An apparatus communication device (950) communicates with at least one of a parent satellite (310) and a child satellite (320). A control unit (110) generates a control command (51) to capture debris by sandwiching the debris between the parent satellite (310) and the child satellite (320) and carry out an active control operation during orbital descent on a flying object which is the parent satellite (310), the debris, and the child satellite (320) being connected together. Then, the control unit (110) transmits the control command (51) to at least one of the parent satellite (310) and the child satellite (320) via the apparatus communication device (950).

Provided is a space vehicle that includes: a main body; a movable portion configured to reciprocate in an axial direction with respect to the main body; and a magnetic force generation unit attached to a distal end of the movable portion, and attracts, by a magnetic force, a platelike body attached to an object in outer space. The magnetic force generation unit includes: a magnet support member attached to a distal end of the movable portion via a buffer elastic body; and a plurality of permanent magnets laid on a surface of the magnet support member to form an attraction region. When a drive unit moves the movable portion away from the main body, the attraction region protrudes from the main body while maintaining a fixed orientation crossing the axial direction, and is changeable in position and/or orientation by the buffer elastic body when an external force is applied.

A capture system adapted to capture a target space object, including a plurality of articulated arms configured to be deployable from a stowed configuration to a deployed configuration to perform capture of the target space object. Each articulated arm includes a plurality of articulated arm segments including a first articulated arm segment coupled at a proximal end to a spacecraft or to a platform deployable from the spacecraft via a first pivoting joint and at least a second articulated arm segment coupled at a proximal end to a distal end of the first articulated arm segment via a second pivoting joint. In one aspect of the capture system, the plurality of articulated arm segments are nestable one within the other, in the stowed configuration, such that the first and second articulated arm segments are intertwined.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method comprising: propelling a servicing spacecraft to an object; deploying one or more counter mass(es) away from a servicing spacecraft bus to offset the center of mass of the servicing spacecraft into an empty volume; approaching the object, by the servicing spacecraft; positioning the center of mass of the servicing spacecraft in approximately the same location as the center of mass of the object; imparting angular momentum to the servicing spacecraft to match the tumble rate of the object; and contacting the object with one or more mechanical attachments to the servicing spacecraft.

Disclosed are a method, a device, an apparatus for capturing a non-cooperative target using a space robotic arm, and a non-transitory storage medium, and relates to the technical field of on-orbit servicing. The method is applied to a space robotic arm with a magnetic capture device as an end actuator. The method includes: establishing a magnetic attractive force model for the magnetic capture device, determining a magnetic attractive force characteristic of the magnetic capture device based on the magnetic attractive force model, determining a capture strategy for the non-cooperative target based on the magnetic attractive force characteristic of the magnetic capture device, capturing the non-cooperative target according to the capture strategy, and determining whether the non-cooperative target is captured based on a preset determination condition.

Disclosed are a system and a method for capturing a space target. The system includes a plurality of capturing devices, a delivery device, a launching device, and a deceleration and recovery device, each of the plurality of capturing devices is configured to be launched into a target orbit to capture a defunct space target, the delivery device is configured to deliver, along a preset delivery trajectory, each of the plurality of capturing devices to a first preset location in the launching device, the launching device is configured to launch each of the plurality of capturing devices located at the first preset location into the target orbit to capture the defunct space target, and the deceleration and recovery device is configured to decelerate each of the plurality of capturing devices after it is launched and flies a preset distance.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for rendezvous with an orbiting object comprising: launching a tug and a servicer into a client orbit; separating the servicer from the tug; and docking the servicer with a client. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided system for rendezvous with an orbiting object comprising: a first spacecraft raft comprising a tug capable of towing a second spacecraft, wherein the second spacecraft is a servicer configured to dock with a tumbling client orbiting object.

An apparatus communication device (950) communicates with at least one of a parent satellite (310) and a child satellite (320). A control unit (110) generates a control command (51) to capture debris by sandwiching the debris between the parent satellite (310) and the child satellite (320) and carry out an active control operation during orbital descent on a flying object which is the parent satellite (310), the debris, and the child satellite (320) being connected together. Then, the control unit (110) transmits the control command (51) to at least one of the parent satellite (310) and the child satellite (320) via the apparatus communication device (950).

A thrust generating device according to the present invention is a thrust generating device for irradiating a target with a laser beam to generate thrust for the target, the thrust generating device including: a laser beam generating device that generates a first laser beam having a first wavelength and a second laser beam having a second wavelength different from the first wavelength; and an irradiation device that simultaneously irradiates the target with the first laser beam and the second laser beam. The second wavelength may be a wavelength having a high absorptivity in the target than the first wavelength, and the intensity of the second laser beam may be lower than that of the first laser beam. Further, the second laser beam may be generated by converting the wavelength of the first laser beam.

A pin array release and capture chamber system includes a chamber assembly having two parallel plates of pin arrays from which a plurality of pins extends and retract vertically opposite each other so as to release and capture a space vehicle. The pin arrays are separated from each other by a space having two vertical and two horizontal sides, and the space is sized so as to receive the space vehicle. Each pin arrays may be housed in a pin array chamber enclosure. The chamber assembly may be attached to a moving object, such as a host space vessel.