At their South Texas Launch Facility, just outside the village of Boca Chica, SpaceX is preparing to test the Super Heavy, the booster element of their Starship launch system. This massive reusable first stage rocket will be responsible for sending the Starship spacecraft into space, where it will launch satellites into orbit, payloads and people to the moon, and (if all goes as planned) the first human settlers to Mars.
According to a recent statement from SpaceX founder Musk Musk, the Starship could also be used to “break up debris” in Earth orbit. As usual, the statement was made on Twitter, where Musk again answered questions from followers and fans. The topic arose after Musk released the latest updates on Starlink, one of the few satellite constellations bringing broadband Internet services to every corner of the world.
Yes, we can fly Starship through space and use the movable panel door to break up debris
– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 3, 2021
In particular, Musk shared the latest artwork that will adorn the Starlink satellite covers, the visor-like appendages that make Starlink satellites less visible in orbit. Going forward, these covers will include a diagram of a transfer orbit from Earth to Mars, a clear indication of Musk’s long-term vision to colonize the Red Planet. This is not dissimilar to the terms of use for Starlink’s public beta test in November 2020, which required participants to recognize Mars as a “free planet”.
In any case, a user using the Twitter handle Hide yo memes (@REQNews) asked if SpaceX had other mitigation measures in mind to reduce the space debris issue. In particular, the user was referring to Kessler Syndrome (named after NASA space debris expert Don Kessler) which states that once orbital debris reaches a certain critical mass, a chain reaction of collisions and more debris is created.
According to its original FCC filing (issued November 2016), SpaceX applied for a license to operate a constellation of 4,425 non-geostationary satellites (NGS) in orbits between 1,100 and 1,300 km (680 and 800 miles). In November 2018, SpaceX announced that they would adapt this plan and send their first 1,600 satellites to an altitude of 550 km (350 mi), where they would sooner out of orbit and burn up in the atmosphere.
As of June 30th, when the latest batch was launched, SpaceX has sent 1,740 Starlink satellites into space (1,635 are currently active) orbiting Earth at altitudes of 540 to 570 km (335.5 to 354 miles). However, lowering the orbit of satellites is hardly a long-term solution. Currently, ESA states that satellites are deployed at a rate of 70 to 90 launches per year, with a growing number of launches injecting 30 or more small satellites simultaneously.
Artist’s impression of the SpaceX spaceship with the payload fairing open. Image Credit: SpaceX
Musk’s proposed solution would be to use the Starship’s fairing, the shell-like structure into which the payload is integrated. In its standard configuration, the payload fairing measures 9 m (29.5 ft) in diameter, allowing for a larger cargo volume than any other launch vehicle (past or present). As it says in the Starship User Guide:
“After integration, the clamshell fairing remains closed during take-off until the payload is ready to deploy … To deploy the payload, the clamshell fairing flap is opened and the payload adapter and payload are tilted in preparation for separation. The payload is then separated using the Mission-Unique-Payload Adapter. If there are multiple payloads on a single mission, a rotating mechanism can be provided so that each satellite can separate at maximum separation.
The Starship configured for debris would likely open its panel door and rely on inertia to pick up debris and trap it in its payload compartment. This is not dissimilar to how blue and humpback whales feed by swimming with their mouths open in schools of krill, crustaceans, or small fish and clipping them together. With an internal volume of 1,100 m3 (38,800 ft3), the fairing could hold debris eight times the size of a Crew Dragon (with trunk).
Of course, the Twitterverse responded with their usual mix of taunts and feedback (my favorite is that SpaceX should paint these spaceships to look like Pacman!). In any case, a space junk disposal spaceship could be an innovative idea and possible solution to the space debris crisis. Given Musk’s high profile involvement in the broadband satellite market, a solution from its corner also makes good business sense.
Further reading: Starlink
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