JP3175329B2 - Space drifting object capture device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for capturing a space drifting object which is attached to an artificial satellite to capture an object drifting in space such as space debris and cosmic dust.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Many objects (garbage) continue to float in outer space. Among them are the remains of satellites and rockets that have completed their duties. 1μ ~
Cosmic dust (cosmic dust), a fine particle of about several hundred microns
There is.

[0003] Of these space drifting substances, the space debris increases with progress in space development, and includes space debris whose size can be observed from the ground.
There are even small objects that do not affect the observation equipment, and there is a risk of collision with these satellites currently operating in space.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need to recover the above-mentioned object floating in the outer space, and plans have been made for that purpose.

As a catcher proposed to date, as shown in FIG. 6, there is a trap-type configuration in which a flat plate 1 made of a soft metal such as aluminum is stacked in multiple stages with an appropriate gap. .

[0006]

However, the above flat plate 1
In the configuration in which the space drifting object 2 collides, as shown in an example in FIG.
, And enters the depth of the catcher I, so that the drifting object 2 can be captured. However, since the flat plates 1 are merely stacked with a predetermined gap, one flat plate 1 There are few places where the object 2 that has broken into and rushed into is entangled.
It is thought that the rate of escape to space again increases, and the capture rate becomes worse.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a device for capturing a drifting space object in which the capture of the drifting object can be performed more reliably and the entry direction of the drifting space object can be easily grasped.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a flat plate made of a soft metal such as aluminum which is broken when a space drifting object collides and which has a hole. A box having a multilayer structure, in which a partitioning flat plate portion formed by assembling a narrow plate of soft metal similar to the material of the flat plate in a lattice shape or a honeycomb shape in the horizontal direction is sandwiched between the flat plates to be stacked. Configuration.

In addition, a space formed by the flat plate to be overlapped and the flat plate of the partition flat plate sandwiched therebetween is filled with a soft substance such as rubber, plastic or the like which makes it difficult for the rushing space drifting object to escape. The configuration is as follows.

[0010]

When an object drifting in the space collides, it enters the flat plate with a hole, and at this time, the narrow flat plate in the partition plate between the flat plates can also be formed with a hole. The direction of flight of the object can be determined from this direction of entry,
The collision energy of the object can be determined by the depth of the hole, etc., and the entering object has a partition flat plate in addition to the flat plate. Can be reliably captured. Further, a space formed by the flat plate to be overlapped and the flat plate of the partition flat plate sandwiched therebetween is filled with a soft substance such as rubber, plastic or the like which makes it difficult for the rushing space drifting object to escape. With this configuration, it is possible to more reliably capture the entering space drifting object.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 to 3 show an embodiment of the present invention, in which a rectangular-shaped soft metal having a required thickness (for example,
In order to superimpose the flat plates 1 of aluminum or the like horizontally while maintaining a required gap and to keep the flat plates 1 in a box shape having a multilayer structure, spacers and side plates formed of a narrow flat plate of a soft metal around the periphery. 4, the partition plate 5 is constructed by assembling a narrow plate 6 made of a soft metal and having the same width as the spacer / side plate 4 in a lattice shape. 5 is inserted into the space between the superposed flat plates 1 so that the space drifting object 2 can penetrate not only the horizontal flat plate 1 but also the flat plate 6 of the vertical partition flat plate portion 5 through the hole 3. I do.

The spacer / side plate 4 is shown in FIG.
As shown in (2), a configuration may be adopted in which the two are integrated by disposing them in advance around the partitioning flat plate portion 5, and the flat plate 1 is alternately overlapped with the flat plate 1. 7, an artificial satellite; and 8, a manipulator.

When used in space, the capture device A of the present invention is attached to the artificial satellite 7 via the manipulator 8, and when the artificial satellite 7 flies in a geosynchronous orbit, the manipulator 8 automatically stretches it like an antenna. Let it go out.

During flight of the artificial satellite 7, when a space drifting object 2 such as space debris collides with the flat plate 1 on the surface, the flat plate 1 has a hole 3 and the object 2 enters. The rushing object 2 sequentially breaks the flat plate 1 or the narrow flat plate 6 of the partitioning flat plate portion 5 depending on the rushing direction, and enters.

