SBIR-STTR Award

The exponential growth of the number of satellites and other debris in orbit drives an urgent need for orbital debris removal for both the public and the private sector. TransAstra is developing a breakthrough inflatable capture bag technology, the Mini BeeTM Capture Bag (MBCB), which provides a solution to the Active Debris Removal problem. MBCB will enable object capture and deorbit missions with lower complexity and cost than any alternative and fills the commercial need of protecting the burgeoning space economy from the rapid proliferation of dangerous orbital debris. MBCB is superior because it can capture non-cooperative spacecraft or debris of arbitrary shape without hardware accommodations such magnetic components or grapple fixtures. For these reasons, satellite manufacturer Northrop Grumman and PNT constellation developer TrustPoint are turning to TransAstra’s MBCB as a solution. Northrop Grumman SpaceLogistics and TransAstra have begun collaboration on the MBCB based on its potential to solve the orbital debris problem for multiple types of objects. MBCB’s flexibility makes it widely applicable to a broad range of debris removal and hazardous objects capture scenarios. Initially suitable for flight on a ride-share class, in-space logistics vehicle launched into LEO, the MCBC system provides a deployable inflatable capture bag that is capable of fully enclosing small spacecraft for repositioning and de-orbiting, MBCB technology can later scale to much larger sizes.MBCB can thus serve growing commercial and defense needs with no technical changes to the architecture. This SBIR proposal matures the inflatable capture bag and proximity operations technology of MBCB. Anticipated

Benefits:
NASA

Benefits:
Active debris removal for large debris - greater than 10 cm in diameter Non-NASA

Benefits:
End of life disposal for satellites larger than 10cm in diameter

The increasing accumulation of orbital debris has become a critical challenge for space operations and economic development of space, posing a significant threat to the safety and sustainability of the space environment. To address this issue, TransAstra proposes to advance the design, testing, and commercialization of its cutting-edge Apis Capture Bag technology. The Apis Capture Bag is derived from technology originally envisioned for the Asteroid Redirect Mission. It utilizes inflatable booms to deploy a rip-stop bag around the target debris. The bag fully seals before making contact with the target and then retracts to secure the debris safely. This scalable, adaptable, and efficient debris capture and containment system is uniquely designed to tackle a wide range of debris removal missions, from small satellites to large spent rocket bodies. The proposed program encompasses five key Task Areas, focused on addressing the specific technical objectives of rotational dynamics management, capture bag scalability, multi-target confinement, architectural modeling, and space-qualified payload maturation.