Roscosmos cleanse geostationary orbit from debris by using the “Liquidator” – Interfax

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Moscow. On 22 August. INTERFAX.RU – Russian Space Agency plans to create a new spacecraft (SC), designed to clean the geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites of non-performing and boosters (RB), reports “News” newspaper on Friday.

Roskosmos plans to begin work on creating a cleaner space in 2018, the cost of its development 10.8 billion rubles. The completion of the creation of the “Liquidator” (working title) is scheduled for 2025.

“in a geostationary orbit is already close. Task of creating such a device extremely complicated. Artist is not defined. Guess would be considered projects of several manufacturers who have experience establishment and operation of spacecraft in geostationary orbit. This RSC “Energia”, Khrunichev, Lavochkin, ISS Reshetnev. possible to assume that some benefit will be those companies that have greater experience of rendezvous and docking in orbit, since these are technology will be in demand, “- said Alexander Danyluk, first deputy general director TsNIIMASH, head of the scientific organization of Roscosmos.

According to him, one for garbage disposal in space cleaner two: either send the collected cell phones and their parts into a higher orbit where they will not disturb anyone, or to reduce the unit from orbit and to flood the so-called graveyard of spaceships. This is the Pacific near Christmas Island, where direct reducible to the spacecraft orbit.

“News” noted that the Federal Space Agency plans to start cleaning from the geostationary orbit (GSO) located above the equator at an altitude of 36 thousand. Km above sea ​​level. Since the GSO is the most commercially popular: her work Communication and broadcasting satellites. However, 73% of the debris is in low orbits – up to 2 thousand. Km.

The publication also lists the parameters space cleaner listed in the draft Federal Space Program (FCP) in the 2016-2025 period. Weight maintenance of the spacecraft will be 4 m; number of successively stripped SC and RB in one cycle – 10 pcs .; cycle removal – to 6 months .; active lifetime of the device – 10 years, with the possibility of the implementation of at least 20 cycles of removal.

The paper stresses that the problem of space debris is recognized as urgent by all space-faring nations: space debris remnants of space activities impedes the development of new systems and poses a threat to manned missions.

So, in 2009, the American communications satellite system Iridium collided in orbit with overage Russian military communications satellite. As a result, formed about 600 wreckage, each of which carries a new danger.

The leader in the number of orbital debris is China, accounting for 40% of man-made objects in near-Earth space, the United States – 27.5% in Russia – 25.5%, in other countries – 7%. Currently in Earth orbit, according to the US Space Surveillance Network, there are 16.2 thousand. Objects, collision that lead to the destruction of the spacecraft, added “The News”.