In the West, the news was worried, which indicates Russia's readiness to implement a program to combat space debris. Information on the Roscosmos’s patented device for orbiting garbage collection was distributed today in a number of Russian media..
According to recent reports, we are talking about a special network in the form of a cone, which is in a sliding frame. The top of this cone is fixed to the profile spacecraft. The network has a coarse mesh structure, which allows you to “pick up” relatively large fragments of the so-called space debris while in a certain orbit. An important aspect is, that it is planned to use satellites to work with the "junk" network, who can work in automated mode. Bloggers called this project "string bag for space debris".
Why are these messages alarming in the West?
The thing is, that North American experts express concerns about the "dual purpose" of the space network. In particular, suspicion is expressed, that if an error occurs during the maneuvering of satellites with the network, spacecraft can get into this huge space “net” - for example, satellites of NASA or the US military. also stated, that such a technology "can use consciously to counter the activities of satellites".
It should be noted, that such accusations against Russia often sound. So, relatively recently in the West stated, that Russia is going to use a combat laser "to disable satellites in the US and other NATO countries". They are trying to make the same accusations against the promising Russian air defense system S-500 "Prometheus". Allegedly, its main purpose is to “shoot down satellites”.
If you combine all these suspicions and accusations together, it turns out, that Russia is going to literally “clean up” outer space from the satellites of Western countries - “to shoot down and immediately collect into the garbage bag”.
