Space junk: This technology should be used to clean up space – Jigsaw

– Broken satellites and burned-out rockets are part of the trash in Earth’s orbit. The European Space Agency (ESA) now wants to clean up a new mission in space. You can find out what’s behind your waste disposal here.

It’s not just the blue planet that’s about to be completely scattered — there’s also chaos in Earth’s orbit. According to NASA, about 27,000 pieces of debris are floating in space. It is a dangerous situation, because in space travel, shuttles, the ISS or space debris are moving at high speeds of several thousand kilometers per hour. Even the smallest particles can become dangerous projectiles.

Several significant events between 2007 and 2009 caused an increase in the amount of debris in orbit, according to reports Scientific American. Satellite collisions are often the cause of small pieces of space debris. This resulted in more than 3,000 parts when a Chinese non-weather satellite was intentionally destroyed during an ASAT test in 2007.

In order to counter the potential danger of future missions in space, the European Space Agency (ESA) now has a solution: With the Swiss start-up ClearSpaceSA, a moving claw should ensure the system is in space.

The spider-like satellite, called Clear-Space-1, is scheduled to enter orbit in 2025 and is intended not only to remove debris from the road, but also to be able to repair the satellites and, if necessary, refuel them. The clean-up campaign cost about 86 million euros under an agreement with the European Space Agency. On December 1, the European Space Agency presented the project at a digital press conference. ClearSpaceSA focuses on advancements in space technology and sustainability.

In a press release on September 26, the startup announced that it had received a €2.5 million reward from the British Space Agency. Clear-Space-1 received money to successfully conduct a study commissioned by the authority in October 2021.

annoying additional be He. She Approximately 4,500 active satellites and many inactive satellites. The number will increase even more in the coming years with upcoming space missions. The ISS is already showing signs of a collision. It remains to be seen if the Clear Space 1 mission can successfully collect trash in orbit — but the company makes it clear that it shouldn’t remain a one-time process.