Orbital Trap: SOAR and UTEP Target Small-Scale Debris

Kinetic Mitigation

The Florida-based startup Satellite Orbital Access and Removal (SOAR) has formalized a partnership with the University of Texas, El Paso (UTEP) to develop a passive interceptor for sub-10cm orbital debris. According to SpaceNews, the collaboration aims to address the growing hazard posed by millions of untrackable fragments traveling at velocities exceeding 11,000 kilometers per hour.

The PODRS Architecture

The core of the project is the Passive Orbital Debris Removal System (PODRS). Unlike active capture methods using nets or harpoons, PODRS utilizes a rotating, multi-panel structure. The design incorporates layered, Whipple-style shielding to absorb kinetic energy from small fragments. Beyond mere removal, these units act as orbital sensors, utilizing onboard instrumentation to log impact frequency and momentum transfer data.

“The risk is high because the consequences can be severe,” stated Eric Felt, director of UTEP’s National Security Institute and retired U.S. Space Force colonel. He emphasized that while total cleanup is impossible, current efforts must focus on high-consequence orbits essential for national security and satellite operations.

Theoretical Foundations

SOAR was founded in 2025 by Christopher Lee Jones, whose work was influenced by Donald Kessler—the astrophysicist who famously predicted the collisional cascade effect in 1978. Kessler currently serves as an advisor to the firm. Recent European Space Agency models suggest there are roughly 140 million objects smaller than 10 centimeters currently in orbit, most of which evade existing terrestrial tracking networks.

As the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) environment becomes increasingly congested, the economic and defense motivations for cleanup are mounting. UTEP is currently leading the design phase to determine the most effective architecture for deploying these passive traps across critical orbital lanes.