Saturday, February 14, 2009

Salvage/Deorbit Prize Suggestion

Space law and satellite collisions; A space salvage challenge - RLV News -

I think a space prize program for salvage or deobiting might be feasible. For example, the first organization to deorbit successfully a spacecraft from a given set of derelicts, whose owners have agreed to the operation, would win a substantial purse. I'm thinking of a small vehicle, most likely with electric propulsion, that would rendezvous with a derelict and place, say, a deorbit tether on it to increase its drag substantially. Perhaps instead of deorbiting, they would "tug" the derelict to a specific parking orbit.