Evaluation of Harpoon Tips for Debris Capture

Abstract

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is developing an active debris-removing satellite using an electro-dynamic tether (EDT) system. A harpoon system is a promising strategy for attachment of the EDT to target debris. This paper investigates the properties of different harpoon tips, and their effect on perforation. Using a powder gun, six types of projectiles (flat, flat 3, cone, puncher 0, puncher 2 and puncher 4) were impacted upon target plates and evaluated in terms of their velocity, kinetic energy and penetration length. The target was a 3 mm thick plate of 2024-T3 aluminum alloy which replicated the surface of an H-IIA second stage. From the experiments, it was found that puncher 2 was the most effective for perforation.