Building the future for new generations: StartRocket develops technology to remove space debris by space foam

StartRocket is a space exploration and technology start-up founded in 2018 by Vlad Sitnikov, one of the key experts in the advertising industry. The company gained worldwide attention after the announcement of the Orbital Display project launch. It caused a huge media outcry and a virulent public debate.

After receiving many comments and a lot of constructive criticism on the Orbital Display, we saw clearly that society and the science community care much more about the problem of space pollution around the Earth that threatens the future of space discovery and endangers the launch of research missions. We decided we can help humankind by taking up this new project.

The man behind the project, Aleksei Fedorov, is a chemical technology engineer with 20 years’ experience managing chemical plants in Russia, Germany, and Saudi Arabia. Through his line of work, Aleksei has come to realize that space exploration technology is in need of new materials, capable of solving the space debris removal problem.

The problem

Over just a few short decades of space exploration, the near-Earth space has been transformed into a veritable dump. Over 500,000 pieces of useless objects and man-made rubbish are currently being tracked as they orbit the Earth. Worse still is that the rubbish is moving at a breakneck speed of 28,000 kilometres per hour. At that speed, a collision with even a small debris item can cause a spacecraft to break down substantially and endanger its crew’s lives. The amount of debris is growing year on year, and as a result, new spacecraft launches are becoming increasingly dangerous. If we don’t resolve the situation now, missions to other galaxies and exploration of other planets will still be epic, albeit chimerical plans.

The mission

We want to make space accessible to all. The StartRocket team, together with experts in space and chemical industry, is developing unique technology for cleaning near-Earth debris using polymer foam. To test this foam and its ability to capture debris in zero gravity, we’ll have to build a small satellite, the Test Foam Sat (TFS).

Our solution is simple and scalable, and we are ready to give it away to humankind so that, in the future, any university or public organization will be able to send its own rubbish collector into orbit at minimal expense.

We also want to present the new material to the world. Debris removal is just one of the many possible ways to use polymeric foam in space, allowing us to create objects of various sizes and shapes quickly and right there, in space – it is much easier and more convenient than the resource-intensive launch of bulky metal structures into orbit. Together we can think up a range of different applications for it.

The solution

Small satellites delivered into their intended orbit will help catch space debris by releasing foam-fibre traps. Upon colliding with such a trap, an item of debris will stick to it and will be de-orbited under the influence of aerodynamic drag, subsequently burning up in the dense layers of the atmosphere.

We are leaving the patent for this technology open and, therefore, free to be used by anyone. Project supporters will be helping us achieve the noble goal of creating the solution to clear up space and making it accessible to all mankind.

To successfully complete the first mission we need to go through three stages:

1. Find and test the correct composition of foam in a laboratory
2. Launch a small satellite to test the properties of the foam in space
3. Place a fully-fledged satellite trap into orbit and collect debris

Our priority task is to find foam which will solidify fast enough at a minus temperature in outer space with the aid of radiation and monatomic oxygen, as well as to develop and launch a small satellite to test this foam in space.

The foam

We intend to use the following system: Polytetrafluoroethylene - Polydimethylsiloxane - Dimethyl ether - Isobornyl acrylate - Trichlorofluoromethane - Surface active agent. These substances are somewhat incompatible, but our starting point is their innate properties and behaviour. The expected density of the hard foam is 1-20 kg per m³. As soon as a positive result has been obtained in the lab we will proceed to test it in space.

Test Foam Satellite (TFS)

Construction and launch of Test Foam Sat (TFC) – a compact device for testing polymer foam in zero gravity. The satellite, powered by solar panels and a fixed 3D printer, will be launched into orbit with a passing load on any launch vehicle. On command from the Earth, the printer will print a simple-shaped element: a doughnut (toroid). Cameras will allow engineers to conduct photo and video surveillance so that we could evaluate the results of the experiment.

The first stage will result in the development and launch of the first small TFS, as well as in obtaining the foam’s chemical formula and receiving the patent thus ensuring that an open patent is in place to use the formula.

The reward system

To thank our backers, we have come up with a reward system.

List of rewards:

• Thank-you letter - £1
• Publication of your surname in a dedicated section of the website along with access to exclusive news on the project - £5
• A personalized digital icon which you can use as a profile picture and wallpapers for your computer or smartphone - £10
• A chance to participate in an online seminar with members of our team - £30
• An invitation to a ‘digital’ party with the creators of the project - £500
• Backer’s initials in the name of the foam - £8000

Financial objective

Project timeline

Subsequent goals

The project has already received support in international media and has also gained interest from the professional community. In addition, the company received several requests for cooperation from various business communities. All this reveals the prospects of the project and our strong global intentions – to clear space from debris, making it open for further study and gradual human development.

What we offer

Alternative ideas for space debris collection are complex and expensive (nets and magnets), and some involve weapons (lasers, harpoons), which are prohibited in space. What we are proposing is a cheaper and simpler solution. This solution doesn’t involve docking debris with the use of fragile hi-tech devices. The foam construction increases the docking area and easily attaches itself to uneven bodies while rotating at high speeds.

Another important thing is that we don’t plan to derive profits from this venture: we intend for it to be a gift for mankind making the technology accessible to all and widely available.

Another virtue of our project is our team of professionals who possess all the relevant know-how and simply want to make the world a better place.

For more details about the project, please visit https://securingspace.com 

Risks

The main risk of the project is that finding the optimal composition of the foam may take more time than first thought. However, this does not so much impact on the success of the project as merely adjust the time frame in which it will be implemented.

There are wider risks involved in that the foam may behave unpredictably or unfavourably in outer space conditions, that is:

• The original substances self-polymerize before the foam has a chance to form
• The components aren’t squeezed out of their vessels
• The foam isn’t squeezed out from the extrusion device
• The foam which is squeezed out doesn’t solidify within the expected time period
• The solidified foam turns out to be too brittle
• The material forms as open-cell rather than closed-cell foam.

We, therefore, won’t consider situations as setbacks if all the components are squeezed out of the vessels and react. However, we would consider the following as setbacks:

• The foam forms a sphere at the end of the CubeSat
• The structural section proves incorrect, given that the main goal of the mission is to develop a practicable composite formula.