OrbitSweeper is the working name for the development of the first general-purpose Orbital Debris Object Management System.

It is based on the "CODMS" US Patent granted in 2025 (Click for PDF)

A Simple, Captureless Concept

OrbitSweeper uses a CubeSat equipped with two opposing thrusters. One thruster, positioned close to and pointed at the Orbital Debris Object (ODO), creates an artificial "wind" of high-velocity ions or exhaust particles that imparts momentum to slow the object gradually.

No physical capture, nets, arms, or harpoons are required. The system also does not need to detumble the target, making OrbitSweeper more versatile than many existing concepts.

The patent covers many possible designs.  The following is one business case that suggests there there is at least one very affordable and profitable design. 

Small satellites have the highest impact

OrbitSweeper Cubesats (OSC) can use high-efficiency propulsion such as Solid Iodine Ion Thrusters, Water Ion Thrusters, or Water Hall Effect Thrusters. The final design is expected to be at least 6U, with larger variants exceeding 16U.

Notional OrbitSweeper Cubesat

Why Two Opposing Thrusters?

To apply meaningful momentum, the OrbitSweeper Cubesat must remain in close proximity (approximately 1 meter) to the debris object for days or weeks. The second thruster, pointing away from the target, provides counter-thrust to hold position and prevent the CubeSat from drifting away during operation.

This bi-directional setup is essential for effective, sustained momentum transfer.

The basic concept ... any type of thruster can be used.

Leading Thruster Options

Each OrbitSweeper requires two thrusters: one for momentum transfer to the debris and one for station-keeping.

Top performers were evaluated based on specific impulse (Isp), momentum transfer efficiency at 1 meter (narrow plume angle), total impulse capability, propellant type, and suitability for CubeSat integration.

Leading options include FEEP systems (such as ENPULSION Nano series) and various ion thrusters (Pale Blue PBI, ThrustMe NPT30, Busek BIT-3, Ariane RIT μX). These thrusters feature narrow plumes (10–20° half-angle), delivering high flux and efficient momentum transfer at close range. 

Leading Thruster Options (Remember that you need 2 per OrbitSweeper Cubesat)

Top Thruster Performers (ISP + Momentum Transfer Efficiency at 1 m)

Top performers at 1 m: FEEP (ENPULSION Nano series) and ion thrusters (Pale Blue PBI, ThrustMe NPT30, Busek BIT-3, Ariane RIT μX) — narrow plumes (~10–20° half-angle) keep high flux on target. Based on the thrusters rated "High" in momentum transfer efficiency at 1 m (primarily ion and FEEP types with narrow plumes ~10–20° half-angle). These are ideal for contactless debris removal due to focused beams. Optimal satellite configuration tailored to OrbitSweeper's CubeSat-like design (bi-directional thrusters, water/iodine/indium propellant, proximity ops at ~1 m). Suggestions assume a minimal system (chassis, power, avionics, ~50–80% propellant load for total impulse utilization), scaled to thruster size/power:

Size in CUs: 6U - 8U
Mass: Wet mass (including propellant); dry ~30–50% of wet.
Price: Estimated total satellite build/assembly cost (excluding launch; includes thruster pair, COTS components like solar panels/batteries; based on industry averages ~$50k–$200k/U for commercial CubeSats, plus thruster cost estimates from sources). Prices are approximate (2026 estimates, often not publicly listed—e.g., ~$50k–$100k/unit for these micro-thrusters).

Top Thrusters and resultant cubesat.

Minimizing launch cost on an F9 Transporter Mission (SSO)

A SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter Mission launch is currently the best value to launch to orbit, but you need a compliant Dispenser. Falcon 9 Transporter missions (dedicated rideshare to SSO or mid-inclination orbits) use SpaceX's proprietary rideshare plates with standardized ports (e.g., 15-inch or 24-inch ESPA-compatible interfaces) for deployment. Dispensers are typically third-party systems mounted to these plates, or SpaceX-provided as nonstandard services. Based on the satellites in the top performers table (primarily 3U–12U CubeSats or smallsats, 1–20 kg wet mass), there are compatible dispensers. These are selected for compliance with SpaceX's Payload User's Guide and Rideshare Payload User's Guide, which emphasize vibration isolation, electrical interfaces, and CG limits (e.g., max 5 cm RSS shift for multi-deploy).

Compatibility: Must fit SpaceX's rideshare plates (e.g., via bolt patterns, <500 kg/port for ESPA Grande-like).
Multi-Satellite Potential: Many dispensers can hold multiple smaller sats (e.g., 3U units in a 12U canister), reducing per-sat cost by sharing a port. 
Fit for OrbitSweeper Sats: Low-mass, compact designs like those with Pale Blue PBI or ENPULSION Nano (3U–6U, <10 kg) suit CubeSat dispensers; larger (6U–12U, 10–20 kg) may need microsat separators.

Multi-Satellite Potential: Excellent for cost-sharing—e.g., the EXOpod Nova can deploy 2 8U cubesats from one slot, treating them as one payload for billing.

And the winning combination is (as of known and best estimate pricing and availability in February 2026) ... 

Factoring in all elements —thruster performance (high momentum transfer efficiency at 1 m via narrow plumes), total impulse (Ns as proxy for momentum potential, assuming bi-directional setup with forward thruster delivering to debris), satellite configs (size/mass/price from top performers), dispensers (multi-sat capability to share costs), and launch economics (SpaceX Transporter ~$10k/kg avg rate, min 50 kg billable) there is a winner.

