Aerospace company Firefly Aerospace has signed a new contract with the US Defense Innovation Division (GOD) and the Space Development Agency (SDA) to develop a mission for disposal and de-orbiting of satellites. Within the framework of this agreement, the company will perform a preliminary analysis of the project (Preliminary Design Review – PDR) of the specialized mission of disposing of space vehicles, who have served their term.
The basis for this mission will be the universal orbital maneuvering vehicle Elytra (in Elytra Dawn configuration). The main goal of the initiative – cleaning the Earth's outer space and combating the accumulation of space debris.
According to the concept:
Launching and maneuvering: The Elytra spacecraft is launched into low Earth orbit (LEO), after which it flies to the client's target object on its own.
Approach and inspection: The device performs autonomous convergence operations, examines the satellite and performs a safe capture.
Utilization: Elytra uses its own propulsion system, to direct the spent satellite towards the Earth for further combustion in the atmosphere or push it to a higher "burial orbit".
The platform is designed as a universal scalable system, capable of serving satellites of various sizes at low (LEO), medium (MEO) and geostationary (GEO) orbits.
The space tug Elytra is created on the basis of proven technologies. It uses the same components, as did the Alpha launch vehicle and Firefly's Blue Ghost lunar lander (in particular, on-board avionics and composite structures).
This disposal contract is part of Firefly's broader collaboration with the US Department of Defense.
Disposal of satellites "as a service" (Deorbit-as-a-Service) is becoming a new important trend for the Pentagon, and Firefly entered the top three companies (along with D-Orbit USA and Katalyst Space Technologies), who received funding to develop these technologies.
Source: https://www.satnow.com