Design and Analysis of Preload Control for Space Debris Impact Adhesion Capture Method

Abstract

The growing space debris poses a serious threat to the safety of the space environment, and the necessity and urgency of active space debris removal have reached a consensus around the world. As one of the key technologies for debris removal, space debris capture has received extensive attention from researchers. In this paper, a space debris impact adhesion capture method is proposed, which involves a device integrated with gecko-inspired adhesion material at the front end and connected to the service spacecraft via a tether. The device can be launched from the service spacecraft, collides with the debris target and adheres to the debris surface to capture. The method provides the advantages of standoff distance allowed, high compatibility with different shaped targets and almost no risk of generating new debris. In order to provide a suitable preload for the adhesives, the device is put forward with a variable damping magnetorheological fluid buffer which could adjust the damping force in real time during the impact process to achieve reliable adhesion capture. The damping force fuzzy control method using impact force and remaining buffer stroke as input is designed. The simulations are carried out and the results show the effectiveness of the preload control method, thus proving a promotion for space debris impact adhesion capture method.