A “drag sail” idea designed to assist get space junk out of orbit simply obtained a money infusion.
The Spinnaker idea to deorbit small satellites obtained $375,000 in seed funding from the funding agency Manhattan West, which NASA will match underneath its Small Enterprise Progressive Analysis Section II-Prolonged (SBIR Section II-E) contract.
The mixed $750,000 in funding will pivot Vestigo Aerospace’s product line to industrial manufacturing, the corporate stated in a Purdue University release (opens in new tab), with the primary gross sales anticipated in 2023. (The tech is licensed by Purdue.)
The cash follows on from quite a few discussions within the U.S. space neighborhood about space debris in latest weeks, together with a recent pledge to deal with the rising drawback by the Federal Communications Commission and through coverage from the Biden administration.
Associated: Space junk removal is not going smoothly
“The Spinnaker product line of drag sails addresses the rising want for dependable end-of-mission deorbit functionality … to keep up the sustainability of low Earth orbit,” David Spencer, founder and CEO of Vestigo, stated within the assertion. “Bolt-on dragsails characterize an ‘ounce of prevention’ strategy to the orbital particles drawback that, if left unchecked, may halt the expansion of the orbital economic system.”
Whereas the tech is early-stage, Vestigo did search to check out its Spinnaker3 idea in orbit. Nevertheless, that prototype was destroyed throughout the debut check flight of Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket, which ended with an explosion shortly after liftoff in September 2021.
As soon as operational, the drag sail ought to be accessible for deployment on satellites no matter whether or not they’re purposeful or not, Vestigo stated. “The drag sails may be deployed on command or through a backup timer, offering dependable deorbit functionality even when the host automobile is inoperative,” the discharge said.
Spinnaker is not the one drag sail on the market. The primary spacecraft to show comparable energetic space debris-removal applied sciences deployed from the International Space Station in 2018, and China tested a drag sail of its personal in 2022.
Comply with Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace (opens in new tab). Comply with us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab) or Facebook (opens in new tab).
