Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Image credit: HPS

A drag sail has been successfully deployed in a test meant to showcase the ability to hasten a spacecraft’s reentry and help curb the continuing and uncontrolled pollution of space.

The Drag Augmentation Deorbiting Subsystem (ADEO), carried by D-Orbit’s ION spacecraft, was launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 booster on June 30, 2021.

This autonomous braking sail comes from the Munich-based space company High Performance Space Structure Systems.

ADEO successfully deployed from D-Orbit’s ION satellite carrier.
Image credit: HPS

The promise of ADEO is to complete deorbit of a spacecraft many years faster than current “unbraked” satellites. 

Image credit: ESA/UNOOSA

For an informative video on the ADEO, go to:

http://www.hps-gmbh.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/ADEO-L_All-Scenes_Text_HQ-k.mp4