{"id":60485,"date":"2025-07-04T13:11:48","date_gmt":"2025-07-04T03:11:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tomgrimshaw.com\/tomsblog\/?p=60485"},"modified":"2025-07-04T13:11:48","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T03:11:48","slug":"clearing-space-junk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tomgrimshaw.com\/tomsblog\/?p=60485","title":{"rendered":"Clearing Space Junk"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Clearing<\/p>\n

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Japan\u2019s superconducting space tether can deorbit satellites using Earth\u2019s magnetic field<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Japan has developed a space-age cleanup system that could deorbit dead satellites without fuel or explosions \u2014 using only Earth\u2019s magnetic field. It\u2019s a superconducting tether, made of ultra-thin niobium alloy, that drags space debris into lower orbit by generating electric currents as it slices through the planet\u2019s magnetosphere.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The idea is simple in theory, but stunning in execution: As the tether travels at orbital speeds through Earth\u2019s magnetic field, it induces a current \u2014 and this in turn produces a Lorentz force that opposes its motion. Over time, this force slows down the object, gently reducing altitude until it burns in the atmosphere.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Developed by JAXA in collaboration with Tokyo University, the tether is no longer a concept \u2014 it\u2019s already been tested on micro-satellites launched in low Earth orbit. In one test, a 700-meter-long tether successfully lowered a dead payload by over 120 km within two weeks \u2014 with no propulsion, no fuel, and no risk of explosion.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Unlike traditional deorbit methods, this technique doesn\u2019t require contact with the satellite itself. A deployable \u201cnet satellite\u201d attaches the tether to any dead or defunct object \u2014 then activates and drags it down slowly, passively, and safely.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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With over 30,000 pieces of space junk threatening the ISS and future launches, Japan\u2019s tether could become the standard orbital janitor for the next century. It\u2019s cost-effective, passive, and scalable \u2014 ideal for large satellite constellations like Starlink.<\/div>\n
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Cleaning space doesn\u2019t require explosions anymore. Just a wire, superconductors, and the quiet power of physics.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Japan\u2019s superconducting space tether can deorbit satellites using Earth\u2019s magnetic field Japan has developed a space-age cleanup system that could deorbit dead satellites without fuel or explosions \u2014 using only Earth\u2019s magnetic field. It\u2019s a superconducting tether, made of ultra-thin niobium alloy, that drags space debris into lower orbit by generating electric currents as it … <\/p>\n

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