REAL LIFE NEWS: A PROJECT TO DEAL WITH SPACE DEBRIS
by Hazed
There is a big problem in Earth orbit – a whole lot of space junk that poses a danger to satellites. Various projects have been suggested as a way to deal with it, and a recent scheme, led by the UK, is now being tested.
The RemoveDebris satellite was recently released from the International Space Station using the station’s robotic arm. It consists of a net and a harpoon.
For the next month to six weeks, ground controllers in Guildford in the UK will monitor the satellite and check on its functions. Then it can begin its experiments. It has been released with two small “cubesats” which will be released and then can simulate space debris. For one of these, RemoveDebris will demonstrate the laser ranging and camera technology that will be needed to search for space junk. The other cubesat will be snared by the net (hopefully).
The harpoon will be tested by extending an arm with a target attached to its end.
All of these experiments will show whether this method is feasible to capture and deal with space debris.
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-44550082
