Assessing the Potential of a Laser-Ablation-Propelled Tug to Remove Large Space Debris

Reducing the future threat of orbital debris will require active removal of the larger objects, such as old satellites and upper stages. Material ablation by intense laser radiation, which can be applied to most materials, provides a unique means of solving this problem. Such ablation will allow the tug to use the inert mass of the debris itself as propellant for the deorbit process, greatly reducing the mass launched to orbit. It will further allow the tug to zero the rotation of the debris from a distance of several meters, reducing the risk associated with docking. This paper looks at some basic performance parameters for a laser ablation tug to show that a tug could use laser ablation propulsion to circumvent the high launch mass and some of the docking risks that are problematic for more traditional tugs.