A recent space reconnaissance mission has provided remarkable images of a large piece of space debris orbiting Earth. This debris, a discarded three-ton rocket stage measuring about 36 feet in length, represents the type of hazardous objects that space agencies are keen to remove from orbit.
Such debris poses a significant risk, as potential collisions could create thousands of smaller pieces, threatening satellites and the International Space Station. Astroscale, a Japanese satellite technology company, is focused on addressing this issue by planning to remove the rocket stage after collecting crucial information about its condition and trajectory.
Astroscale utilized its ADRAS-J spacecraft to carefully approach the metal debris, successfully coming within 164 feet and capturing detailed footage. The company shared its progress online, announcing that the spacecraft had completed two fly-around of the upper stage and confirmed the capture point was undamaged. This achievement is a vital step towards the eventual removal of the debris and contributes to efforts aimed at maintaining a sustainable space environment.
Operating near another object in Earth’s lower orbit is challenging, as objects travel at speeds between 7 to 8 kilometers per second. In a previous attempt in June, an anomaly caused ADRAS-J to abort its approach, but the spacecraft’s collision avoidance system worked as intended. Subsequent attempts on July 15 and 16 were successful, demonstrating the spacecraft’s capability to safely maneuver close to the non-cooperative debris.
This mission is part of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) “Commercial Removal of Debris Demonstration” project. The project aims to develop and demonstrate effective techniques for removing problematic space junk from orbit.
According to Yamamoto Toru, leader of Japan’s commercial removal mission, the selected rocket stage is representative of many similar cylindrical debris pieces in orbit. Success in this mission could lead to the application of these techniques to other similar debris.
With reconnaissance now complete, Astroscale’s next step involves capturing the debris with a robotic arm and lowering it to an orbit where it will eventually burn up in Earth’s atmosphere. The long-term goal for spacefaring nations and commercial space entities is to keep low Earth orbit free of hazardous space debris, ensuring safer conditions for satellites and other space operations.
NASA emphasizes the extent of the problem, noting that millions of pieces of human-generated debris, ranging from spacecraft fragments to tiny flecks of paint, clutter LEO and pose ongoing risks.
