ELSA-d
End of Life Services by Astroscale Demonstration
16 kg technology demonstrator built by SSTL, owned by Astroscale Japan.
To simulate capture of debris and validate technologies to dispose of space
junk.
Carries S-band communications, GPS positioning, and a three-axis control
system. It will also fly an HD camera and lighting to record the capture
sequences during eclipse. A ferromagnetic docking plate with optical markers is
attached to the Target, allowing the ~175 kg Chaser satellite to identify and
estimate attitude before deploying a capture extension mechanism with a
magnetic plate to latch on to the Target satellite (17 kg).
Whilst rendezvous has been performed in orbit in the past,
ELSA-d
will demonstrate the first semi-autonomous capture of a non-responsive,
tumbling Target, as well as the first identification of a Target that is
outside of the field of view of the relative navigation sensors on the
Chaser.
In mid-2021 the satellite successfully performed separation and capture of its
target. In Jan 2022 operations were halted after anomalous spacecraft
conditions were detected.
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