Abstract:
The increasing accumulation of space debris poses a significant threat to the safety of human space activities, making active debris removal an urgent necessity. To address the challenge of batch debris cleaning, this paper proposes a cost-effective scheme leveraging space electrodynamic tether (EDT) technology. The proposed system is realized through a service satellite that integrates the main satellite platform with the debris removal payload. The mission is divided into two key stages: the deployment and retrieval of the tether-based collection system, and the deorbiting of debris using the EDT mechanism. Firstly, a system dynamics model is developed for the tethered satellite system, which comprises the main satellite platform, a debris collector, and an electrodynamic tether. Next, the overall mission control logic is designed, integrating open-loop optimization with closed-loop tracking control strategies. Finally, numerical simulations of a representative mission stage validate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed solution.