Artist depiction of Astroscale spacecraft approaching defunct rocket stage. Astroscale
A growing accumulation of space junk, such as spent rockets and defunct satellites, presents a serious collision risk to active missions.
If this orbital clutter remains unchecked, it will cause catastrophic impacts, damaging current satellites and potentially halting future space exploration
But now, a team in Japan is taking a giant leap towards cleaning up this mess.
Astroscale, a company focused on removing space debris, launched the ADRAS-J mission to test its technology by approaching a discarded rocket stage. ADRAS-J stands for Active Debris Removal by Astroscale-Japan.
This was the first such attempt for a spacecraft to approach space junk in low-Earth orbit.
Catching up with space debris
Astroscale has created a spacecraft designed to capture space debris and then guide it back to Earth for either a controlled ocean crash or atmospheric burn-up.
For their latest test, the startup sent a spacecraft to rendezvous with a discarded upper stage of a Japanese H-IIA rocket, which has been floating in orbit since 2009.
The mission was not as simple as expected. Approaching uncontrolled space junk like the H-IIA rocket is much harder than simply docking with controlled objects like the space station. These defunct objects lack navigation and communication aids for docking in the tricky space environment.
Interestingly, the company managed to successfully navigate its spacecraft to within 50 feet (164 feet) of this discarded rocket stage.
To initiate its chase of the H-IIA rocket, the mission was launched in February 2024, sending it into a polar orbit at an altitude exceeding 350 miles (560 kilometers).
On November 30th, ADRAS-J completed its final approach to the rocket stage, coming within 15 meters (49 feet). It used cameras and lasers for navigation before retreating.
The second phase of the mission receives funding
Astroscale’s next mission, ADRAS-J2, will complete the final 15-meter approach to the H-IIA rocket and physically dock with it. The previous ADRAS-J mission was a test run and lacked the necessary equipment for docking.
Ars Technica reported that Astroscale’s successful close approach to the rocket stage earned them additional funding from the Japanese space agency.
Japan’s space agency awarded Astroscale $88 million to build and launch ADRAS-J2. This second mission is expected to use a robotic arm to capture and de-orbit the H-IIA rocket stage, causing it to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.
This mission to capture and de-orbit the spent H-IIA rocket stage is likely to launch in 2027.
Astroscale‘s ambition doesn’t stop there. They’re developing various technologies to tackle different types of space debris.
One major upcoming challenge is de-orbiting a European OneWeb satellite using a magnetic plate to connect with de-orbiting spacecraft.
Earth’s orbit is cluttered with over 2,000 discarded rocket stages and another 32,000 pieces of metallic debris larger than four inches. Removing this substantial amount of debris will be a complex and expensive undertaking.
This mission represents a significant step in clearing space debris.
NASA’s projections reveal the substantial financial commitment required for space debris removal, estimating approximately $8 million per piece once standardized procedures are in place.
But the cost of inaction could be far greater. The risk of collisions with functioning satellites is a major concern, as it could lead to disruptions in critical communication, navigation, and scientific operations.
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Astroscale, with subsidiaries in the U.S., U.K., and France, aims to clear space debris globally.
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Mrigakshi Dixit Mrigakshi is a science journalist who enjoys writing about space exploration, biology, and technological innovations. Her work has been featured in well-known publications including Nature India, Supercluster, The Weather Channel and Astronomy magazine. If you have pitches in mind, please do not hesitate to email her.