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A small cube satellite named SBUDNIC has re-entered Earth’s atmosphere about five years earlier than expected. The student-built satellite was designed to tackle the issue of space junk and was constructed on a shoestring budget, using off-the-shelf supplies. It was equipped with a plastic drag sail made from Kapton polyimide, which helped to push the satellite back down to Earth more quickly than anticipated.

The purpose of SBUDNIC was to demonstrate a practical and cost-effective method to reduce space debris. The success of this proof-of-concept has significant implications for efforts to mitigate the dangers posed by space debris to current and future space vehicles. The total cost of the satellite was approximately ,000, making it much more affordable compared to other proposed solutions.

According to NASA, there are currently over 27,000 pieces of space junk being tracked in Earth’s orbit. This includes human-made objects that no longer serve a useful function and defunct satellites. The accumulation of space debris poses the risk of a chain reaction if a satellite explodes and collides with other satellites in the same orbit. The successful deorbiting of SBUDNIC demonstrates that there are cost-effective measures that can be implemented to combat this issue.

Satellites typically remain in orbit for 25 years or more after they have fulfilled their purpose. To address this problem, the Federal Communications Commission has adopted a new 5-year rule for deorbiting satellites. SBUDNIC’s re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere ahead of schedule is a significant achievement towards achieving this goal.

Overall, the student-built satellite SBUDNIC has successfully demonstrated a low-cost solution to tackle space debris. Its re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere ahead of schedule shows that there are practical and affordable methods to combat the growing issue of space junk.

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