Abstract
A method is disclosed for active orbital debris removal in which two satellites operate in coordinated formation on opposite sides of a target debris object and direct continuous-wave or pulsed laser ablation beams onto opposing faces of the target. The bilateral geometry provides three simultaneous effects: (1) surface ablation gradually weakens the structural integrity of degraded fasteners, adhesives, and thermal blankets on the debris exterior; (2) symmetric ablation plumes produce opposing reaction-torque components that cancel each other, suppressing the spin-up that would otherwise destabilize a single-beam ablation push; and (3) the combined photon pressure and plume-thrust components add as decelerating impulse, producing a retrograde Δv that lowers perigee until atmospheric drag completes reentry. A reinforcement-learning–trained formation-flying controller coordinates relative position, beam pointing, and pulse phasing in real time across both satellites, using cooperative LiDAR and optical tracking of the non-cooperative target. The disclosure does not claim disintegration of the target; on the contrary, it explicitly avoids the threshold fluence that would fragment the object. The novelty resides in the paired-satellite torque-cancelled ablation geometry combined with an AI-coordinated formation-flying control loop. No claim is made to the underlying laser-ablation physics, plasma-plume mechanics, or formation-flying mathematics, all of which are established art.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Harbison, Daniel Austin, "Paired-Satellite Coordinated Laser Ablation for Torque-Cancelled Deorbit of Uncontrolled Orbital Debris", Technical Disclosure Commons, (May 17, 2026)
https://www.tdcommons.org/dpubs_series/10144