Space Sail Experiment Expedites Disposal of Satellite - Gizmodo

There’s a lot of junk orbiting our planet, from tiny flecks of paint to defunct rocket stages.

In a space-based test in December 2022 called “Show Me Your Wings,” ADEO was deployed from an ION Satellite Carrier built by private space company D-Orbit.

ADEO successfully pushed the satellite carrier out of its orbit, sending it into the atmosphere to burn up.

“We want to establish a zero debris policy, which means if you bring a spacecraft into orbit you have to remove it,” said ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher in a press release.

ADEO is a 38-square-foot (3.5-square-meter) sail made up of an aluminum-coated polyamide membrane secured to four carbon-fibre reinforced arms that are positioned in an X-shape.

The sail increases surface drag when deployed from a satellite, leading to a more rapidly decaying orbit.