Japan has successfully launched a spacecraft that has been designed to inspect and potentially remove any man-made space debris from around the Earth, a statement from Astrosclae Japan stated on Monday.
Astroscale Japan has initiated an Active Debris Removal mission, as reported by AFP, aiming to rendezvous with and inspect a Japanese H2A rocket fragment that has orbited space for 15 years. Launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency in 2009, the H2A rocket component, roughly the size of a bus, remains without precise orbital coordinates.
According to project manager Eijiro Atarashi’s statement, the ADRAS-J spacecraft, launched from New Zealand, has successfully established contact and is poised to commence its operations.
Utilizing observation data obtained from Earth, the estimated whereabouts of the H2A rocket body will be ascertained, facilitating ADRAS-J to approach it “from a safe distance.” This approach aims to capture images, evaluate its condition, and monitor its movements.
Chosen by JAXA for its debris removal initiative, ADRAS-J, according to Astroscale, stands as the inaugural spacecraft of its category. Its primary objective is to eliminate sizable debris of Japanese origin through collaboration with private enterprises.
Space Debris: Threat and Solutions
According to estimates from the European Space Agency (ESA), there are approximately one million fragments of debris larger than a centimeter that exists in orbit. These sizable debris pieces, capable of “disabling a spacecraft,” present a significant threat.
Since the space age began, the accumulation of space debris, encompassing used satellites and rocket components, has emerged as a mounting concern. Proposed remedies entail leveraging lasers to propel debris into alternative orbits and Astroscale’s space “tow-truck,” which utilizes a magnet to gather and relocate out-of-service satellites.
The ADRAS-J mission comes on the heels of Japan’s triumphant launch of its new flagship H3 rocket on Saturday, marking the culmination of years of delays and previous unsuccessful endeavors. Moreover, Japan recently achieved a successful, albeit slightly off-target, unmanned probe landing on the Moon last month, solidifying its status as the fifth country to achieve a “soft” lunar landing.