Space debris Junk hunting
搜尋太空垃圾
The second CubeSat will test the sensors of RemoveDEBRIS. This trial will use cameras and a lidar (an optical version of radar) aboard the mothership to build up a detailed three-dimensional image of the object. If that works it will permit future clean-up vehicles to recognise what they are dealing with, and react appropriately.
立方體衛(wèi)星進(jìn)行的第二項(xiàng)試驗(yàn)將是測(cè)試?yán)謇硖綔y(cè)器。這項(xiàng)試驗(yàn)將使用搭載于母衛(wèi)星上的相機(jī)和雷達(dá)（定制的光學(xué)雷達(dá)）來(lái)為目標(biāo)構(gòu)建一個(gè)三維圖像。如果這項(xiàng)試驗(yàn)成功，將使得后續(xù)的清理衛(wèi)星能夠分辨出所清理的垃圾形態(tài)，以便其處理。
In the third experiment, Remove-DEBRIS will extend a 1.5-metre-long arm that holds a 10cm-square target. It will then fire a harpoon at the target. The idea is that harpoons could be used to pierce some items of space debris and, like the net in the first experiment, then haul them in. The final experiment is intended to ensure that RemoveDEBRIS and its captured items do not themselves become space junk. The mother ship will deploy a ten square-metre plastic membrane, supported by four carbon-fibre booms, to act as a “drag sail” that will employ the limited atmosphere at this altitude to pull the craft downward to the fiery death of re-entry.
在第三項(xiàng)試驗(yàn)中，垃圾清理器將伸展出 1.5 米長(zhǎng)的手臂手臂前端有一個(gè) 10 厘米長(zhǎng)度的立方體目標(biāo)。屆時(shí)會(huì)向這個(gè)目標(biāo)發(fā)射一個(gè)魚叉。其意義在于這個(gè)魚叉將用于刺住打孔垃圾，正如在第一項(xiàng)試驗(yàn)中的漁網(wǎng)一樣，然后將垃圾拉回來(lái)。最后一項(xiàng)試驗(yàn)是為了確保這個(gè)垃圾清理器以及其所捕捉的太空垃圾本身不會(huì)成為太空垃圾。母衛(wèi)星將展開(kāi)一面十平方米的塑料膜，由四個(gè)碳纖維吊桿支撐，這個(gè)塑料膜將扮演“海錨”的角色，通過(guò)利用在這個(gè)高度存在的微薄大氣來(lái)講飛船拉入烈焰般的重入大氣層。
If space-debris capture systems like this succeed, then future missions could start to go after some of the most worrying bits of junk. Such ventures could be commercial, according to Guglielmo Aglietti, director of the Surrey Space Centre, if governments (probably acting collectively) were willing to pay to keep space clean so as not to damage their own activities and those of their citizens. There are already guidelines to try to limit the accumulation of space junk. Defunct satellites should be disposed of within 25 years, either by being tipped into re-entry or parked in an out-of-the way “graveyard” orbit. But the rules are not always followed and a lot of older debris remains in orbit. A bounty on removing the most threatening hulks might even see the launch of a new space business.
如果這套太空垃圾捕獲系統(tǒng)能夠成功，那么在未來(lái)的任務(wù)將會(huì)開(kāi)始清理那些最讓人擔(dān)心的太空垃圾。Surrey Space Centre 的局長(zhǎng) Guglielmo Aglietti 表示，如果政府愿意花錢來(lái)保持太空的清潔以避免其危害政府的太空活動(dòng)以及民間的太空活動(dòng)，那么清理太空垃圾的任務(wù)可以變得商業(yè)化。目前已經(jīng)有了針對(duì)限制太空垃圾增加的行動(dòng)準(zhǔn)則。失效的衛(wèi)星應(yīng)當(dāng)在 25 年之內(nèi)完成清理工作，要么讓其重返大氣層，要么將其停在“墳場(chǎng)”軌道。但是這些準(zhǔn)備并沒(méi)有得到有效遵循，同樣還有很多歷史垃圾停留在軌道上。一項(xiàng)用于清理威脅性最大的太空垃圾獎(jiǎng)金甚至可能依法一門新的太空生意。
