Validation of Simulation of Space Net Deployment and Target Capture with Parabolic Flight Experiment Data

Tether nets are one of the most promising technologies proposed for the removal of large objects from Earth orbit. Before net-based debris removal missions can be pursued, work is required to understand the behavior of nets in low gravity environments. This paper discusses the validation of a simulator, making use of lumped parameter modeling techniques and implemented within the commercial multibody dynamics simulation software Vortex Studio, against data from a parabolic flight experiment of net-based capture. A model of the net with inner nodes along the threads is introduced to enable collision detection with the thin elements of the target employed in the experiment. Both the deployment and capture phases of the net-based capture scenario are analyzed. Simulation results are found to be in good agreement with experimental data during both the deployment of the net and the capture of the target. These results improve confidence in the practicality of the simulator as a tool for research and signify an expansion of the simulator’s capabilities.