OSCaR CubeSats Catch Space Debris on the Cheap

Apr-27-19 The tiny OSCaR CubeSat will autonomously locate and trap space debris with its onboard nets.

Created by researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to offer an affordable way to clear orbiting space debris, the OSCaR (Obsolete Spacecraft Capture and Removal) consists of three linked CubeSat modules each carrying out different functions. The OSCaRs would be transported and released in orbit, where they will each head out for the nearest debris location and use their array of radar, thermal and optical imaging systems to locate the debris. Once in place, the tiny satellites will shoot out their net to ensnare the debris (each OSCaR can capture up to four) before steering themselves into Earth’s atmosphere to burn up on re-entry.

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[SPACE.COM]
[NEWS.RPI.EDU]

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