Parametric Design and Experimental Validation of the Penetration Performance of a Space Harpoon Device

Abstract To capture defunct spacecraft during on-orbit active debris removal missions, a harpoon device equipped with deployable barbs for target anchoring is designed in this study. The key design parameters are optimized based on the penetration performance of the harpoon. First, a dynamic model of harpoon penetration into the target plate was established. To identify the optimal combination of tip geometry and impact velocity, simulations were conducted to evaluate the penetration performance of four tip geometries at three impact velocities. The influence of carbon-fiber panel thickness on penetration performance was then investigated. Based on the simulation results, a ground-based test system was developed, and validation tests were performed under multiple test conditions. The ground-test results showed that the harpoon successfully penetrated a 21-mm-thick carbon-fiber/aluminum honeycomb sandwich panel and achieved reliable anchoring at a launch velocity of approximately 21 m / s when equipped with a conical tip with a 45° cone angle and a double-layer silicone buffer pad. The simulation results agreed well with the experimental data, thereby validating the feasibility of the proposed harpoon device and the associated parameter-design method. These findings provide a useful reference for parameter selection and ground-based validation of harpoon-based space-debris capture systems.