We're facing a critical challenge in space: ensuring the long-term sustainability of our orbit. The European Space Agency (ESA) is taking a bold stand with its Zero Debris Approach, aiming for 'net zero pollution' in space by 2030. This ambitious goal is a response to the growing concern over space debris, especially with the increasing use of CubeSats for various purposes.
But here's where it gets controversial: CubeSats, while offering immense potential, have traditionally relied on low-altitude orbits and passive deorbiting, which may not be enough to meet the evolving orbital lifetime limits. To achieve the Zero Debris charter, active deorbiting with a high success rate is crucial.
ESA's recent CleanCube campaign, funded by its Basic Activities, has resulted in some promising mission studies. Six teams tackled the technical challenges head-on, exploring reliable passivation, improved health monitoring, collision avoidance, and even addressing the impact of visual brightness on radio astronomy.
To protect key orbital areas, innovative technologies are needed to ensure CubeSats meet ESA's Zero Debris requirements. Sibyl-Anna de Courson, the Space Debris Mitigation & Re-Entry Engineer leading this challenge, emphasizes the need for creative solutions.
The CleanCube: Zero Debris for CubeSat platforms SysNova Campaign, run through the Open Space Innovation Platform (OSIP), brought together diverse teams to address these challenges. Over a four-month period, they delved into pre-Phase A concept studies, focusing on reliable disposal, system resilience, collision risk reduction, and preserving dark and quiet skies.
On June 16th, these teams gathered at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in the Netherlands to present their ideas. It was a day of collaboration, with teams sharing their unique approaches and building connections for future endeavors. De Courson was impressed by the variety of solutions explored, from fail-safe deorbiting concepts to technologies enhancing ground-based tracking and autonomous collision avoidance.
Let's take a closer look at these innovative teams and their proposals:
SHIELD Satellite (AIKO SRL): Leveraging onboard artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance system autonomy and health monitoring, as well as enabling in-orbit debris collision risk assessment and computation of corrective maneuvers. This satellite also features an innovative debris detector developed at the University of Turin, improving space surveillance and tracking with space-based data.
Aurora Propulsion Technologies: Focusing on reliable deorbiting with their Charon system, a fully independent deorbiting mechanism. The Plasma Brake, developed by Auora, uses an electrostatic tether and ionospheric plasma to create a Coulomb drag force. Powered by independent solar panels, this system can function even if the satellite is non-functional, and includes a 'watchdog' feature to automatically deploy Charon if the satellite is unresponsive.
SpaceKeepers Mission (GMV Aerospace and Defence): Aiming to mitigate satellite brightness by testing shape and element distribution, as well as satellite attitude. They plan to test the ATHENA electric propulsion for reliable CubeSat disposal and improve the location of space objects using a conventional star tracker or a Space Locator Beacon. The unique Space Locator Beacon, still in development, can function throughout the mission and is designed to be dark and quiet skies friendly.
ION-X: Concentrating on autonomous collision avoidance with low-thrust maneuvers. Their proposed mission includes a dedicated onboard computer for AI processing, coupled with an ION-X HALO-100X electrical thruster that uses an inert, non-toxic, non-pressurized propellant, leaving no infrared signature. This thruster enables controlled deorbit and collision avoidance maneuvers.
TidyCube (ISISPACE Group): Aiming to demonstrate collision avoidance, passivation, and end-of-life disposal for a CubeSat that meets stricter space debris mitigation requirements. ISISpace, in collaboration with Neuraspace, improved collision risk assessments and explored methods for early identification from the ground. Their satellite will test the use of a thruster for collision avoidance, and they also plan to demonstrate fail-safe deployment of a drag sail device and tether for deorbiting, even in the event of spacecraft failure or prolonged loss of communication. Their goal is to develop solutions applicable to all types of CubeSats.
Stellar Space Industries: The only team focused on a Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) mission. Using their air-breathing electric propulsion (ABEP) system, they aim to demonstrate the benefits of VLEO for high-performance payloads while leveraging the natural and reliable end-of-life provided by this orbit. The main challenge they face is integrating this relatively large system into a CubeSat.
The ideas generated during the CleanCube campaign offer tangible solutions to the technical challenges of Zero Debris CubeSats. Building on this success, ESA Clean Space launched an open competition in July 2025 for an In-Orbit Demonstration (IOD) Phase A study for a Zero Debris CubeSat mission, partially funded by ESA and planned for 2028.
As we move forward, it's crucial to consider the potential impact of these innovations on the future of space exploration and the sustainability of our orbit. What do you think? Are these solutions enough to ensure a sustainable future in space? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
