Earlier this year, we discussed the extent to which “Space junk should be a concern” where one of the goals was to show that we are currently feeding space with a lot of garbage from rocket launches, and a solution for solving the problem is to equip each large satellite with an auxiliary thruster, so when the satellite reaches its expiration date, the thruster fires and sends the extinct satellite upward into a more spacious graveyard orbit, where the atmosphere is much thinner. He could stay there safely for millions of years, out of sight, out of mind and, with luck, out of the way back to earth.
But it seems that we now have one more solution that is being studied. A group of mechanical engineers led by Jake J. Abbott, teacher of University of Utah, designed a new plan that uses rotating magnets to manipulate space debris, facilitating its management and simplifying its collection. The engineers' solution intends to subject space debris to a moving magnetic field, allowing the circulation of electrons in the metallic debris. In this way, engineers will be able to move space debris wherever they want, without having to touch it.
Second Jake J. Abbott what you want to do is manipulate the thing, not only push it, but also manipulate it as you do on Earth. This form of manipulation, of dexterity, had never been used before.
In addition to representing a solution to (increasing) space debris, this method could also be used to repair a damaged satellite. In other words, engineers and astronauts would be able to repair it without having to take it out of orbit, something that was thought not possible until now. Right now, the team of engineers is just pioneering the new technique, realizing its implications and effective reliability.
