Japan creates plasma propulsion engine that could help to clean up space

Japan has created a plasma propulsion engine that could help to clean up space.

A researcher at Tohoku University may just have developed a non-contact method for cleaning up the Earth’s orbit.

This comes as more and more space debris accumulates in our planet’s atmosphere, posing a risk of potential collision.

Most current methods involve making physical contact with the debris, which opens up the risk of entanglement – this new technology is different.

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How Japan will use a plasma propulsion engine to clean up space

We spend so much time trying to solve our litter problem here on Earth that we sometimes forget we have a space debris problem.

Defunct satellites and spent rocket stages are floating up there, posing a risk to active space stations and satellites.

And sometimes they fall back down to Earth, as was the case with this 30-year-old satellite.

Right now, the method for clearing space debris involves making physical contact with it, mostly through the use of robotic arms, tethers, or nets.

The problem with that is that this approach can risk entanglement with debris spinning around in the atmosphere.

“Owing to their uncontrolled motion and velocity exceeding that of bullets, space debris orbiting around Earth poses a serious threat by a significant increase in the potential risk of collisions with satellites that support sustainable human activity in space,” Professor Kazunori Takahashi, an associate professor at Tohoku University, said.

Professor Takahashi has proposed a new approach.

This new approach is called a ‘bidirectional plasma ejection type electrodeless plasma thruster.’

We concede that sounds like a lot of scientific jargon to the Average Joe on the street.

So what does this mean, and how would it work in practice?

A satellite would use its ion engine’s plasma exhaust to knock space debris into the atmosphere to burn up.

Do you remember that episode of The Simpsons where a comet is heading towards Springfield and they’re all scared it’ll wipe the town out?

At the end of that episode, that comet ended up burning in the atmosphere and ended up no bigger than a chihuahua’s head.

Will this idea work in practice?

So far, this concept hasn’t worked as the plasma propulsion engine has pushed the space debris away.

Therefore, two plasma streams were judged to solve the issue.

One would aim to decelerate the debris, whilst the other would counteract the kickback force.

“This propulsion engine applies deceleration force to the target object by ejecting plasma, while avoiding excessive thrust on itself by ejecting another plasma plume in the opposite direction,” Professor Takahashi explained. 

With approximately 14,000 pieces of junk floating in orbit at the moment, now is the time for solutions to be presented to clean up space.

If not, we can expect to see more sights like Californians did back in April 2024.

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