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A prototype satellite named SBUDNIC, built by students at Brown University, Rhode Island, has successfully fulfilled its purpose of testing a deployable drag sail to de-orbit satellites. The CubeSat design utilized low-cost commercial components and featured a drag sail made from Kapton polyimide film, along with structural supports made from thin aluminum tubing. Once in orbit, the drag sail deployed, creating drag and causing the satellite’s orbit to decay.

The goal of the project was to address the problem of low Earth orbit becoming overcrowded with defunct satellites that have reached the end of their life. The successful demonstration of the SBUDNIC prototype opens the possibility for future satellites to incorporate a similar mechanism to facilitate their de-orbiting at the end of their lifespan.

SBUDNIC was launched aboard the SpaceX Transporter 5 mission in May of the previous year along with several other small satellites. The drag sail deployed at an altitude of approximately 520 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. Tracking data obtained from the US Space Command confirmed that SBUDNIC’s orbit decayed faster than comparable satellites deployed to a similar orbit during the same mission. Its last known altitude was 146 kilometers on August 8, after which it is presumed to have burned up in the atmosphere.

Previous predictions estimated that the drag device would reduce SBUDNIC’s orbital lifetime to as little as 6.5 years, compared to over 20 years without the device. The success of the prototype demonstrates an affordable and effective method for de-orbiting space junk after a satellite’s mission has ended.

The drag sail concept offers a more cost-effective solution compared to other methods, such as space tow trucks or nets to capture and remove orbital debris. By incorporating a drag device onto satellites, the duration of time they spend in space can be significantly reduced.

While this solution addresses future satellites, it does not directly tackle existing space junk. However, the successful demonstration of the SBUDNIC prototype contributes to reducing the amount of space debris and freeing up valuable space in Earth’s orbit.

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