Riccardo Benvenuto

TL;DR: In this article, the authors show that tethered-net systems are a promising technology to capture and remove space debris and discuss the main difficulties that are likely to take place during capture and disposal phases, particularly from a GNC point of view.

TL;DR: It is demonstrated, as a major novel contribution, how friction between the net and a tumbling target allows reducing its angular motion, stabilizing the system and allowing safer towing operations, giving engineering answers to most challenging open points to lead to a ready to flight solution.

TL;DR: The architecture of the thrown-net dynamics simulator together with the set-up of the deployment experiment and its trajectory reconstruction results on a parabolic flight are presented.

TL;DR: The paper presents the design, characterization and testbed setting up of a possible general purpose solution: a net, shut from an active satellite that embraces the debris element, closes around it and drag it to the disposal position in space thanks to a tethered connection.