Experimental study on penetration characteristics of metal harpoons with various tip shapes for capturing space debris

Abstract

Harpoons can be used to remove space debris, which has become a significant problem. In this study, the penetration behavior of various harpoon tip shapes on a fixed target at oblique angles of 0°, 30°, and 45° was investigated. The penetration behaviors of four types of harpoon tips, namely conical, spherical, flat, and double-bladed, were evaluated and compared. Each type of harpoon tip exhibited unique penetration characteristics. It was observed that although the penetration velocities of the flat and double-bladed tips were lower than the penetration velocity of the conical tip, the hole in the conical tip generated a holding force after debris capture. In addition, the double-bladed tip generated new debris after penetration. The shape of the harpoon tip should be selected based on an overall evaluation, including the holding force after debris capture. The conical tip was found to be the most appropriate because it exhibited the largest holding force after penetration; however, its penetration velocity was higher than that of the flat and double-bladed tips when its side first hit the target.