goes to space has a system to bring it down. Ours is an inbuilt mechanism that makes it possible to bring a satellite down,” he says. Most satellites launch at a region of around 1,500 km.Yashwanth says, “Imagine a skydiver. When he dives down he has a parachute to increase resistance and drag so that he lands safely. The same mechanism is applied in our system, however while going up and that can be activated from the ground,”
The method utilises the factor of increasing cross sectional area so that the satellite can experience a greater drag than normal. This UWDES uses simplified means of deploying the drag enhancement system, unlike current complicated drag sail payloads. This leads to the satellite gradually descending from its orbit and finally experiencing complete destruction on atmospheric re-entry.
Yaswanth explains that the issue of space debris is one that is becoming more grave with each passing day. “It is an issue that is slowly going growing out of control. The PSLV has one one launch or another. A Russian satellite is about to send 70 satellites very soon. In another five to 10 years, almost 3,000 to 5,000 satellites will be launched,” he says. Space debris around earth possesses very high velocity and so could cause destruction of other functioning satellites and astronauts. According to data from the International Space Station, it has been proven that a 10cm sized object could potentially cause a grenade like explosion on colliding with the ISS.
Team Aranea has already go a grant of Rs 10 lakh and mentorship to further develop the project.
The team comprises of around 25 students from various departments and semesters, working voluntarily for the past one year. They are being guided by Dr Sharan Asundi, Asst. Professor, Dept of Aerospace, Tuskegee University, Alabama, U.S. & Visiting Researcher at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and faculty from PES.The competition is the initiative of the Department of Science and Technology and a few corporates.