The direction of connecting the holes 3 formed by the object 2 depending on which flat plate 6 of the partitioning plate portion 5 the object 2 that has entered the flat plate 1 on the front surface with the hole 3 opened and pierced. It can be seen that the object 2 has entered, so that the flight direction of the object 2 in space can be easily obtained, and the collision energy of the object 2 can be further reduced by the holes 3 which are successively broken and formed. Can be determined accurately. Also, the object 2 that has penetrated the flat plate 1 with a hole as described above
When only the flat plate 1 is used, there is a possibility that the flat plate 1 is returned to the outer space from the hole 3. However, since the grid-shaped partitioning flat plate portion 5 is interposed between the flat plates 1 to increase the inner area, the flat plate 1 is broken. When the entered object 2 breaks the flat plate 6 of the partitioning flat plate portion 5 and enters, the incoming object tends to be caught on the flat plate 6 of the partitioning flat plate portion 5 when trying to return, and the object 2 becomes cosmic. It is possible to reduce the ratio of escaping to the space, and it is possible to reliably capture the object 2 and increase the capture rate.

FIG. 4 shows another modification of the present invention, in which the phase of the flat plate 6 of the partition flat plate portion 5 is shifted for each layer.

In the case of this example, for example, when the object 2 enters from an oblique direction, the position of the
In this case, it is possible to make it easier to determine whether the object 2 has entered by making the hole 3 and to easily measure the flight direction of the object 2.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in which rubber, plastic, and the like are formed in a large number of spaces defined between the superposed flat plate 1 and the flat plate 6 of the partition flat plate portion 5. The object 2 is filled with a soft material 9 such as metal and the like, and the entering object 2 is easily captured.

According to this embodiment, since the object 2 which has broken into the flat plate 1 and the flat plate 6 of the partition flat plate portion 5 has also entered the soft material 9, it has entered the soft material 9. There is an advantage that the object 2 becomes difficult to escape, and the object 2 can be captured more reliably.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but shows a case where the partitioning plate portion 5 is assembled in a lattice shape. Instead, the partition plate portion 5 which is formed in a honeycomb shape is used. Of course, various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0022]

As described above, according to the apparatus for capturing a space drifting object of the present invention, a flat plate made of a soft metal such as aluminum which is broken when a space drifting object collides and has a hole is maintained at a required interval. The horizontal plate is overlapped, and a partition plate portion formed by assembling a narrow plate of soft metal similar to the material of the plate into a lattice shape or a honeycomb shape is sandwiched between the laminated plates to form a multilayer structure. Because it is a box-shaped configuration, when a space drifting object such as space debris collides, it must not only pierce the flat plate but also pierce the flat plate of the partition flat part. By connecting the holes formed in the flat plate and the flat plate of the partition flat plate, the flight direction of the space drifting object can be accurately obtained, and the impingement of the space drifting object can be determined by the broken hole. Energy can be accurately obtained, and the intruding space drifting object can easily catch on the flat plate of the partition plate, reducing the amount returned to outer space again, and ensuring the capture of the space drifting object. In addition, a space formed by a flat plate to be overlapped and a flat plate of a partition flat plate sandwiched therebetween is filled with a soft substance such as rubber, plastic or the like which makes it difficult for an intruding space drifting object to escape. By doing so, it is possible to obtain excellent effects such as making it difficult for escaped space drifting objects to escape and capturing them more reliably.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a cut perspective view and (b) is an exploded perspective view.

FIG. 2 is a state diagram when a space drifting object enters.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing an example of use of the apparatus for capturing a space drifting object of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cut-away side view showing a modification of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cut-away side view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a situation when a space drifting object enters a conventional trap.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A Capture device of the present invention 1 Flat plate 2 Drifting object in space 3 Hole 5 Partition flat plate 6 Narrow flat plate (flat plate) 9 Soft substance

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A flat plate (1) made of a soft metal such as aluminum, which is broken when a space drifting object (2) collides and has a hole (3), is horizontally overlapped at a required interval, and A flat plate (5) obtained by assembling a narrow flat plate (6) of a soft metal similar to the material of the flat plate (1) into a grid or a honeycomb shape is combined with the flat plate (1).
An apparatus for capturing a drifting object in space, which is sandwiched between and has a multi-layered box shape. 2. A space drifting object (2) rushing into a space formed by a flat plate (1) to be overlapped and a flat plate (6) of a partition flat plate (5) sandwiched therebetween is hard to escape. 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus is filled with a soft substance (9) such as rubber, plastic or the like.