California Startup Designs Giant Inflatable Bag To Catch Asteroids And Space Debris. How It Works

Asteroids are rich in both rare and common metals, and while accessing them is no easy feat, some startups believe they could provide a more sustainable alternative to traditional mining on Earth, where resources are depleting and extraction often harms the environment. One of the companies tackling this challenge is California-based TransAstra, which has designed and tested the Capture Bag - an inflatable device available in various sizes, capable of capturing objects ranging from small rocks to boulder-sized asteroids, CNN reported. The company also sees potential for the bag to help remove space debris, an issue that's becoming a growing concern for scientists and space agencies alike.

"Asteroid mining is a very risky, challenging thing to do. To solve the asteroid mining problem, you actually have to solve four other problems that we call detect, capture, move and process," said Joel Sercel, an aerospace engineer who taught at Caltech, and founder of TransAstra. 

TransAstra just tested its Capture Bag tech on the ISS, and it's now working on a bigger, better version with NASA and private funding. Sercel said the bag is targeting asteroids in Earth-like orbits, making them easier to reach. They're relatively close, just a few billion kilometers away, making them prime targets for mining. 

"We already know where hundreds of these objects are, and we're planning on going and getting the first one in 2028 — that, we think, will foment a true industrial revolution in space," he added. TransAstra has raised $12M from private investors and $15M from NASA and US Space Force contracts. Notably, asteroid mining is tough, with only 3 successful sample-return missions by governments so far, costing hundreds of millions. 

How the Capture Bag works

• A spacecraft equipped with the Capture Bag would be sent to rendezvous with a target, whether an asteroid or a piece of space debris.
• Once near the target, the craft would inflate a large, durable bag around the object to trap it inside.
• Since the contents and integrity of asteroids can be unpredictable, the flexible bag provides a gentler way to capture and secure them.

Applications of the technology

Asteroid mining: TransAstra's ultimate goal is to use the Capture Bag for asteroid mining, with the largest proposed bags being capable of capturing 10,000-ton asteroids. The company hopes to begin capturing asteroids for mining by 2028.

Space junk removal: Before targeting valuable asteroids, the Capture Bag will be used to mitigate risks by capturing space debris, such as defunct satellites. This would clear objects that pose navigational hazards to other spacecraft.