Development of net-ejector for active debris removal using spacenet

In this study, a net-ejector for net-based active debris removal is developed. The capture method using a net involves the ejection of the net as a projectile attached to the end of the net. Therefore, for successful mission, the design of an appropriate net-shooter for net ejection is essential. Accordingly, a net-shooter for net-based active debris removal mission is designed. The net-shooter utilizes an ejection mechanism based on the elastic restoration force of a compressed spring and a hold and release mechanism using a DC motor and holding balls. Additionally, a spring is designed, and the verification of spring design is conducted through a dynamic ejection simulation. Through the spring specifications, a spring-based non-explosive net-shooter is designed. The robustness of the net-shooter for spring elastic restoration force and the random vibration analysis considering a launch environment is evaluated. Moreover, a scaled model of the spring-based non-explosive net-shooter is designed for ground test. This scaled net-shooter is designed through the same process as the full-scale net-shooter, and its fabrication is carried out through the 3D printing. Subsequently, The demonstration is conducted to evaluate the performance of the mechanism. As a result, it is confirmed that both the projecitle and the net are successfully ejected from the designed spring-based non-explosive net-shooter.