Mitigating Orbital Debris via Responsible System Design

Abstract

The escalating space debris problem threatens satellite operations and space sustainability. This study proposes an intelligent debris removal spacecraft integrating reconfigurable surfaces, optimization algorithms, and ethical design principles. The architecture adapts to diverse debris shapes, ensuring precision targeting and capture efficacy. The development integrates sustainability criteria for responsible manufacturing and end-of-life deorbiting. Quantitative trajectory analysis and case studies of successful projects inform refined workflows. With machine learning enabling responsive debris characterization and risk probabilities alongside stakeholder participation driving conscientious design choices, the system pioneers a contingency-based approach to space preservation. The research underscores technical ingenuity balanced with environmental foresight as instrumental for the principled advancement of aerospace engineering for shared posterity.

Keywords: Electronics, Additive Manufacturing, Spacecraft, Cubesats

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1004629