British startup creates satellite to consume space debris

A British startup called Magdrive has created a new spacecraft that could help clean up space junk. The company plans to use its satellite to "eat" dead satellites, turning them into fuel. The spacecraft uses a unique propulsion system known as Warlock. This system ionizes solid metal instead of using pressurized gas like traditional electric systems. Magdrive aims to combine high power with good efficiency. Mark Stokes, the founder of Magdrive, explained that current chemical propulsion offers high thrust but poor efficiency. In contrast, electric systems have low thrust but great efficiency. He believes their design will provide the benefits of both types. The Warlock system can use inexpensive and commonly available copper as fuel. In the future, Magdrive hopes to use metal from retired satellites as energy. This could reduce the amount of material launched into space because the satellite wouldn't need to carry its own fuel. However, these plans are still in the early stages. Stokes mentioned that using old satellites would require permission from their owners. Additionally, retrieving these uncontrollable and tumbling objects poses significant challenges. Magdrive plans to launch a prototype of the Warlock system in June. Initially, it will test ionizing solid metal rather than consuming old satellites. This technology could be adapted for various applications, such as Earth observation and communication. Despite its potential, there are concerns about performance. The metal used may degrade over time or change its structure, affecting efficiency. Even so, the concept presents an innovative way to tackle the problem of space debris.