China unveils ‘gunpowder-powered' space debris catcher that could covertly disable enemy satellites
Nanjing University of Science and Technology
and collaborators in Shanghai and Shenyang have introduced a compact launcher capable of capturing space debris.
The device propels a capsule containing a net toward floating debris like defunct satellites and spent rocket parts. Once caught, the debris can be safely pulled out of orbit to burn up in Earth's atmosphere.
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Unlike traditional projectile systems, this launcher operates silently, producing no smoke, flash, or strong vibrations. Its innovative design prevents the destabilization of the host spacecraft and allows for precise and safe operation in orbit.
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As per the South China Morning Post, this technology was unveiled last month in the peer-reviewed Chinese journal Acta Aeronautica et Astronautica Sinica.
How does the launcher work?
The system uses a small gunpowder charge to generate high-pressure gas that drives a piston forward. A specially designed weak section breaks at a preset pressure to release the net capsule.
A unique 35-degree angled ring acts like a collapsing flower, absorbing most recoil energy and reducing thrust impact by over 9 per cent compared to earlier designs.
The SCMP explains that this careful engineering minimizes barrel movement, ensuring sensitive satellite instruments remain unharmed. The sealed design also traps gas, preventing contamination of the space environment.
Addressing the space junk crisis
Space debris has become a critical threat to satellites and spacecraft, with growing amounts of defunct equipment posing collision risks. This new launcher is compact, requires no external power, and can be mass-produced, offering an efficient solution to help clean up dangerous orbital clutter.
Possible military implications?
While the primary goal is debris management, experts warn that the technology could be adapted for covert military use. Unlike visible missile strikes or explosions, this system could disable or capture an adversary's satellite silently, leaving it to appear as though it failed naturally.
A Beijing-based space scientist, speaking anonymously to the South China Morning Post, said, 'There would be no explosion, no visible attack, only a satellite that ceases to respond.'
The launcher's emergence comes amid intensifying geopolitical competition in space. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty bans nuclear weapons in orbit and requires peaceful use of space, but does not explicitly forbid conventional kinetic weapons like this.
Whether China's debris catcher is currently operational or still in development remains unclear. Yue Shuai, the project lead and associate professor at Nanjing University of Science and Technology, is noted as an expert in space weapon systems and has already launched two payloads into orbit, with more planned.
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