This is a sheet of stealthy radar-transparent material that can be placed in the orbit of an unwanted satellite. Like the solar sails, this could be a kilometer or two on a side, and could be placed well in advance of the arrival of the offending satellite. The compressed unit could be dropped off innocently by a supposedly innocent research bird, and unfurl to make the intercept.

Upon contact of any part of the target, the material either gives way, leaving stuff that interferes with its systems, or encases the offender in a diaphanous shroud that does the same thing. This system avoids the fragmentation and danger of exploding a satellite (the Kessler effect) and eventually the thing will burn up in the atmosphere once it cannot be controlled. Any part of the sheet that is not carried away by the satellite decomposes in sunlight into harmless molecules.
-- minoradjustments, Feb 04 2024

Pashute’s Idea Satelite_20thrower
Bounced off this [minoradjustments, Feb 04 2024]

Just making more work for these guys ... Near_20Earth_20Orbi...ation_20Corporation
"decomposes in sunlight into harmless molecules" - Yeah, that's what they said about (fill in the blank here) [normzone, May 02 2024]

[a1] Holy Christ! I don’t have anything on the NASA noodleheads. I wouldn’t have the balls to propose a satellite that harpoons another satellite, but they actually made one. Hat’s off…
-- minoradjustments, Feb 10 2024


I think I mistakenly X’d your link to the RemoveDebris page.
-- minoradjustments, Feb 10 2024


//I don’t have anything on the NASA noodleheads.//

{A furtive figure sidles up and offers to sell you something on them. Buy the whole dossier and get your first month's subscription free.}
-- pertinax, Feb 10 2024


After harpooning the target, the RemoveDebris satellite uses a large solar sail to propel the offending bird into a destructive or harmless orbit. The SGW wrapper is only concerned with gumming up and interfering with the operation of the offending satellite, without leaving a cloud of debris zooming around at 17000mph and posing existential problems for ‘friendly’ birds.

We have not heard much more about the harpoon thing. Gone dark or gone away?
-- minoradjustments, Feb 10 2024


I can’t seem to shake the long gummy tentacle concept from anti-drone drones and applying it to a sticky spider-silk trolling filament that sticks to the satellite and falls onto it like a spaghetti strand dropped straight down on the floor. The bird may work for a while, eventually failing for some unknown reason (lol) and the killer satellite moves on to cast its web on another victim. Unless there were cameras meant to monitor the target satellite itself the owner would likely never know what happened.
-- minoradjustments, Feb 10 2024



random, halfbakery