TransAstra Secures NASA Contract, Partners With ThinkOrbital On Debris Capture Bag System

TransAstra, a pioneering space logistics startup, has secured an initial contract from NASA to manufacture an innovative inflatable capture bag designed to tackle the growing problem of orbital debris.

Under the Phase 2 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract, valued at $850,000, TransAstra will create and demonstrate an inflatable capture bag that utilizes inflatable struts for opening and closing, effectively enveloping noncooperative space objects.

The concept of the capture bag was originally conceived at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory for the Asteroid Redirect Mission, which aimed to redirect a near-Earth asteroid to cislunar orbit. TransAstra had previously developed a small-scale capture bag in 2021 with funding from NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts program. This new contract is part of NASA's SBIR Ignite program, designed to support early-stage technologies with potential commercial applications.

Credit: TransAstra

Credit: TransAstra

While the initial prototype was aimed at demonstrating asteroid mining in low-Earth orbit, TransAstra quickly recognized its potential for orbital debris cleanup. Unlike other methods, the capture bag doesn't require a specific fixture on the target object for grasping, eliminating the need for precision docking maneuvers.

The capture bag technology holds promise in addressing various sizes of space debris. It could retrieve small objects like cubesats, as well as larger debris such as spent rocket bodies, defunct satellites, and even massive asteroids weighing up to 50,000 tons.

One advantage of the capture bag is its potential to collect multiple objects in a single mission, reducing the need for multiple trips and saving significant propellant.

TransAstra has teamed up with space infrastructure startup ThinkOrbital to propose an innovative approach to debris cleanup.

Credit: TransAstra

They envision launching capture bags using TransAstra Worker Bee spacecraft. Once in the vicinity of the targeted debris, the Worker Bee would transport the captured debris to ThinkOrbital's proposed ThinkPlatform—an on-orbit processing station with inspection, repair, and recycling capabilities.

Credit: TransAstra

A recent study conducted by TransAstra and ThinkOrbital demonstrated the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of this approach. On-orbit recycling and reusing of space hardware were shown to substantially reduce costs, propellant usage, and time needed for debris clearance. This approach holds the potential to not only address the urgent issue of space debris but also pave the way for in-space manufacturing and construction.

The collaboration's findings are based on extensive computer simulations that compared the costs and requirements of disposing of debris at an orbital platform versus capturing debris for disposal in Earth's atmosphere. The results showed consistent benefits across various debris masses and orbital altitudes.

As the space industry continues to expand, the accumulation of orbital debris poses a significant challenge. TransAstra and ThinkOrbital 's innovative capture bag technology and on-orbit recycling platform, could provide a transformative solution to mitigate this threat while unlocking new opportunities for space exploration and industrialization.