The exponential growth of orbital debris in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) has reached a critical threshold, demanding more efficient Active Debris Removal (ADR) strategies than ever foreseen before. This paper introduces a very novel ADR concept that leverages the dynamical properties of natural de-orbiting corridors: resonant orbital regions where the coupled effects of Solar Radiation Pressure (SRP), Earth’s oblateness, and lunisolar perturbations, can naturally amplify eccentricity, and thus drastically accelerate atmospheric re-entry. It must be underlined that unlike the majority of resonance-based disposal studies, this work incorporates an additional, often overlooked resonance driven by lunisolar forces, shown to play a role as decisive as the other better known de-orbiting corridors.
      Instead of performing costly classical perigee-lowering maneuvers, the proposed method aims at inserting debris (and not satellites for post mission removal like previous studies on natural resonances) into these resonant corridors via a carefully optimized impulsive ?V . Then follows the deployment of an Area-Enhancing Device (AED), such as a drag or solar sail, to magnify the perturbative effects. In contrast to previous studies, which frequently model perigee-lowering as a direct ballistic re-entry, this work provides this time a fair and realistic comparison by optimizing both strategies under equal AED-assisted conditions. Besides, the proposed ADR framework would follow a multi-target approach in order to maximize operational efficiency.
      A major contribution of this research is the development of a dedicated computational tool capable of determining, for any object in LEO, the optimal ?V and corresponding maneuver strategy required to meet the 25-year post-maneuver lifetime criterion through AED assistance. For the first time, the “tips” of each resonance/corridor are precisely characterized across the full range of intitial eccentricities—identifying the exact boundary above which debris inserted into a corridor will fail to meet the 25-year requirement. This new capability directly increases the fidelity of ?V budgeting and reveals relevant resonance exploitation possibilities that earlier studies could not capture.
      Candidate debris are selected from the Space-Track catalog based on AED-compatibility and potential compliance with disposal regulations. Their long-term evolution is propagated using a high-fidelity semi-analytical model (Orekit DSST) ensuring accuracy. While perigee lowering remains the most cost-effective solution in many cases, this study shows that for a non-negligible subset of debris, insertion into natural de-orbiting corridors can provide lower ?V with significantly reduced re-entry times.
      Finally, this study establishes a new class of hybrid ADR strategies that merge orbital mechanics, perturbation exploitation, and multi-target optimization—paving the way for scalable, cost-effective debris remediation campaigns in LEO.