Multibody analysis of a space debris capture mechanism based on origami principle

The issue of space debris is one of the greatest challenges that space exploration and utilization face today. It refers to the accumulation of non-functional artificial objects (decommissioned satellites, spacecraft fragments, rocket stages, etc.) orbiting the Earth. These debris pose an increasing risk to operational satellites, crewed space missions, and space infrastructure such as the International Space Station (ISS). Preventive measures and regulations are therefore necessary to mitigate the problem. For some time now, the European Space Agency (ESA) has been working to ensure that new space missions have a deorbiting time of no more than five years. In addition to these regulations, dedicated space missions have been developed with the goal of Active Debris Removal (ADR). This work contributes to the ADR field through the design and analysis of a debris capture system inspired by Origami principles, which allow for compact storage and lightweight yet mechanically robust deployable structures. The primary objective of this work is the sizing of the actuation system required to deploy the device during the target pursuit and capture phase. A further contribution lies in the modeling of structural flexibility, which was introduced to better capture the realistic dynamic behavior of the system. The multibody simulation environment was utilized to evaluate the deployment sequence and to study the forces and torques involved. A comparative analysis between rigid-body and flexible-body modeling was also carried out, highlighting the impact of flexibility on the overall performance and precision of the actuation system. The system is designed for operations in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), a favorable yet challenging environment due to factors such as gravitational gradients and radiation effects that can influence both structural and control performance.