Airbus 'Detumbler' Aims to Keep Dead Satellites Tumbling in the Earth's Orbit—How It Works

Airbus' latest venture is fighting against the uncontrollable problem of tumbling dead satellites left behind in the Earth's orbit with the so-called 'Detumbler,' looking to keep these in place. The problem of Earth's orbit is massive, as after a satellite's life or purpose, they are left behind, and in some cases, contributing to the space garbage problem which is a massive concern now.

The new technology from Airbus aims to prevent these left-behind techs from doing so, but there is still a need to address this pollution issue in space.

Airbus 'Detumbler' Aims to Keep Dead Satellites at Bay

Soon, the problem of space junk will see aid from Airbus' development called the "Detumbler," a device that it already launched last weekend, November 11, aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9's rideshare program. This development will soon associate with Exotrail and EnduroSat by early 2024, looking at its testing phase among the satellites coming next year.

In 2021, Airbus developed this technology with support from the French Space Agency CNES, as part of the Tech4SpaceCare initiative.

The Detumbler is a magnetic dampening device that features a central rotor wheel and magnets that can interact with the planet's magnetic field, a piece that would be attached to satellites.

No More Tumbling Dead Satellite in Earth's Orbit?

According to Airbus, the Detumbler would prevent the dead or decommissioned satellite from tumbling uncontrollably in orbit, and this centers on the significant space garbage floating around. The rotor movement of the Detumbler will induce "eddy currents" that would deliver friction torque-like forces to "dampen" the motion of the satellite floating around the planet.

Space Garbage: The Apparent Pollution Now

Space garbage is a massive problem faced by the world now, and this growing concern is baffling astronomers and scientists about its potentially harmful effects on humans, both in the present and future. It was previously regarded by experts that this space junk may soon trap humans on Earth, with a claim saying that it could close people off from the rest of the cosmos.

Not only does space junk pose a threat in the future, but it is also creating problems now for astronauts and instruments present in orbit. It was previously reported that the International Space Station recently fired its thrusters yet again to propel it away from an impending collision course with Russian space debris, something which it already avoided before.

The new goal for different national governing bodies is to reduce the amount of space junk now in orbit, asking to decommission them immediately after their intended use. However, while waiting for their decommissioning period, they stay in space and are "dead" floating, something which Airbus' Detumbler attachment aims to keep in place using magnets that would help avoid incidents.