Meet the NASA-approved project that could bring ISS decommissioned satellites and cargo back to Earth using a simple parachute
Outpost Technologies is testing a technological concept that can remove the space rejection of the earth’s orbit. Using a kind of parachute, the company has already managed to save a sample of orbital debris in this way.
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With this project, Outpost intends to bring to life abandoned equipment in space, such as retired satellites and scientific experiments already completed on the International Space Station (ISS).
And the concept is already attracting potential business partners and investors. THE NASAwhich has many reasons to be concerned about the space junk problemawarded Outpost a contract to help develop the project in its early stage. In particular, NASA’s goal is to return to the planet the payload of the ISS, which has been accumulating for decades in the orbital station.
There’s no time left to rescue this waste with spaceships these days, so the hope of cleaning up Earth’s orbit lies with new technologies from private companies, like Outpost.
To accomplish the mission, the company wants to adapt one of its current projects, called the Earth Return Ferry, a reusable satellite that proposes taking experiments from its customers, such as space agencies, and bringing them back. The adaptation has been called the Cargo Ferry, which will be able to bring cargo back to Earth from space stations, such as the ISS. The company promises that the vehicle will be ready much sooner than The ISS will retire in 2030.
Larger loads have to be transported on ships such as Dragon, from SpaceX. The big advantage of the Cargo Ferry, however, is the low cost and the ability to pick up small items with great efficiency. In the case of space junk, the Cargo Ferry will pick up the orbiting satellites with a small vehicle and then guide them through the atmosphere by means of a paraglider (a kind of small parachute) at subsonic speeds. Therefore, the landing will be smooth.
Additionally, the Cargo Ferry will have protection so salvaged equipment will not burn when re-entering the atmosphere. Outpost also intends to send its reusable satellites for deployment and then “fish” for old or decommissioned satellites to clean up Earth’s orbit.
These ideas are still in the early testing stage, but Outpost appears to be busy bringing them to market. The company recently raised $7 million in seed funding, increasing the headcount from 2 to 14 employees.
Source: Outpost technologies
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Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
