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Completed TRL 3 (started at 2, targeting 3)
The Decluttering of Earth Orbit to Repurpose for Bespoke Innovative Technologies (DEORBIT) system enables increased transportation and manipulation of materials in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO). It is designed to operate on its own to calculate critical information about an unknown object in space, where it can than maneuver and mobilize the component or call on other assets from a multi-vehicle system to help perform the activity. The system is able to clear and qualify a build zone in LEO to enable safer fabrication in support of successful On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (OSAM). The system further adapts to the manufacturing process to help manipulate components in the construction process, adding value and safety both before and after the start of OSAM procedures. This makes the DEORBIT system a robust dual-purpose technology that enables more efficient OSAM processes and mitigates risks that exist in the localized build site to increase safety and feasibility in the environment.
DEORBIT addresses current needs for debris mitigation in space while also enabling safer and more effective OSAM practices. By locating and removing unwanted or unknown items from targeted zones in LEO, the technology is able to certify the build site for activity while also staying involved in later processes. This leads to a versatile tool for use in practices that expand beyond LEO, where the movement of resources into targeted areas allows for allocation of necessary supplies to arrive ahead of an incoming crew, shifting the risk profile.
The ability to clear zones in LEO and support manufacturing activities reinforces renewable initiatives for debris and materials in microgravity while opening the environment to greater expansion for technologies that require free space to operate. DEORBIT allows more controlled rendezvous efforts that enable greater movement of components and people as human expansion continues deeper into space.
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