Key assumptions in calcs:

Momentum transfer potential: Effective total impulse from forward thruster (Ns); high-efficiency thrusters ensure ~90%+ delivery at 1 m.
Costs: Sat build (incl. dual thrusters ~10% markup), dispenser, launch (billable mass = max(actual, 50 kg)).
Multi-sat: Dispensers allow packing (e.g., 2–3 small sats per unit) to hit/exceed 50 kg, minimizing $/kg effective.
Optimization: Highest Ns per $ (total impulse / total cost); used averages for ranges, focused on top performers.

From the analysis, the best combination is:

Thruster: Busek BIT-3 (Iodine) — High total impulse (~37,000 Ns avg per thruster), iodine's safe/non-toxic storage, TRL 7 with deep-space heritage (e.g., Lunar IceCube on SLS EM-1; iSAT CubeSat mission). Narrow RF ion plume (~15–20° half-angle) ensures high efficiency at 1 m.

Satellite Config: 8U, ~15 kg wet mass, ~$880k build price (incl. dual thrusters for bi-directional). 

Dispenser: EXOpod Nova (Exolaunch) — $200k est., up to 16U capacity, can dispense 2 8U cubesats
 
Launch: SpaceX Transporter (SSO), ~$500k launch cost (50 kg min at $10k/kg).

Operational support (labor, comms): $300K per mission

Total Cost To Build, Test, Launch, Deploy, Operate: (2 cubesats + dispenser): ~$2.66M  (Assume $3M)

Please note that implementing OrbitSweeper with a Busek BIT-3 (or similar iodine ion thruster) falls squarely within the granted CODMS patent's scope—it's a compatible implementation of the patented capture-less approach. 

All the components for an efficient OrbitSweeper fleet is still a few years from being fully "Ready to Acquire"

FAQ:

Why has a concept like OrbitSweeper not been proposed, developed or patented before?

OrbitSweeper requires more propellant than capture-based methods, which was historically prohibitive. Dramatically lower launch costs and maturing high-efficiency ion thrusters now make the approach viable. 

Why "Orbital Debris Management" instead of "Removal"? 

The system focuses on broader risk reduction. Beyond deorbiting, it can adjust orbits, reduce collision cross-sections, or support other management services. "Management" better captures the full range of capabilities described in the patent.

Various OrbitSweeper Services

What is the business case?  Can this be profitable?

It estimated to cost $3M to build, test, launch an operate a pair of 8U OrbitSweeper Cubesats (OSC) with combined total effective impulse of around 65,000 Ns that can perform the following services:

1) Orbital sweeping services for mega-constellations
2) Deorbiting of high-risk debris, such as the ESA ClearSpace-1 $100m project that an OrbitSweeper Cubesat can deorbit for $1.5M
3) Inspection missions (RPO in general)
4) Boosting the orbit of a operational satellite: add years to a satellite's value

Orbit Sweeping for Mega Constellations

Companies with large constellations will pay to reduce collision risk in an orbital shell, reducing the need for collision avoidance maneuvers and thus extending the operational life of their satellites. SSO is the place to start, as SpaceX Transporter offers low cost launches to this orbital family, and there is a significant of debris here. The following diagram shows the combination of Altitude and Inclination for "High ROI Objects". Note that the green dots show where Starlink is deployed.  These satellites all cross nearby to orbital debris objects in the same altitude, no matter the inclination.  Yellow circle indicates the greatest concentration of Starlink crossing objects within a small inclination band.  Note that it inefficient to change inclination more than a few degrees.

Starlink performed ~300,000 CAMs in 2025 alone (~40 per satellite per year on average), with the rate rising due to overall LEO congestion. SSO shells are among the most affected because:

SSO is the single most congested LEO regime for Earth-observation and polar coverage.  Relative velocities in SSO crossings are high (~10–15 km/s), amplifying risk.  Legacy debris persists for decades at these altitudes.

Removing or deorbiting even a modest number of high-impact SSO objects (large rocket bodies or dense debris clusters) would yield disproportionate relief for Starlink’s propellant budget compared to targeting equivalent mass in non-SSO orbits.

ASAT-generated debris clouds in SSO are the clear leaders in driving Starlink’s fuel-expending diverts—both historically and ongoing—followed by derelict rocket bodies and uncoordinated SSO satellites. These are precisely the high-value targets an OrbitSweeper concept would prioritize for maximum Starlink relief.

Sweep out a thin shell, dropping ODOs 5 km under a specific shell (full deorbit not needed), thus a small set of OSCs can clear 1000s of objects over time. We estimate that $6M worth of OSCs can reduce the need for collision avoidance by 10% with a one time sweeping.  This may save Starlink or Amazon LEO $10M per year, every year, for decades to come.  This also applies to proposed Datacenter satellites.

The key challenge is to maximize small object sweeping (since they are most numerous and force that same diverts as much more massive objects), but sweeping smaller and smaller objects is ever more inefficient.

1000s of small objects can be "swept" by a single 8U OrbitSweeper Cubesat

Finally, add an Orbital Debris Collector to (~$8M) complete the deorbit for 100s of objects (optional)

The ODC may potentially act as fuel depot for the OrbitSweeper Cubesats.

Starship can place a empty and refueled new OCD (after releasing a different large payload ... so OCD would be a small part of a larger paying mission) and then collect the ODC and full debris container and safely return it the Earth's surface.  This eliminates the risk of orbital debris hitting a plane or something on the ground.  It also eliminates possible risk of chemicals being added to the upper atmosphere.  Finally, the ODC can be refurbished, refueled and later reused.

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