Flytrap Multi-Object Capture Bag for End-of-Life (EOL) Disposal and Relocation to On-Orbit Depot for In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM)

TransAstraÆs FlytrapÖ capture bag systems provide post-mission remediation for defunct satellites and other debris ranging in size from 10 cm to over 10 m diameter.ĀFlytrap is a highly scalable integrated payload using inflatable booms, a rip-resistant fabric bag, a robotic zipper, and a sensing package to fully enclose and safely contain objects for removal. The payload can be sized for host spacecraft ranging in size from a 2U to very large satellites. In this Phase I/II effort, the TransAstra team will develop engineering concepts for capturing multiple objects in one bag during a single trip. Together with University of Michigan (UMICH), we will also design a plan for on-orbit depots where collected debris can be stored and repurposed for in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) applications. The advantage of the Flytrap Capture Bag System is the capability to fully enclose defunct spacecraft of any shape and of scalable size. This method mitigates the risk of creating new debris during interactions with unstable or decomposing spacecraft and will even retain leaking fluids. Currently, an operational spacecraft is required to dispose of itself before it runs out of consumables and before a hardware failure becomes statistically likely. Instead, a scalable method of reliably providing end-of-life transportation, such as TransAstraÆs Capture Bag System, would allow USG to utilize the full lifetime-to-failure of their on-orbit assets, possibly adding years of additional operations. Flytrap improves or reduces the cost of debris mitigation in multiple ways: It removes debris of any shape below the maximum size constraints of a given bag design, regardless of whether pre-launch servicing accommodations were made on the target; a spacecraft using the Capture Bag to remove a debris target does not have to expend as much propellant or time and operational cost precisely matching the spin state of the target; Flytrap design can be scaled to sizes capable of capturing large defunct spacecraft and spent rocket bodies. TransAstra began prototyping Flytrap System in 2017 under NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) funding for our Asteroid Capture and Mining System Architecture. From April to July 2023, under NASA SBIR Ignite Phase 1, we developed a detailed commercial business case (market analysis) and engineering designs to capture large communication satellites and rocket bodies in LEO. Currently, under Phase 2 of that program, a 2-3m flight-like Flytrap will be laboratory tested to capture non-cooperative 1/2 scale mock Starlink units in <18 months. That testbed will serve as the basis for the additional work on multi-object capture proposed here.