This space sail will cause satellites to 'fall' out of orbit

The Drag Wing ADEO (Drag Augmentation Deorbiting System) was developed by High Performance Space Structure Systems for deorbiting

In space tests conducted in December 2022, ADEO was deployedon a satellite platform called ION Satellite Carrier, owned by the private space company D-Orbit.ADEO successfully knocked the satellite platform out of orbit, causing it to collapse in the atmosphere.

The European Space Agency hopes thatADEO will help prevent future decommissioned satellites from becoming orbital space debris, which could pose a serious threat to space operations.

“We want to establish a zero waste policy andthis means that if you put a spacecraft into orbit, you should be able to dispose of it,” said ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher.

ADEO is a large sail area3.5 sq. m, consisting of a polyamide and aluminum membrane, it is fixed with four X-shaped levers reinforced with carbon fiber. The sail increases surface drag when deployed to the satellite, causing the satellite to rapidly "fall" out of orbit. ADEO can also be scaled up or down depending on the size of the satellite it's connected to. The largest version of the sail can reach up to 100 square meters. m, and the smallest - about 3.5 square meters. m.

NASA estimates that there are about 27,000 pieces of space debris revolving around the Earth, most of which are slightly larger than a tennis ball and move at a speed of about 11.2 thousand km / h.

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